Sex Education has always been a controversial topic. Throughout history there have been continuous complaints about the quality and quantity of sex education (or the lack of it) given to students.
In the U.S., there is no legal requirement for sex education to be truthful, or even taught at all. Only 24 states require schools to teach sex education, and only 20 states require the information they teach to medically accurate.
In the UK, though publicly owned schools legally have to teach sex education, often the education provided is sub-par in terms of education on LGBT issues, consent and contraception.
Too often sex education is heteronormative, trans-erasive and misogynistic.
In many sex education classrooms in the U.S., dirty items are used as a metaphor for women having sex, and it is assumed that nobody in the room is a member of the LGBT community. Several studies have shown that abstinence based and abstinence only programs are not effective and, instead of encouraging students to have sex when they are comfortable and informed, almost guarantees that those with a desire to have sex are too ashamed to talk about their safety and comfort.
Furthermore, the lack of inclusion of LBGT individuals is incredibly societally damaging – it discourages members of the community from coming out, and decreases the acceptance and understanding of their identity when they do.
It should be commonplace to each about issues pertaining to the LGBT community, especially those with regards to gender identity as trans and non-binary people are very rarely included in sex-ed.
It should be common knowledge that trans identities exist, and the difficulties transitioning entails (often you cannot be taken seriously by doctors, and the costs can be high, but for more information on transitioning in the UK here is a blog post) – but also that transitioning is not something that everybody wants to do. It is about time that people who look more “masculine” or “feminine” are not automatically assumed to fit into the associated gender binary, and for people to understand the different pronouns which may be preferred by them.
A huge problem in the scientific community is bio-essentialism – where people with XX or XY sex chromosomes are considered female or male even when they identify as something else. With better sex education, this form of trans-misogyny could be combated. You can have XX genotype and be male, and you can have XY genotype and be female – we decided to associate the words “male” and “female” with those chromosomes and it shouldn’t be difficult to dissociate them from each other. Furthermore, this concept disregards those who do not have the two most known combinations -members of the intersex community. Unfortunately those who believe bio-essentialist theories are often very convinced of their own opinions as they consider science to be completely distinct from and unaffected by society, which it is not.
Trans people should never have to explain their identity and its validity, so including this in sex education should be compulsory.
I also believe that we should teach more about the vuvla.
The vulva the term for external genitalia excluding the vagina. This includes the labia minora and majora, the clitoris and the urethra. We all get to know the different parts of the penis and testes, in the UK we learnt this age 12, but people with vulvas are less likely to be taught about their own bodies. Not even by university age has the clitoris been mentioned in sex education. Many argue that we learn about the reproductive organs such as the ovaries and uterus as an equivalent to the testes and penis – but learning human anatomy is an important part of education.
Due to lack go information, lots of people get their information on vulvas from porn – which often portrays people with vulvas in a very inaccurate, hetero and cisnormative light. It is way, way too common for the clitoris (which is responsible for orgasm the majority of the time) to be ignored during sex due to the belief that it is not just common but normal to orgasm from penetration alone. In fact only a small proportion of people with vulvas can orgasm from penetration alone, but it is often seen as a sign of sexual prowess to not have to try in order to please a partner, particularly if your partner has a penis and you a vulva.
But clitoral stimulation should be a healthy, normal and encouraged part of having sex for people with vulvas, and it should be considered as part of sex education to consider its existence and role.
If governments considered teaching about the LGBT community and the components of the vulva as part of their sex education, we could raise more a comfortable, happier generation with better self-esteem and a healthier attitude towards sex, sexuality and identity.
Affinity has written several times about the problems with sex education and its lack of information on consent , the impacts of abstinence-based/only education, and the problems with the shame associated with getting tested (which should be a regular practice and shame-free), so please consult these articles for additional information and perspective.
Comments are closed.