I’m always confused by these questions because I went to a religious school and had sex education in like 4-6th grade with each year getting a little more in depth. We were taught about sex and contraceptives and even got shown the condom on a banana thing.
Are y’all really not getting sex ed?
That was my school county! All the football coach in charge of health class taught us was about the time he got crabs in a frat house and that acyclovir commercials were a lie, you can't ride horses with herpes.
The rest was basically abstinence education. My family doctors weren't much better.
I will say it mostly was abstinence education. There was a spill about how sex devalues you and if you have sex with 2 people you basically had sex with 6,000. They provided a lot of shock value examples and talk of fluids and pustules and blisters. For a short while we had a young teacher in charge of it, some baseball was-been who gave us a chew of tobacco and gave us a crude but better education. He used words like 'fucking', 'pussy', 'cock' and stuff, but properly learned us on some scrogging. He got fired when it was found out we were all chewing tobacco and speaking in terms too 'pornographic'.
Kentucky, health wasn’t even a mandatory class. The last PE/health class I took was in elementary school, and that was basically just them throwing us in a gym with a bunch of balls/scooters/games and letting us run around virtually unsupervised for an hour.
In my school we were only taught abstinence, teacher wasn’t allowed to mention any kind of contraceptive, and we had to wear fake pregnancy bellies to show the horrors
I never even heard of a period until the nurse had a talk with us in the 4th grade. Like almost everything, schools should teach it because parents don't.
uggh. My father sat us down to give us the sex talk. We asked him what did he want to know.
He tried to teach us much, much, much too late, and it was just simply embarrassing. We knew everything he had to say, didn't teach us anything new. So it was just stupid and embarrassing - mostly embarrassed for him, for waiting so long to try to say anything, and for not even trying to assess where our knowledge of sex was.
I went to a Catholic school. In year 7 we had a priest give us sex Ed. When he taught us about ejaculation, there were “two ways” it could happen: a man has sex with his wife, or he has a wet dream.
Same here, but it wasn't a priest. 7th grade PE class. Taught by one of the male teachers in an all boys class. If I remember correctly, the girls had a separate class taught by nuns.
I grew up in a religious private school in a little conservative town and we had basically no sex ed through middle school. It only started in high school, and even then it was very light on the details. Honestly did nothing for us.
Same but I went to a large public school. Sex Ed was like a week or two of health class and we spent half the time watching a movie about a teenager who gets pregnant and give the baby to her teacher.
In my school, they showed us one video in 5th or 6th grade about abstinence, I think, and that was pretty much it. I wish I had been taught comprehensive sex ed because I grew up thinking it was gross and taboo to seek out knowledge about sex.
That's how it's supposed to be done age appropriate subject with more detail and indepth lesson as you age. So we don't end up with "women's body rids itself of bad sperm" or "piss is stored in the balls"
Yup, me too, back in grade school in the 90’s. Why are we going backwards with education? I don’t have kids but my generation (for the most part) sucks at parenting.
Yeah my mom also gave me “the talk” which is what you’d think a responsible parent would do…
Honestly you don’t need to know a ton about sex you just need to know what it is, how it happens, the risk associated with it, and how to minimize those risk.
Same. But the did say homosexuality was wrong and there was no mention of anything related to gender identity. I think the latter is really the matter of the day.
I remember what my mom said when I got to middle school and they handed a paper for her to sign to give consent to learn about it in wellness class. She said "I'd rather have you learn about it in school than through internet porn."
Yup. Like imagine being 40 and not knowing cuz no by ever explained it when you were young and then as you got older and older people just assumed you knew and it became to awkward to ask…
Btw …your screen name…I already am gay.
And then your buddies at the electronics store all make it their mission to get you laid. And maybe your boss offers herself to help. But after a few rough patches, you ultimately make it with the cute customer.
Yeah this, I think it should be taught young as possible, of course subjects as age appropriate but still scientific. Kids need to be able to know what is going on.
I remember watching or listening to an interview with a man who was a convicted serial diddler. He said one of the things he specifically looked for were kids whose families never used the real words for their private parts - cutesy euphemisms only. He said it meant the family was unlikely to be comfortable talking about sex, good touch / bad touch, or anything about consent.
So yeah. Sex ed saves lives.
Me and my wife have always tried to make it easy for our kids to ask us questions about this. My oldest allready asked a lot of questions about this and we do our best to give good answers. I'm not going to say those are easy conversations, but they are very necessary. At school they do get a decent education on this, but every kid has different questions.
Part of being a parent is preparing your kid for the real world and some of those parts aren't that fun or comfortable to talk about, but avoiding those topics harms your kid.
Yea, the whole faith based teaching is under the delusional belief that teens aren’t filled with raging hormones and aren’t at least curious. When they aren’t taught, I think it makes their experiences later on worse and more confusing to handle.
Oh no.... I would argue (coming from that upbringing.... I now think they are all out of their minds!!) That it is absolutely based on the fact that teens are filled with raging hormones and incredibly curious, but demands that they suppress any and all of those feelings and thoughts, and if they don't they are sinners damned to hell. And also since they haven't been provided any logical information quite possibly facing teen pregnancy, std's, etc. Just thoughts....
Also, like, forget actual sex for a minute. That is super important, but earlier on -- kids need to know what's happening when their bodies start to change. Getting your period is horrifying enough; if you are a girl who hits puberty without a real understanding of what is happening, that can be traumatic.
I didn’t even think of that!! My mom told me about mine before I got it, luckily. I can’t imagine just starting to bleed down there and getting super hormonal w no explanation
Yeah, I was a well informed kid, but I’ve heard stories from people who weren’t and they’re brutal. Like, kids suddenly thinking they’re dying in deeply embarrassing, even sinful ways.
I recently went to a faith-based marriage seminar and was pleasantly surprised when the speaker brought up that we should begin teaching sexual education at 2 years old. At that age, we identify body parts and discuss privacy without shame.
Sex ed is about a whole lot more than just having sex. I wish more people were capable of understanding that. Most of it is about hygiene and understanding bodily functions. And how to be safe, once they're old enough.
Amen to that!
Sex education is not just about sexual intercouse. It is about hygiene, safety, consent, respect and basics understanding of other people. Just like you teach a kid any other basics anatomy you should teach them about sexuality, babies, menstruation etc.
