Sex Ed
There is probably no subject that has posed greater headaches to teachers than sex education - Jonathan Zimmerman

image by: thinglass
HWN Suggests
When Did Porn Become Sex Ed?
THE other day, I got an email from a 21-year-old college senior about sex — or perhaps more correctly, about how ill equipped she was to talk about sex. The abstinence-only curriculum in her middle and high schools had taught her little more than “don’t,” and she’d told me that although her otherwise liberal parents would have been willing to answer any questions, it was pretty clear the topic made them even more uncomfortable than it made her.
So she had turned to pornography. “There’s a lot of problems with porn,” she wrote. “But it is kind of nice to be able to use it to gain some knowledge of sex.”
I wish I could say her sentiments were unusual, but I heard them repeatedly…
Resources
The Power of Inclusive Sex Education
LGBTQ students say they need programming that speaks to them, and some school districts are finding ways to deliver.
Comprehending Comprehensive Sexual Education
In spite of its sex education efforts, the United States has higher teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease rates than any other developed nation, according to Stranger-Hall and Hall’s study on abstinence-only education and teen pregnancy rates.
Fixing America’s Lousy Sex Ed—With Sociology
American Sex Ed sucks. It’s 2016, a time of easy-access porn and sex(t) positivity, yet we still spend millions on abstinence-only programs and outdated lesson plans. Not only is the approach puritanical, it’s also ineffective: Kids aren’t getting the information they need to make healthy decisions about sex when the time comes.
Sex Education or Sex Ignorance?
Some fear that teenagers’ access to contraceptives and learning comprehensive sex ed will inspire more sexual activity. But as sex therapist Dr. Gloria Brame explains, “No comprehensive sex ed = no reliable information on how STDs are transmitted and no understanding of how to prevent them.”
The Business Of Continuing Sex Ed For Grownups
"Sexuality is fluid and throughout our lives we start being curious about certain things," she says. "If we stay in longterm relationships we need ways to keep it exciting. I feel like that continuing sex education is part of the plan towards sexual health and well-being which is part of overall health and well being. It's a big part of being happy and staying happy."
The case for starting sex education in kindergarten
You’ll never hear an explicit reference to sex in a kindergarten class.In fact, the term for what’s being taught here is sexuality education rather than sex education. That’s because the goal is bigger than that...
The Naked Truth About Sex Ed
"I wanted to do a think piece, to promote a different view of sex," Libby says. "A broader definition (of safer sex) – a PSD, not just, 'Do you have a condom?'" In writing Naked Truth, he deliberately stayed away from the usual diagrams of genitalia and reproductive systems in favor of getting to the real concerns young people have about sex.
The World’s Problem With Sex Ed
Globalization has served to curtail rather than expand school-based sexual instruction. The more the world has become interconnected, the more sex ed has come under attack.
This Groundbreaking Online School Is About To Revolutionize Sex Ed
From woefully inadequate abstinence-only curriculums to programs that neglect to discuss consent or queer sex ― much less pleasure ― it’s no small feat to locate informative, accessible classes in this country that realistically prepare individuals for sexual encounters.
Vivid vulvas and colossal carrots: what I learned from my night at a sex workshop
Plasticine, root vegetables and a side serve of humour provide the perfect tools for learning about sexual pleasure with a group of total strangers.
We Fail When It Comes To Sex Education In The U.S
Most of my students come into college knowing little about their own reproductive systems and how to plan their reproductive and sex lives in informed, evidence-based ways.
What Schools Should Teach Kids About Sex
In America, the subject is often limited to "a smattering of information about [humans'] reproductive organs and a set of stern warnings about putting them to use."
When Sex Ed Discusses Gender Inequality, Sex Gets Safer
A new study shows a "striking" difference in effectiveness between programs that address gender and power, and those that don't.
Why Sex-Ed Belongs in Civics Class
This ridiculous gridlock at the intersection of biology and politics feeds and is fed upon by a number of significant failures in the US education system, not the least of which is the failure to outright dismiss abstinence-only sex-ed as bunk.
When Did Porn Become Sex Ed?
Conversations between adults and teenagers about what happens after “yes” remain rare.
Scarleteen
Sex ed for the real world. Scarleteen is an independent, grassroots sexuality and relationships education and support organization and website.
Sex, Etc.
Sex, Etc. is on a mission to improve teen sexual health across the country! We’ve helped teens with answers to their question about sex, relationships, pregnancy, STDs, birth control, sexual orientation and more!

Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.