By Anna Transou
There’s a layer of conservative social fabric that seems to be tightly woven amidst the reds, whites, and blues of American ideals and values, specifically regarding open discussions about sex. Although our media may not reflect that, the general requirements (or lack thereof) for comprehensive sex education curriculums across the nation surely does. Out of only 30 states which mandate that “when provided, sex and HIV education programs meet certain general requirements,” only 18 states require program content to be medically accurate. Conservative teachings and tight-lipped sex-talks leave adolescent teens in the dark on important discussions about hygiene, reproductive systems, physiology, sexuality, relationships, and more.
The lack of adequate sex education programs across the U.S. stems from a few sources of misinformation about sex. Many adults fear that the “knowledge about sex leads to early sexual activity”, which explains why abstinence-only sex-education is, and has been, the dominant mode of sex-ed in the United States. The Abstinence Only Until Marriage (AOUM) program was officially adopted by the U.S. government in the late 90s as a “singular approach to adolescent sexual and reproductive health…with 49 of 50 states accepting federal funds to promote AOUM in the classroom.” So instead of teaching the youth about safe sex practices, the U.S. opted to just not teach it at all, embracing a stonewall approach to sex-ed. This “don’t ask, don’t tell” methodology has deprived the youth of America from vital knowledge during one of the most confusing times of their young lives, puberty, wherein “only half of U.S. adolescents receive adequate sex education”.
Comprehensive sex-education (CSE) includes a plethora of crucial topics that not only inform the youth of America, but also help set them up for success in navigating relationships with themselves, their health, and others throughout their lifetime. CSE “ideally teaches the student about sex, sexuality, reproductive health & hygiene, sexually transmitted infections and how to prevent them, and how to have safe sex” through broad discussions centering health and wellness. There is an abundance of data from across the world that proves the success of teaching the youth a curriculum of well-rounded sex education with “global studies [which have] shown that children who receive sexual education… lead healthier sex lives, and are more likely to make informed, mature decisions.” Students who are equipped with an arsenal of sex-ed information “are most likely to delay having sex, avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.” A study within the U.S. that took place in 55 counties “provide[d] population-level causal evidence that funding for more comprehensive sex education led to an overall reduction in the teen birth rate at the county level of more than 3%”. Alas, despite the large body of research proving the success of CSE in “support[ing] young people’s development into sexually healthy adults,” the prevailing fear and misguided notion that sex talk leads to riskier sex practices in adolescents has impeded any real change within the public school systems of America, which are still largely focus on lessons of abstinence. The tradition of avoiding comprehensive teachings of sex leaves the youth in a position of seeking out information from uninformed deviant sources like pornography or peers, oftentimes leading them astray in the quest for knowledge about safe-sex practices.
To fill in the gaps of inadequate sex education curriculums, today’s adolescents can now turn towards sex-ed focused TV shows and podcasts, which serve as informed alternatives to porn, peers, and insufficient school curriculums. Sex and sexuality are complex matters which should not be reserved to the biased and misinformed options of porn and peers for education which could set them up for failure not only in their youth, but for their future lives as well. A collection of Netflix shows dedicated to sex, nicknamed “Sexflix,” encompasses shows such as Sex Education and Big Mouth, which not only showcase open discussions of sex, but also difficult topics, such as sexual assault and body insecurity. The inclusivity within these shows ensure that no matter what race or sexual orientation, a young person has the opportunity to learn more about sex to substitute for the lack of information from parents, peers, porn, and/or schools. These TV programs function as informed deviants and at the very least, as conversation starters, which can be supplemented with educationally-focused podcasts which focus on discussions of sex, health, and relationships. Podcasts provide yet another avenue of accommodation for young students confused by the non comprehensive sex-ed programs of many U.S. public schools. There’s a large selection of sex-ed podcasts to choose from, many of which are hosted by “sexperts” ranging from sex & relationship coaches to licensed sex therapists, reflecting a level of intention and expertise that is similarly embedded in Netflix’s Sex Education and Big Mouth. These media forms allow for a domain of reconciliation wherein students deprived of CSE can seek out information from valid sources in an effort to reclaim the right to knowledge about something which is natural to life and a big part of growing up.
To sufficiently prepare the youth of America for safe and healthy lives, we as a society cannot sit back and wait for the slow to change federal systems of which only offer up non inclusive and incomprehensive sex education curriculums. There are a variety of media options to aid the youth in filling in the gaps left by inadequate sources, assisting young people in the learning and implementation of healthy and safe sex practices which are vital to the development of our nation’s youth.