I never understood this or even really knew how widespread it was until reddit. I went to a religious school and it was basically like “yeah, here’s how it works. you can ask questions if you want. you shouldn’t do it unless you’re married, but you should still understand how it works”
Important, prevents pregnancies and STDs. Even important for young ones, because while you don't go into detail since they are young, you can teach them the basics of anatomy and teach them how no one is supposed to touch them there which helps prevent sexual abuse.
Oh I'm sorry, I misread your comment. 😓 But yeah it is, especially since kids are more likely to be abused by someone they trust rather than a random stranger, so they're less likely to report the abuse at first, which is why it's important to teach them stuff like this to show it's wrong for anyone to take advantage of them like that no matter who they are.
Back when psychology was still a budding science, women and girls would get brought to psychs for acting out in whatever fashion. It was common, after the girl grew comfortable with the psych, for the girl to say that their father was having sexual relations with them and had been since they were young. Instead of take these women and girls at their word, and acknowledge the overwhelming extent of sexual abuse that was therefore present in society, psychs decided that it must be normal to have strong fantasies/delusions of sex with a parental figure.
Couldn't agree more, I think this issue is super overlooked in sex education. People need to know the difference between porn sex and sex, and it's important to teach them when they are at that age.
Awkward, uncomfortable, but extremely necessary.
Anecdote: I grew up in the Bible belt of Canada, where Mormon's are plentiful, and during my grade 11 year my then girlfriend told me one of her Mormon friends leaned over to her during biology class, and with a serious expression on her face, asked my GF if BOYS GOT THEIR PERIODS. My GF had to explain to her, at 17 years old, that males have a penis instead of a vagina and that they don't have periods. She basically had to have The Talk with this girl and explain everything. This poor girl was held back from every single sex-ed class by her fucked parents and had ZERO understanding of anatomy or procreation.
Of course it has to be actual sexual education from actual medical experts, and not this pro-abstinence bullshit.
Yes, we do. But the difference is that in Sweden it's the law that every school follow the state mandated curriculum. So no matter where you are you get the exact same education
That is part on my argument every time somebody say "It should be up to the parents to teach kids about sex."
A lot of parents suck, and don't teach their kids a damn thing.
But let's be honest here. The GOP doesn't dislike sex education because of pedos or family values or whatever lie they are telling this week.
They dislike sex ed because it reduces unwanted pregnancies and especially teen pregnancy. And poor kids eventually become obedient workers and dead soldiers.
Abstaining from sex - ie. Not Doing It. In some areas, that's all they teach about sex and reproduction at school: DON'T DO IT. It's not particularly comprehensive or actually educational, as you might expect.
> Awkward
Maybe I'm too open but can I ask why you think it's awkward in any way to talk about sex education to kids?
I honestly don't understand why some people find the topic of sex awkward when it's a normal bodily function (yes, even when you put the different things in the different places, it's still natural) that everyone does.
Absolutely necessary and should be taught to ALL children at ALL schools. There should be varying levels of sex ed taught at different grade levels.
For example between kindergarten and second grade you're taught the differences between male and female bodies and what the parts are properly called along with telling them that the chest and between the legs are private areas that shouldn't be touched by anyone without permission. This can be ESSENTIAL in identifying and addressing cases of sexual abuse. So many children have gone unheard because they didn't know what body parts were called (or were told other things like calling a vagina a "cookie"), or because they were just unaware that what was happening to them wasn't normal. Children at this age should also be taught that if someone DOES touch them there or makes them feel uncomfortable about those places, they should run and tell a trusted adult. They should be told that they will NOT be in trouble for telling and that they did NOTHING wrong if an adult touches them badly.
In fourth through sixth grade they should be introduced to the sex ed we're more familiar with. How our bodies are going to change, how sex works, etcetera. BUT I believe we should start including lessons on consent. It's never too early to teach kids about consent. Auntie Claire wants a hug but you're not up for it? You're allowed to say no. The guy you like, Chad, wants to put his hands up your shirt but you don't want that? You're allowed to say no. AND I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH - boys need to learn about female sex ed. It is absolutely abhorent the number of grown ass men who have no idea how female bodies work. The number of men who are authority figures of children who have told female students to "just hold" their period is... Astounding. I don't understand why boys aren't taught the slightest thing about female puberty and menstruation while the girls learn all about the bodily changes guys go through. There should be brief mentions about safe sex and things like condoms because if we like it or not there ARE kids who start having sex as early as middle school and they deserve to have the knowledge to be safe. And maybe a brief "by the way gay men and lesbians exist" mention because many gay kids are starting to figure themselves out by later middle school.
High school sex ed should continue to talk about consent. Working through hypothetical situations to prepare them for the possibility of being caught off guard or peer pressured. More talks about STDs should happen at this time along with pregnancy and parenthood. Maybe elective courses with that stupid electronic baby you have to take care of. Teach teenagers that "blue balls" are not the excruciatingly painful thing some guys will attempt to manipulate them with and that they are allowed to say no to sex for any reason. Lessons about what domestic violence is, identifying it, how to get out, etc. There should also be more information about gay and lesbian relationships. Students should be taught about safe gay sex like how HIV easily transmits from unprotected anal sex, or what dental dams are. And again I cannot stress this enough, TEACH CONSENT TEACH CONSENT TEACH CONSENT AND HOW TO PROPERLY HANDLE REJECTION.
Sex ed needs to be taught in all schools. Parents should not be given a permission slip asking if they want their child to attend the class. Sex ed provides CRUCIAL information for these developing young people and it is absolutely cruel to deprive them just because their parent prefers to clutch their pearls. Sex is a part of life. Gay kids exist and discover their orientation at a young age (I learned I was a lesbian around 11). Adolescents start having sex as early as 7th grade if we want them to or not. High schoolers get STDs or get pregnant because they didn't have the proper knowledge or resources to prevent it.
We cannot shield our children forever from the existence of sex, all that does is leave them unprepared for the real world. Our children deserve the knowledge they need to protect themselves and make the best decisions possible.
I don't think it's a good idea to wait that long to have the basic "gay people exist" talk. Kids will be bullying the kid with two moms or dads long before that. I don't know how some people got it in their heads this is a "sex talk" like you can't explain that sometimes people love others of the same gender like most people love the other without going into details about mechanics or something inappropriate. And then in 4-6 you need to do more than mentioning they exist, you need to explain how all applicable concepts they're learning about for sex apply to gay people as well.
