Importance of Sexual Education in Armenia: Where Do Newlyweds Learn About Their Sexual Life?

During a press conference, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the goal of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse is to prevent children from being sexually exploited.

"We want to create a system so that parents are informed and attentive, and communicate with their children. If there are cases of sexual assault, first, the children should recognize these incidents, and second, they should tell their parents about them. This topic should not be taboo, because the prevalence of child abuse is also related to the belief that potential abusers are confident that neither the child will speak about it nor the parents will show any interest, as it is not accepted in our society," Pashinyan emphasized.

He highlighted that children's education in this area should be conducted in collaboration with parents, noting that the convention primarily focuses on the education of parents.

“Such abuses are mostly perpetrated by people known to the family, and children often do not even realize whether what is happening to them is normal or not, whether they should speak up or not,” he added.

Pashinyan underscored the need to prioritize sexual education in Armenia. “Everything must be done in Armenia to eliminate instances of child abuse. The question is, should there be sexual education or not? To those who say 'no', I ask where newlywed couples in Armenia learn about sexual life – is it on the streets or by overhearing conversations? What consequences does this create? Very serious consequences that are not commonly discussed in Armenia and that are detrimental. Due to a lack of sexual literacy, how many people suffer from impotence in Armenia – do we know or not?” he concluded.