Sex, Education, and the Emancipated Youth of Today

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China, a sexually repressed society where any utterance of the three-letter word will be seen as sordid and dishonorable, where all are expected to remain pure until the marriage bed…is what people might have said some 50 years ago.

The concept of sex to my generation has significantly transformed and adapted along with the rest of society’s immense reforms, a point that some antiquated education curriculums and parents have been rather oblivious to.

Growing up, I noticed a gaping dissonance in attitudes towards sex and other equally taboo topics within my different circles of friends. These differences came in various forms but seemed to be aligned with race and sexuality. In 4th grade, some male friends openly wondered about sex. In 5th grade, some classmates began joking about genitals. By the end of middle school, some had already experimented with varying degrees of intimacy. I also noticed conflicting attitudes from parents, with some parents still demanding their children close their eyes during a make-out scene on screen, while others handed out condoms to their kids.

The point is, our generation is one that is more sexually emancipated, and our education and attitudes (from parents especially) need to start catching up.

Always practice safe sex

I recall that I was only given one unit of sex education, which was conveniently lumped under the umbrella of science. Topics included fertilization, signs of puberty, the menstrual cycle, and reproduction. Although many parents and teachers were and remain content with such a simple biological and factual approach, I noticed that none of the information was applicable to real life. It disregarded, in my opinion, more important topics.

Using the menstrual cycle as an example, we weren’t given any provisions, as young girls, on the signs of menarche, dietary needs during your period, ways to deal with period cramps, and the duration of a healthy period, not to mention the choice for different products and how to use pads or tampons (the latter of which is a nerve-wracking concept to many girls). In addition to that, on the topic of sex, we were never encouraged to have our own opinions on it, we were never told the importance of consent, contraception, or warned of accidental pregnancies. Although the last is less likely and teen pregnancies have largely been on the decline, the possibility of it, the responsibility, and damage that accompanies it should not be brushed aside. We weren’t even told a safe age or legal age to begin having sex, how our bodies may react during and after it, or the possible consequences of adolescent sex.

Going back to being more sexually emancipated, some fail to recognize how sex has evolved from the generic, penetrative act between a man and a woman. For many students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, normal sex-ed may not be enough, and research has shown that there has been an increase in sexually transmitted infections between LGBTIA+ students, possibly due to a lack of nationally standardized sex education that is inclusive of niche groups. Furthermore, sex has grown to take the form of more than penetration. Oral sex, anal sex, and kinks have become more popularized (whether we like it or not). These should all be referred to, to ensure a more holistic, informative, and comprehensive curriculum. I understand that it may be uncomfortable for a variety of reasons, but their existence is undeniable, and leaving our students uneducated on such topics could lead to dire consequences.

I get it, sex is a taboo, discomfiting topic that many are uncomfortable talking about, however, what’s more worrying is if we simply let students continuously be misinformed and uneducated on the topic, left to rely on what their parents are willing, or unwilling to inform them of.

Also, I do recognize that some schools offer great sex-education courses, and this article at its core isn’t meant to bash any specific school, but rather use this opportunity to address and bring attention to an all-encompassing issue that could otherwise be awkward to discuss.

Images: Unsplash, pexels

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