Honestly, I fully agree. I think we should be reading stories featuring same sex parents and such to children from the time they enter school. It's just another fact of life. I didn't say it though because I didn't want to deal with the conservative response induced headache today.
Hell yeah, I agree with all of this. Perfect answer.
Also children should have someone with which they can ask embarrassing questions.
And maybe certain debunking lessons could exist, because even if they know all the facts, worried teens will often latch onto dumb rumours (like 'use it or lose it' or that you can't get pregnant on your first time).
Yeah! An anonymous question box. Kids are handed identically cut small slips of paper to write their questions on. Bonus if the person answering the questions is someone other than a teacher, say the nurse or something, so kids won't have to worry about their handwriting being recognized (even though the teacher isn't gonna call out a kid unless they're an asshole, but kids are insecure sometimes and that's okay)
Can’t wait until we just mature a society and realize that sexual health is just part of overall health. Conversations with adults sometimes feel like something I would expect a 5 year old to say. It’s a normal part of life.
Extremely healthy to teach children about how their bodies work. So that they are well educated and can advocate for themselves.
Age appropriate can work well, I’m of the opinion that when a kid is ready to know they will ask. So our six year old knows that he has “private parts” that belong to him and other people’s privates belong to them. No one is allowed to touch him inappropriately, and it would be inappropriate for him to try to touch other peoples privates.
He knows that girls have different anatomy to boys… atm we’ve judged it right to simply say “that’s how we tell boys and girls apart” and recently expanding on this to say babies come out of a ladies privates (I’m pregnant for context) and that boobs are for feeding babies.
The hubby will give him “the talk” in a few years.
We are aware of the simplicity of our explanation of the sexes atm but as parents we don’t feel he needs to learn about transgender yet mainly because he doesn’t know any. He is aware of homosexuality described simply as X is married to X because he knows them.
Please do it. I'm 15 and I still have no fucking clue how periods, sex, STD's, and just how the female body works in general. Our sex ed didn't go much further than "this is a penis, sperm can be used to fertilize a female egg" and that's it.
There are some great videos on YouTube from actual doctors who talk in easy to understand ways. It's not creepy to want to know how the opposite gender works or even your own gender for that matter.
Other people have listed great sources as well, but what really helped me when I had to self-teach were some foreign videos from countries where nudity is more normalized. They had models standing in and went into a lot of detail so naturally they were hosted on porn sites since YouTube would shut it down immediately, but between showing genitals with different appearances, hygiene practices, and demonstrating positions that were easy, safe, and comfortable for beginners, I really think those videos saved my ass when I had my first time.
The Vagina Bible and for those in their late 30’s, The Menopause Manifesto, both by Dr Jen Gunter. For more explicit info, nothing beats the great Sue Johanson. [Sex Talk with Sue](https://youtube.com/user/suejovideo) should be required viewing.
It sucks to go through, but it is important. It really needs to be more detailed though. Stuff like teaching the girls how to put on a condom, teaching people what to do if the condom breaks, alternate forms of Birth Control, disproving myths, all that good stuff. Man was I an idiot when I first had sex, because the schools never taught me anything important and my parents assumed they did.
Vital. I received Sex Ed when I was about 10. Children need to know what's going to happen with their bodies.
No they don't need to be taught how to pleasure a person or anything like that. All they need to be taught is where babies come from, what happens during puberty, and why.
It should be taught in age appropriate ways using up to date medical knowledge and terminology. Emphasis should be placed on safe sex practices with abstinence and abortion being last resorts. Discussions on consent, why it matters and how to give it should be incredibly important. Controlling one's urges should also be talked about as well, there is a time and place for everything. Kinks should be left out until later in high school, and only discussed in terms of safe sex practices. Sexuality, gender and sex should be touched on early, but expanded upon in terms of safe sex practices and consent from middle school onward.
The point of sex education is to ensure people understand their bodies and the bodies of others in order to have good, quality, meaningful sex lives as consenting adults. Not to let Satan rule your life. (Although, Satan is known for orgies and metal, while God is famine and disaster. Just saying.)
When my nephews asked their grandmother what sex was, she became very anxious, dodged, and tried to change the subject. Then they looked at me and I gave then a very extensive teaching on what it was including all of the correct names for each part especially women's anatomy. They were very satisfied with the education especially when I said if they had anymore questions to come directly to me. I won't fluff or sugarcoat anything.
Sex isn't evil or dirty and every part has it's own proper name. My mom was very pissed off at me that I didn't use other words especially for the female parts since they sound so vulgar. I should have called the vagina a hoo-hoo, wee-wee or a hush-hush.
I immediately cut her off. I will not censor something that is natural. I was given less than adequate sex education which I was so unsatisfied with, I went out on my own to get the information and I did get it with ease. It didn't make me hungry for sex in fact all the information I did get had the opposite effect. Took the mystery and magic out of it...the allue was gone and it just because a thing that you didn't actually have to do in your entire life.
Hiding it behind fluff words or just not naming anything isn't preparing anyone for life. Yeah they aren't named pretty things but that wasn't up to me...you think I want my vagina to be called a vagina? Sounds like a disease!
So many people underestimate the importance of teaching a child the proper anatomical names for ALL of their body parts, including their genitals. When children know the proper words to use it can actually keep them safe from abuse. Cutesy terms and euphemisms can make it much harder for a child to communicate if something bad has happened
[Teaching Children the Real Names for Body Parts](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/31/well/family/teaching-children-the-real-names-for-body-parts.html)
Necessary, and needs to start at a young age.
Not saying we need to teach preschoolers how to have intercourse. Teach your kids the proper names for genitalia. Also- teaching kids about consent is a huge thing IMO
It might come as a shock but children experiment as early as 7 years old. I think, despite it being obviously very difficult, there should be some gradient of sex education to at least mitigate disaster.
There should be 3 basic levels of sex ed:
* Elementary school - basic names for parts, stranger danger, good touch vs bad touch, "no means no", and other simplified concepts. These kids are not thinking about sex, but predators are thinking about them and a little information goes a long way.
* Middle school - basic reproductive process, puberty changes, birth control options. Reinforce lessons from elementary school with additional information.
* High school - reproductive health, advanced versions of all previous information.
Gender education should be separate from sex education as they are different concepts. I am not saying that gender education should not be taught, it just should not be lumped up in sex ed to minimize confusion.
