The Problem with Modern Sex Education — and Where We Go from Here

A recent headline from Forbes declares, “90% of American adults feel unprepared by sex education.” Sounds like an exaggeration, right? Unfortunately, research year after year continues to demonstrate this.

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At the time of this writing, 79 pieces of legislation targeting sex education requirements were introduced in 2023.

While some sought to improve the current state of sex education for young people, most were designed to further restrict adolescent access to accurate, affirming health information and necessary medical services.

Few states agree on what role the school system should play — if any — in the sexual and reproductive development of our nation’s youth.

Far fewer seem to understand that this leaves entire generations of people uninformed about how their bodies work, unsure of how to best keep their bodies healthy, and unable to identify unsafe situations or violations of autonomy.

Individual states and school districts can set their own curriculum

Although 38 states and Washington, D.C., require some degree of sex or HIV-focused education, only 18 states require this information to be medically accurate.

When sex education is taught, 29 states require the teacher to promote abstinence. 19 states require educators to emphasize the importance of waiting until marriage to engage in sexual activity.

Only 10 states and D.C. require inclusive information about sexual orientation, whereas 4 states require teachers to only provide negative information about homosexuality and/or positively emphasize heterosexuality.

And at least one state explicitly prohibits instruction on gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

Adolescents ages 15–19 were less likely to report receiving sex education on key topics like birth control in 2015–2019 than they were in 1995, according to a 2022 report from the Guttmacher Institute.

Just over half of all adolescents surveyed reported receiving sex education in 2015–2019 that met the minimum standard set by the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2030 initiative.

The initiative includes objectives for formal adolescent sex education that focus on delaying sex, using contraception, and preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Less than half of all teens surveyed who reported engaging in penis-in-vagina sex received any of the above sex education information before their first time having sex.

The effects of inadequate adolescent sex education extend into adulthood

Hormonal health company Mira recently surveyed over 1,500 Americans ages 18–44 about their experiences.

Respondents overwhelmingly reported feeling unprepared for their first sexual experiences, with male (47%) and female (42%) participants clocking in at similar rates.

Participants felt equally unequipped (41%) for communication with sexual partners.

When coupled with the lack of information about healthy relationships — 40% of participants said that they didn’t receive any information about consent or respect — the results can be disastrous.

And it doesn’t look like folks in other countries are faring any better.

LetsStopAIDS, a youth-driven charity raising HIV awareness, surveyed 1,090 Canadians ages 18–24 in May 2023.

Although participants felt that their sex education classes provided them with an abundance of scientific information, the majority (63%) were still left feeling unprepared.

Young Canadians shared that the curriculum lacked practical knowledge or skills that could be applied in real life.

For example, while they did learn about STIs, they didn’t learn about safer sex practices that would help reduce the risk of infection.

A staggering 1 in 3 respondents shared that the sex education they received made them feel scared to have sex.

Some theorized that their sex education experience was negatively impacted by the instructor’s personal feelings of discomfort or lack of education, resulting in an abstinence-focused class.

Similar concerns have also been observed abroad.

In the 2021–2022 academic year, researchers surveyed 293 students of the Faculty of Education Sciences at the University of Granada in Spain. Participants ranged in age from 18–49.

They found that students overwhelmingly received poor sex education and that respondents believed educators themselves do not receive adequate or standardized sexuality training.

The current curriculum doesn’t reflect the diverse needs of today’s learners

A 2018 survey conducted by CalExotics, a pleasure product manufacturer based in California, found that 20% of the 426 adults surveyed have never had a formal sex education class at any point in their lives.

The results also revealed that adults across three generations received the same sex education. Respondents ages 18–29 and 45–60 cited abstinence, pregnancy, STIs, and contraception as the primary topics of discussion.

Although these are important aspects of sexual and reproductive health, they’re quite limited in scope.

In fact, 92% of respondents shared that they have never formally learned about:

how to actually have sex

local sexual health resources

gender identity

sexual orientation

same-sex relationships and sexuality

foreplay

interracial relationships

sex toys

In other words, the current standard for sex education curriculum — and that’s assuming sex education occurs at all — hasn’t kept up with our evolving understanding of sex, sexuality, and relationships.

More than 70% of adults believe they would benefit from a sex education class at their current age.

It’s time to set a new standard for sex education

We want to be your biggest ally in your pursuit of health and wellness — and that includes your sexual and reproductive health.

Consider this your invitation to leave whatever unhelpful or unwelcome messages you’ve received about sex and sexuality at the door.

Here at Healthline, we believe people have a right to decide what they do — and don’t do — with their bodies.

We encourage you to develop your own understanding of what sex and sexuality mean for your unique body and experience.

Ready to get started? Our revamped sexual health hub covers sexual development, physical intimacy, romantic relationships, and more.

Something else on your mind? Our new LGBTQIA+ health hub has everything you need to learn more about your relationship with gender, sexuality, and beyond.

Tess Catlett is a sex and relationships editor at Healthline, covering all things sticky, scary, and sweet. Find her unpacking her inherited trauma and crying over Harry Styles on Twitter.

Posted : 2024-08-29 10:49

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