Let's Talk About Sex

                Most students have been through the trauma of Sex Education lessons. We have been scarred by memories of cringe-worthy videos, disturbing "circle time" and condom covered cucumbers. They're meant to have a purpose: to teach and prepare teenagers for when the possibly daunting situation of sex comes along. But how informative are they really? Are they actually helping kids feel more comfortable with getting intimate with their own and somebody else's body?

                Teenagers today are part of a generation where sexual orientations are starting to thrive and sex is becoming a part of their everyday life increasingly. However, schools are not keeping up and are not advising their students as well as it may be necessary. This is because schools follow a syllabus consisting of heteronormativity and male dominance. Before sexual intercourse is even touched on, there is a lack of informal teaching about periods, menopause and general female anatomy-causing boys to develop a taboo and girls to be confused and oblivious to their own bodies. When we finally move onto the birds & the bees, crucial information is conveniently ignored and a stigma starts to bubble. As realistic as it is to yank a condom over a mushy banana, adolescents are still ignorant to the different forms of contraception and the importance of the use of them in regards to STDs and unexpected pregnancies. Some worry that discussing contraception encourages teenagers to have sex but this has never actually been proven and many teenagers disagree that it has an effect on their sexual drive.

                It's appalling to think that with sex itself there is, more often than not, no Sex-Ed lesson on the dangers of sexual abuse or the value of consent. One in three women will be a victim of sexual violence yet there is no information on when sex is & isn't consensual and what to do if a student ever sadly found themselves in a threatening situation. Sexual abuse is also an issue which can affect men too which makes this issue even more concerning when this is a gender-wide problem. In a society where rape culture is worryingly toxic and treacherous, surely to target the youth and inform them on how sex should be mutually consensual and safe for both parties involved, should be a priority?

                Thankfully however, our society over the last few decades have been more welcoming of alternate sexual orientations to heterosexuality- but when it comes to school sex education we reach a dead end. Teenagers are not told often enough that their sexuality is their own and that their preferences should not be shamed. It may not be appropriate to go into the graphics of sex in a classroom, but hardly ever are sexual orientations or gender identities discussed. The teen years are notorious for sexual exploration yet schools only ever speak about heterosexuality and sometimes homosexuality. What about bisexuality, demi-sexuality or asexuality? What about those who are transgender or non-binary? How does this make queer youths feel about themselves? Teens should never feel humiliated for who they are or aren't attracted to so by schools only discussing sex as a heterosexual cisgender experience, they are sending the subtle message that maybe their preferences are "wrong" and "abnormal" whereas it is simply just unique to the individual.

                At the moment, teenagers resort to useful internet sources (such as the 4:01 show or Laci Green), to common experimentation (which due to lack of knowledge can sometimes be risky) and pornography (which is unrealistic and heavily features male dominance and sexual abuse).  But why shouldn't schools be a reliable source as well? Why does a fear and awkwardness to converse about sex have to occur? We should talk about something which is such a huge part of our lives; let's talk about sex.

Fozz.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Sources and recommended links:

https://www.youtube.com/user/The401Show

https://www.youtube.com/user/lacigreen
http://amplifyyourvoice.org