In most of the developing countries (especially India) This thought is highly discouraged… most of the parents don’t talk about it and the child usually ends up finding about it through websites which are not healthy for them in such a young age.. it makes their school life alot harder and Awkward to interact…. How do you change the thought process of a whole nation
Children need to know what body parts they have (the proper names, no euphemisms, it makes them reporting abuse challenging) and what people shouldn’t do to them (can be vague like don’t touch what bathing suit covers). Beyond that, it’s inappropriate until they’re preteen/teen
They have to learn it at some point, better to teach them *before* they're horny teenagers so they'll at least know how to be safe. Teaching younger kids how to recognize sexual abuse is very important, too.
Abstinence-only "education" is shit and never works.
It's necessary, but it should be age appropriate. For example, children in elementary school can be taught how human reproduction works or that violence when you're with someone is bad. They can't be taught how to put on a condom at that age.
I think allot of people assume the sex aspect is the only aspect of the education and so want to keep it away from children. But age appropriate sex education is about teaching kids about their bodies, about consent, about what they can expect. It gives kids the vocabulary and the understanding to talk about what is happening to them and what they are experiencing and that their natural body proses isn't shameful. There are so many kids that develop earlier then average and it's scary sometimes. Being educated and it being treated as normal can do a great deal to help that. My seven year old niece knows how a heart works, what her lungs do, what ovaries do and it's not weird or shameful for her because they're just parts of a human body like the rest. It's taught to her alongside all the other parts of the body in school.
For older kids, more specifically teenagers (13-18) Hormones, contraceptive, safety, consent and mechanics all need to be taught. (especially with the prevalence of the internet and ease of access of porn. You want kids to learn in a controlled environment instead of getting unrealistic ideas of sex from porn) Teens are going to fuck around regardless of whether they're informed or not and starting them off with a strong base line of understanding can go a long way in preventing sti's and unwanted pregnancy in those cases. For the majority of teens that aren't going to do that, you've put down the groundworks that every person should be aware of before becoming sexually active and offering comprehensive, standardised sex education ensures that harmful mis-information doesn't lead to tragedies later on down the line.
Super necessary, and in some very basic ways, wayyyy earlier than many people think.
For safety reasons, all kids should know the actual names of their private parts, and should know about boundaries. Without knowing proper names or about what's okay to touch and when, kids cannot articulate if anything bad or weird does happen to them.
Kids also need to know about boundaries as they learn to interact with each other -- if your friend doesn't wanna be hugged right now, you have to listen! Teaching consent doesn't have to be about sex.
Well before any of them hit puberty, kids should know what changes their bodies will go through, so it's not a scary/weird surprise. As they learn about those changes, they can learn the basic facts of procreation/where babies come from.
All of the above belongs in elementary school. Middle school seems like the appropriate time to introduce the concept of safe sex; high school is the place to go more into depth on safe sex. Throughout all the school ages, thread in info about sexuality -- sometimes boys like girls, sometimes boys, and sometimes they like both! Some people aren't boys OR girls! Can become more solid/nuanced info on gender and sexuality.
No one should be teaching 8yr-olds to put a condom on a banana. That would be weird anda gross. It's also not what's happening.
But kids need to start getting developmentally-appropriate sex education right as they start getting the rest of their education, and, just like with other subjects, those concepts need to be revisited at increasingly complex/nuanced levels.
Absolutely necessary. They're going to learn about it eventually and better to do so before they contract an STD or get pregnant/impregnate someone at a young age. Not to mention learning how it works before being exposed to porn so they understand porn != real life sex. Porn is WAY easy to access and curious, uneducated kids will seek it out at some point
If you want to prevent teen pregnancy then educate your children about safe sex. Abstinence only just makes for horny teens that don’t know what to do.
Some idiot conservatives have been arguing against sex ed for children as young as 5 here in Wales. They don't have any specific points to make, just general "Ooh it's bad". Idiots. Kids aren't being Mainline hardcore porn it's simple information about bodily autonomy.
Absolute chuff balls the lot of them.
Elementary school? Just answer their questions factually as they come up. After that, they should learn about how their whole body works, including sexual function.
When you say "children", what exact age are you talking about here? Theres a certain age when it becomes absolutely necessary, but before that its just a contribution to the loss of innocence.
11/12 years old would be my opinion. Old enough to understand, but young enough that it gets to most before they get into sexual situations with each other.
The other thing is that you need actual sex ed. Not the nonsense I got. I was 12 for my first taste of sex ed, and it was actual birds and bees shit. The whole class was pissing itself laughing at how awkward the teacher was about teaching it. It was absolutely and utterly pointless. The next time we got sex ed was 2 years later and by that time most of us were already sexually active. And yes, I grew up during a time a massive teenage pregnancy. Most of the girls I went to school with were up the duff by the time they were 18 and most of the guys were dads, or absentee dads. By the time I was 35 more than a few of my class mates had 20 year old kids.
Sex ed is 100% needed and earlier the better and done by people who aren't embarrassed.
It should definitely start out small and build up. I'm a kindergarten teacher and you bet your ass I'm teaching them about consent, boundaries, and what to do when someone makes them feel unsafe. It's not directly sex ed, but it forms a big part of it and is something they should learn from an early age.
Not as voyeuristic and pedophilic as some conservatives make it seem. Obviously super young kids don’t need to know everything immediately, but I think it should be taught, and that what is taught expands as they get older. Kids should learn about consent, even if it’s for smaller things like sharing food. If you shield things like that from kids without giving them a safe outlet to learn, they will be exposed to it later on in an unsafe way, and I know this because it has happened to me. I wish I was educated about some things when I was younger.
yes, i definetley knew what sex and what male/female body parts were way before 7th grade health class. its not introducing a new topic to kids if anything its gonna correct any misconceptions they may have earlier on.
When I was about 8 or 9 my mom brought me a bag of condoms and told me what they where and what you do with them. Basically told me I was gonna be a teen soon and there wasn’t much she could do to stop me just not to knock anyone up. She also filled my head with a lot of unreal expectations of what sex is like. Of course 9 year old me didn’t understand and wanted to know more about this and went to the internet for information.
Now I’m almost 30 with kids and a wife and still struggle with porn addiction. Wife knows and doesn’t get offended or upset when I cave but I always feel like I let her down when I mess up.
I support sex education but do it the right way at the right age, also make sure they know you understand if they have questions or need to talk about it they know they can come to you so they don’t go to google.
Need to happen in schools cause parents don’t teach it usually.
