By Zanny Begg
In the dim past young people, when asking about sex, would be given vague answers about storks flying over chimney pots before the topic of conversation was quickly changed. In the liberated '90s it would be nice to think that we have moved beyond this coy prudishness. But how much has really changed?
At the beginning of this year the Family Planning's Making Sense of Sex project had its government funding cut, by order of Paul Keating, because of objections to its publication, the Fact and Fantasy File Diary.
Family Planning's attempt to get non-judgemental information on sex and sexuality out to high school received the official thumbs down. The fact that three-fifths of high school students over the age of 15 are sexually active while a third do not know how sexually transmitted diseases are spread seemed to pass the government by.
Fortunately, Paul Keating's attack on the diary had little effect. A campaign mounted by the national youth group Resistance ensured that high school students across Australia were given access to the information in the diary. Spokesperson for Resistance Zyra McAuliffe said, "Considering the threat of AIDS, it would be irresponsible to deny young people access to the information in the Fact and Fantasy File Diary".
The Family Planning Association also refused to back down. It strongly defended the Making Sense of Sex project against criticisms from government and media. Rather than accepting defeat over the loss of government funding for the diary, it found alternative funding and has recently launched the 1993 version.
The 1993 diary starts with the message "We believe that you have the right to be given the information which will enable you to make safe decisions about your sexuality". There is no retreat from the candid and open approach of its predecessor, despite the furore and the fact that it received corporate funding.
The emphasis is still on individual choice. Young people are encouraged to make their own decisions about their sexuality. Heterosexuality, bisexuality and homosexuality are all discussed openly. The diary tackles homophobia by including interviews with young lesbian and gay activists and states clearly that homosexuality is a "preference and not a disease".
One of the most controversial aspects of the first diary was its inclusion of sex tips. These hints for greater sexual pleasure for young people caused the editor of the Sunday Telegraph to label the diary "smutty, grotty and dirty". The 1993 ke some concession to these criticisms, as this whole section is toned down. However, the 1993 diary still contains hints on how to give a "luscious lick" or a "saucy suck" when kissing and suggests that food can be a titillating additive to sex.
The 1993 version also refuses to condemn one night stands and casual sex. Sophie Lee says in an interview in the diary that the outrage over the last diary was caused by a "deep-seated sense of fear and guilt that surrounds sex and sexuality". She believes that "you cannot tell others what to do. All I can hope to impress on others is that if you have casual sex, make it safe sex."
The diary talks about relationships, but does not push the family values of the Sunday Telegraph down the throats of young people. "Never call a girl a slut for having sex", the diary states, "boys don't get put down when they do".
The 1993 version of the Fact and Fantasy File Diary is just as honest and straightforward as the last version. There are no stories about storks or euphemisms for sex, and the diary avoids moralising on what is acceptable for young people's sexuality. The diary is great fun to read and a valuable resource for high school students. It is a pity that the government was not responsible enough in its attitude to young people's health to fund it.