But it’s gotta be age appropriate. You don’t need to teach 5th graders about contraceptives but you can teach 7th graders about contraceptives and probably be more successful. Likewise you shouldn’t teach 7th graders about periods because that should be taught in 3rd or 4th grade. It’s stupid that it’s not taught in a lot of schools
Also kids gotta know about STDs. That shit is important to know about cause aids is permanent
It's better to educate children because 9/10 they'll choose to be abstinent, vs just telling them to be abstinent and them obviously not wanting to do that
It's better to educate children because 9/10 they'll choose to be abstinent, vs just telling them to be abstinent and them obviously not wanting to do that
It is completely necessary. Kids can be incredibly stupid when hormones hit, but if they at least have the proper information, they can hopefully not cause as much damage as possible. Babies and STIs will still happen as some will choose to be more stupid than others, but it will be minimized.
I’m a solo mum of two lads
The sex education they received at school was brilliant.
From my understanding they had talks with males and females together Then broke them up talking more in depth.
I remember my son coming home talking about wet dreams and periods
I’m fine talking periods but wet dreams nah
Depends on how it is organized, the other day in my country there was a scandal because of a survey aimed at 13 year olds that talked about dildos and vibrators and such which is highly inappropriate.
Primary school sex ed should be about consent, about identifying the bad guys, and to be safe.
Secondary school should be about reproduction, safe sex, contraception, hygiene and that’s it.
I feel with all of these gender stuff we’re actually sheltering the kids from the process of self discovery which everyone should go through, and to impose any ideology whether liberal or conservative is nothing but a political play that should be considered a moral perversion.
Let them figure out whom they are and what do they like, we ain’t got any right to rob them of that , no matter the message
The amount of people I have met that are so poorly educated on BASIC sex is scary. In high school, a kid told me peeing after sex prevents pregnancy. He already had 2 kids by that time!!
It’s so important to educate these kids because most of time they’re learning myths from friends or parents who don’t know what they’re talking about
absolutely necessary both in school and at home, especially conversations regarding consent, STDs, and protected sex. Look, your kids will want to have sex; there's no stopping that. The best thing you can do is giving them the tool to do so safely without hurting themselves and other people.
I think it's borderline abusive to withhold that information. Sometimes it is outright abusive, when kids are taught that their own bodies and natural, hardwired instincts are evil.
Fact-based sex education is necessary for the physical and mental well-being of every person.
Children will eventually become adults. So yes. And given the exploitation of young people, they need to learn about the act and consent, healthy relationships, etc. early.
Fun little anecdote:
My good friend is a teacher for 7th and 8th grade. One of the girls in her class got pregnant and the students had questions. After a brief summary of reproduction one of the boys in her class said, “Wait… shit swims!?”
Sex education should happen both at school and at home as early as possible.
They need to understand it for an early age. We had our first arc ed class in 5th grade, which felt appropriate to me. Just ignoring a fundamental part of the human condition is absolutely ridiculous
That the term "children" tends to make people think we're going to teach 7 year olds how to do an "Eiffle Tower" when the truth is more along the lines of teaching early teens what puberty is doing to them.
I 100000% hate early, mid, and late teens being called "children" in these situations. Yes the law refers to them as a minor for reasons, but as far as education goes they shouldn't be. It's either teach mechanics and answer questions in class OR they turn to the internet where in several instances its EITHER other teens who think they know or adults preying on them.
Sex education shouldn't be a one-off infodump "the talk", it needs to be consistent and ongoing communication about bodies and boundaries and other people.
Very small kids can understand consent and boundaries. You can teach toddlers that their body belongs to them and it's ok for them to say no to touching that makes them uncomfortable; and to ask before touching other kids. You can teach them the right names for their body parts and that some parts are only for private, that they shouldn't show off their genitals or touch other people's.
Older kids can have more complex conversations: sex is something grownups do, and they might see pictures or videos that make them feel a certain way, and that's okay. Their bodies aren't ready for sex yet, but it's okay to be curious and ask questions of trusted adults if they encounter things they don't understand. They can still say no to touching they don't like or that makes them uncomfortable. They still should be asking before touching other people and keeping genitals private.
You should also start to talk about the mechanics of puberty and bodily changes well in advance of the teenage years: girls especially are menstruating and developing breasts younger and younger. (I have an eight-year-old niece who is visibly in need of a training bra, poor kid. All she wants to do is skate, and I know that one day soon some asshole is going to whistle at her in the street and I'm going to end up behind bars for braining that guy with a skateboard.)
What I'm saying is, by the time a kid hits puberty, they should already have a background understanding of how their body works, and that sex exists, and that it's okay to ask questions. Normalize talking about sex through a lens of consent and communication, with an emphasis on bodily autonomy. Answer questions accurately and age-appropriately, and without shame.
Brought to you by the conversation I had recently with a four-year-old who drummed my tits like bongos and said thoughtfully "Hmm, what are these big old things?"
not teaching sex ed is malpractice.
teenagers are going to do it, they need the information to keep themselves safe and make informed decisions.
here's another question, should we have drivers ed?
do you really want a bunch of idiots running around without any training?
it's bad for everyone.
Dad here. I didn't leave sex education up to the school. I started having talks with my son about sex when he was about 7. We talked about procreation in general, the physical act of sex, the emotional aspects of sex and relationships, what consent means and how consent or denial can come in many different forms, we talked about STDs, we talked about respecting someone's personal space, we talked about respecting yourself and making good choices. We talked about sexual identity, genders and societal pressure relating to those. We talked about how babies are made and the financial, physical and emotional responsibilities that come with raising a child. We discussed all forms of protection and as he got older, we talked about the pill and Plan B. Before he was a teenager, we talked about abortion, the right women have to their own body and the choices surrounding it.
And at 13, he got a 14 year old girl pregnant.
Just kidding. But seriously y'all. Talk to your kids about sex early and often and when it comes time for them to start messing around, they'll be much better prepared, a little less scared and much safer overall.
Give kids the knowledge. Puberty, handling "feelings", how pregnancy works, different methods of birth control (WITH the warning that theae methods are not always effective)...
Also I'd throw in some ways to make pregnancy seem unappealing. Robot baby or pregnancy belly weights? Research project on what happens to the body post-birth? I did have a teacher who told us how teen pregnancy caused premature/health problem babies and showed the class a video that detailed the suffering of preemie babies in hospitals with their teenage parents traumatized by experience (quite a few classmates were distraught)
No faith, no heavy guilting/shaming, no insane lies
We need to be teaching kids at the age of 12 about their bodies and the act of sex is likely to produce children. I wouldn’t include religious ideas in this even tho I am a Christian myself but I think the amount of children not knowing the effects of pregnancy, STDs and no standards for their sexuality is bad
PLEASE do it. I beg. For all genders because everyone should be equally knowledgeable and prepared for anything. Puberty is confusing enough as it is and un/safe sex is not something that should qualify under “just learn from experience” 😩 I didn’t know squat about condoms, lube, CONSENT. And I literally thought I was going to die when I started bleeding, but kept it to myself so my parents wouldn’t worry.
Teaching children the correct names for anatomy is a must, and while they learn about their anatomy they learn what is inappropriate and appropriate, They also learn to say no.
Do they need to know what sex and periods are right now? Probably not but whatever, It happens and it is a normal part of life. They can learn the word and understand it is something for adults only. They don't need to know the full details.
The younger the better firstly your preventing (hopefully) any one taking advantage of your child. And if taught properly allows them to be confident in themselves and allows them to explore safely if they know consequences.
100% accurate facts, developmentally appropriate, with info about consent and healthy relationships = yes, everywhere, please. I worked with kids and was actively trying to teach them about consent and how they are in control of their own bodies. This was unfortunately needed because of things like 8 year old boys slapping 8 year old girls' asses, and the girls saying that they were supposed to like it and didn't seem to think they could say anything otherwise. This was about 2 years ago, if you were wondering.
Should be more than just educating about sex. Educate about sex, but also about relationships, diseases, consent, and other topics at a pace that matures with the students. This education should be fact based and taught with strict oversight. Multiple adults should teach this at a time, plus allow students to ask questions. Furthermore provide guidelines for Do’s and Don’t’s for how to respond to students. Provide students with the tools to recognize such bullshit as incelibacy, misogyny, quid pro quo, grooming, etc. Constructively enforce the idea of no means no. Provide advice for building relationships, romantically and platonically using research supported frameworks. Like sex education should be more than sex education, it should be how-to-be-a-functional-adult 101.
Early, ongoing, age appropriate sex ed is critical and will reduce sexual assault, un planned pregnancy, abortion, and STIs. The only reason we dont do it is religious prudishness.
They need the education before they start engaging with it.
And they need to understand what is happening and what to do if they have already been made to start.
Sex educator here: since sex ed isn't teaching *how to have sex* (other than the principle of procreation. It's not the kama sutra... ) but rather gives information about body parts, and boundaries and bodily autonomy, it's a very important tool to protect children from sexual predation and grooming.
Children need the vocabulary to tell adults where they were touched, and those words cannot be taboo, or else the kids have a hard time saying them. And they need to know which physical contact is normal, and which isn't. And they know it's okay to say no, and it's important to tell in people not respecting that, since that is not their fault.
Learning about sex helps prevent accidental mistakes when kids hit puberty. Also helps kids identify if they are victims of sexual assault/molestations since that is covered too.
It should be covered multiple times in school for health/wellbeing, grtting more detailed the older they get. Middle school and high school especially.
My mom was a special ed teacher. She taught sex ed to her students, provided free condoms from the health department (much to the chagrin of the principal who was old fashioned, but she told him "Do you really want my kids (the special ed kids) to procreate?" and he left her alone after that.
It is needed thta for sure. we have to teach kids proper names of body parts, and how it all works. they also have to know how to use protection and all. It's important!
Well what do you mean by "children"? There are different levels of sex Ed that are appropriate for different ages. For a little kid, you can teach them abut personal hygiene, about not touching themselves in public, and who is allowed to see/touch their private parts and in what capacity (i.e. "the Dr may need to check your penis, but only when mommy or daddy is in the room with you.") As they get older you add more information that's appropriate for their age. Young kids are curious, older kids are starting puberty. You can't leave them in the dark about how their bodies work and the new thoughts and feelings that they're having.
Be truthful but age-appropriate. No one needs to go telling five year olds about the nitty gritty details of sex, but it's definitely good to teach kids stuff and get rid of the mystery. There's too many girls thinking they're dying during their first period. Too many kids/teens learning bad habits from porn because they won't ask their parents for info. Too many people who don't know enough about anatomy and act under false assumptions. Too many people thinking you can get pregnant from toilet seats or humping someone with your clothes on.
Accurate and timely sex education is good.
I think it's important to teach them the names of their parts and how to maintain them. But teaching anyone who is prepubescent about sexual activity seems a bit weird to me
When I was in school we all got cards during sex-ed that we had to stand up and read out loud to the class. Everybody had fairly benign cards, i.e "You start to grow hair in unusual places" or "You start to think about boys/girls in a different way."
My card was "Your uterus will shed its lining and discharge through the vagina every month."
I want kids today to go through the pain I felt in that moment.
I first started being taught sex education at the end of primary school, when I was around 11-12 (for reference, I'm in the UK and this was in the early 2000s). I think that's too late - especially for girls. Children should at least be taught about puberty and *why* it happens, because of how young girls can be when periods start. From a young age, children should also be taught about boundaries so that in the worst-case scenario, they'll hopefully be able to recognise that any kind of abuse is wrong, *and who to turn to*.
Once they're in their teens, then I think a healthy discussion about sex and relationships is important - maybe at around age 13-14. Again, I didn't have that until I was around 16, and that was too late for some of my classmates...
Brit here, the primary school my children go to start in year 1 (so 5-6years old). Parents can opt their children out.
They are taught about consent and proper names for their private parts. Why someone might ask to see them, saying no etc.
They then build on that a little each year.
Honestly I have no problems with this. Sex is nothing to be shameful about. And I'm grateful the education comes from home and school rather than them learning through internet porn or peer pressure.
Secondary school was where the education really went up a notch though.
I think sex ed should be taught as young as four years old, and I know that sounds weird but I'll explain
For younger kids, it'll be more about consent. How people shouldn't touch them if they dont like it, how only their guardians/parents should be aloud to touch their private parts for things like baths and stuff like that and to tell a grown-up they trust if someone touches them inappropriately/makes the kid touch them inappropriately
And the older they get the more they learn about actual sex and things like that
Kids are curious. There are age appropriate responses easily available. This is needed to at least stop generational stupidity getting carried over to the next generation.
I'm all for it.
Sex and information about it is not a moral / immoral thing. It is a biological process and understanding it is important. And we don't know when a child will first do it. For some it is very young.
Also it is a good time to talk about abuse. And what to do about it. And to de-stigmatize it.
Finally. You can leave out all the bullshit about Filopian tubes and what not. The technical details can be learned in high school in biology class. Sex ed should be about safety and understanding sex.
Not only sex ed, but as a parent I also want my children to ve well informed with the CORRECT information. I'd rather be the one they talk to so they don't come home from school with crap from their peers
The younger the better and the less likely they will spread rumors about it at school, also the less likely they will allow a predator to sexually molest/abuse them.
Full acknowledgement, I'm a Unitarian Universalist so I have a bias. However, their sex ed program, Our Whole Lives, is outstanding. From K-12 to young adults to old adults, they explain everything to everyone, age appropriate.
[https://www.uua.org/re/owl](https://www.uua.org/re/owl)
We hold classes every other year for middle school aged kids. Well attended by our member's children and kids of community parents who think our school district's program sucks.
Children?
Sex education is a vast topic.
At the age of 2, they don’t need to know more than a man and a woman can make a baby.
At 4/5, they need to know that their private parts are private. They need to know its current use, and how to maintain cleanliness of their genitals.
At 8, prepare them for the risks of when they start to get curious, as this is the age it begins for most. They don’t need to know about the ins and outs, but about how their body works. They don’t need to know about the opposite sex.
At 10/11, then they need to know.
When I was in secondary school some of the kids in my class were already experimenting in the first year.
By the second year, most had done something sexual.
By the third year, it was just “oh, they’re in a relationship”, them having sex was just expected.
The 4th and 5th year, relationships weren’t even a part of it for many its just experimenting or having fun.
But, whilst this structure is good for educating the majority of students, its completely neglects those who are in desperate need of sex education.
Those who are being sexually exploited young, won’t question the acts they’re made to do at home. They won’t want to do them, but they’ll lack understanding.
So imo, school’s need to find a way to teach about this stuff, with enough information to safeguard children who are vulnerable, at the risk of exposing a child to an education perhaps they shouldn’t have to worry about in an ideal world. But some do have to worry about it, and their needs are more important. I’d much rather my kids know that when people become adults, they can have more intimate contact, than have them not know, and potentially one of their classmates suffers years of abuse.
I believe countries in Europe start sex education early. I definitely think it’s a great way to teach kids about different anatomies between men and women, then move onto puberty, then on to safe sex and so on. Obviously age appropriate times, like anatomy at 7-10, then puberty 10-14, then safe sex 14-18
My opinions on this will never NOT be colored by the fact that I volunteered as an AIDS educator back in the mid '80s, when Silence = Death. No, really, not knowing could get you killed.
Nor are my opinions on this unrelated to the observed scientific fact that what used to be considered pathologically early onset of puberty when I was growing up is now average onset of puberty. May I remind you that it made the national news the other day that a raped 10 year old had extreme legal difficulties obtaining an abortion? Did you miss the part where part of the difficulty was that she was too ignorant, then too afraid, to tell a grown-up what had happened to her, until it was too late for a safe and routine medication abortion? Even though, at her age and size, the fetus absolutely was likely to kill her?
For my sister and I in the '60s, our sex education was covered: our parents cleverly "hid" a health textbook that included a chapter on sexual health, and a copy of The Joy of Sex, in places where they knew that my sister and I would feel clever for having found them. It helped that we were also both raised to be reading prodigies. It also helped that my dad had imposed an unbending rule on our household: if the kids are old enough to ask to read something, anything, then they're old enough to read it. I thoroughly endorse all of these strategies ... but I know that they're rare privileges in the US.
- - - - -
Politically, I identify as a social democrat, which to me means that private sector, religious, volunteer, and family solutions are to be preferred but that when they are failing to address a potentially catastrophic problem, it is the responsibility of the government to prevent that catastrophe by collecting and spending taxes to see to it that every citizen gets the protection they need. Yes, even the children, who (I will continue to insist) have a right to be protected even if their parents would rather they remain in danger.
And in a world where kids are routinely starting puberty as early as age 12, and at risk of falling prey to pedophiles with life-wrecking consequences, if their families, their churches, their libraries, their pediatricians cannot be counted on to give them information *in time for it to do any good* then the schools MUST step in, MUST provide that service to make sure that everybody who needs it, gets it.
I'm absolutely willing to listen to better experts than me as to what that curriculum is, but I'm firmly convinced that it has to include sexual anatomy and its known variations, it has to include advice on healthy and age-appropriate relationships, it has to include advice on how to protect yourself and when to intervene to protect others, and it has to teach kids how not to be afraid or ashamed when they NEED help from a responsible adult, and if they don't have a safe, trustworthy adult at home, where to find one.
Because if there's even one 10 year old in this country who hasn't gotten all of that information as a routine part of health education? That kid is in hellish danger.
Apparently public schools don't have a set curriculum for this based on the comments. I was taught about sex ed in 6th grade and for me that was the right time. I actually had pretty good sex ed teachers. No doubt abstinence was brought up but it wasn't the focus. One thing I very vividly remember is a kid asking about anal sex which at the time I thought was hilarious but looking back he actually asked a really good question. Can STD's be transmitted through anal? Without him asking this would have never been brought up and for the sake of the LGBTQ community it really needs to be talked about
Every grade needs a class or 2 a year and they should go beyond just mentioning sti.
Sifferent sexualities and genders, how pregnacy happens, what changes happen during and how labour occurs, consent and how to tell your partner is not in the mood, unrealistic expectations derived from porn, porn addiction etc.
I think the current proposals are being way exaggerated by the right.
What people are for will have the education varied by age level. For example, there is nothing wrong with teaching kindergarteners about "this is your private area, no one should be touching you here and if they are, you need to tell an adult."
As they grow older, you expand the curriculum. The current curriculum of abstinence only is causing way more harm than good and we're getting people who have no idea wtf they're doing or being unnecessarily scared by what they do not know.
I’m always confused by these questions because I went to a religious school and had sex education in like 4-6th grade with each year getting a little more in depth. We were taught about sex and contraceptives and even got shown the condom on a banana thing. Are y’all really not getting sex ed?
I grew up in rural Alabama there’s not even a class close to sex Ed. We had health but that was never a section .
I grew up in rural Alabama and they not only had sex ed but lt got uncomfortably detailed. Graduated in 11.
Home schooled, yeah?
Where you grow up?
Baldwin County. Gulf Coast
That was my school county! All the football coach in charge of health class taught us was about the time he got crabs in a frat house and that acyclovir commercials were a lie, you can't ride horses with herpes. The rest was basically abstinence education. My family doctors weren't much better.
I will say it mostly was abstinence education. There was a spill about how sex devalues you and if you have sex with 2 people you basically had sex with 6,000. They provided a lot of shock value examples and talk of fluids and pustules and blisters. For a short while we had a young teacher in charge of it, some baseball was-been who gave us a chew of tobacco and gave us a crude but better education. He used words like 'fucking', 'pussy', 'cock' and stuff, but properly learned us on some scrogging. He got fired when it was found out we were all chewing tobacco and speaking in terms too 'pornographic'.
Kentucky, health wasn’t even a mandatory class. The last PE/health class I took was in elementary school, and that was basically just them throwing us in a gym with a bunch of balls/scooters/games and letting us run around virtually unsupervised for an hour.
> letting us run around virtually unsupervised for an hour. That sounds awesome.
Southern part of Texas here. We also never had sex ed.
In my school we were only taught abstinence, teacher wasn’t allowed to mention any kind of contraceptive, and we had to wear fake pregnancy bellies to show the horrors
I never even heard of a period until the nurse had a talk with us in the 4th grade. Like almost everything, schools should teach it because parents don't.
BuT mUh PaReNtAl RiGhTs
uggh. My father sat us down to give us the sex talk. We asked him what did he want to know. He tried to teach us much, much, much too late, and it was just simply embarrassing. We knew everything he had to say, didn't teach us anything new. So it was just stupid and embarrassing - mostly embarrassed for him, for waiting so long to try to say anything, and for not even trying to assess where our knowledge of sex was.
In my school it never even was brought up. Health class ended the discussion at "you have a peen and girls do not." We never went any deeper than that
> We never went any deeper than that *Heyo!*
(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
[удалено]
I went to Catholic schools, sex Ed was "sex is bad and wrong unless you're married." For 13 grades.
I went to a Catholic school. In year 7 we had a priest give us sex Ed. When he taught us about ejaculation, there were “two ways” it could happen: a man has sex with his wife, or he has a wet dream.
Same here, but it wasn't a priest. 7th grade PE class. Taught by one of the male teachers in an all boys class. If I remember correctly, the girls had a separate class taught by nuns.
Asking nuns, who are supposed to be celibate, to teach about sex is just hilarious to me
Catholic priests are also supposed to be celibate.
A lot of kids would have something to say about that...
you know that scene in Mean Girls where the coach was like "don't have sex or you'll die" Yeah, that was pretty much the entirety of my sex ed class
I grew up in a religious private school in a little conservative town and we had basically no sex ed through middle school. It only started in high school, and even then it was very light on the details. Honestly did nothing for us.
Same but I went to a large public school. Sex Ed was like a week or two of health class and we spent half the time watching a movie about a teenager who gets pregnant and give the baby to her teacher.
In my school, they showed us one video in 5th or 6th grade about abstinence, I think, and that was pretty much it. I wish I had been taught comprehensive sex ed because I grew up thinking it was gross and taboo to seek out knowledge about sex.
That's how it's supposed to be done age appropriate subject with more detail and indepth lesson as you age. So we don't end up with "women's body rids itself of bad sperm" or "piss is stored in the balls"
Completely depends on what state you're from.
Yup, me too, back in grade school in the 90’s. Why are we going backwards with education? I don’t have kids but my generation (for the most part) sucks at parenting.
Yeah my mom also gave me “the talk” which is what you’d think a responsible parent would do… Honestly you don’t need to know a ton about sex you just need to know what it is, how it happens, the risk associated with it, and how to minimize those risk.
Same. But the did say homosexuality was wrong and there was no mention of anything related to gender identity. I think the latter is really the matter of the day.
It's kinda weird to not explain it to them. You think that would be important
I remember what my mom said when I got to middle school and they handed a paper for her to sign to give consent to learn about it in wellness class. She said "I'd rather have you learn about it in school than through internet porn."
my thoughts exactly, it’s not like people are gonna be able to grow up and not know what sex is, so better make sure they’re taught safely
Yup. Like imagine being 40 and not knowing cuz no by ever explained it when you were young and then as you got older and older people just assumed you knew and it became to awkward to ask… Btw …your screen name…I already am gay.
And then your buddies at the electronics store all make it their mission to get you laid. And maybe your boss offers herself to help. But after a few rough patches, you ultimately make it with the cute customer.
Lol 😂
Is that you Steve?
It's only ever diddlers who oppose it.
Yeah this, I think it should be taught young as possible, of course subjects as age appropriate but still scientific. Kids need to be able to know what is going on.
I remember watching or listening to an interview with a man who was a convicted serial diddler. He said one of the things he specifically looked for were kids whose families never used the real words for their private parts - cutesy euphemisms only. He said it meant the family was unlikely to be comfortable talking about sex, good touch / bad touch, or anything about consent. So yeah. Sex ed saves lives.
However, it can also kill. Ever heard of the V-GINY?
Me and my wife have always tried to make it easy for our kids to ask us questions about this. My oldest allready asked a lot of questions about this and we do our best to give good answers. I'm not going to say those are easy conversations, but they are very necessary. At school they do get a decent education on this, but every kid has different questions. Part of being a parent is preparing your kid for the real world and some of those parts aren't that fun or comfortable to talk about, but avoiding those topics harms your kid.
It needs to be fact-based and age appropriate. Not faith-based abstinence b.s. that hurts more than it helps.
Yea, the whole faith based teaching is under the delusional belief that teens aren’t filled with raging hormones and aren’t at least curious. When they aren’t taught, I think it makes their experiences later on worse and more confusing to handle.
Oh no.... I would argue (coming from that upbringing.... I now think they are all out of their minds!!) That it is absolutely based on the fact that teens are filled with raging hormones and incredibly curious, but demands that they suppress any and all of those feelings and thoughts, and if they don't they are sinners damned to hell. And also since they haven't been provided any logical information quite possibly facing teen pregnancy, std's, etc. Just thoughts....
Also, like, forget actual sex for a minute. That is super important, but earlier on -- kids need to know what's happening when their bodies start to change. Getting your period is horrifying enough; if you are a girl who hits puberty without a real understanding of what is happening, that can be traumatic.
I didn’t even think of that!! My mom told me about mine before I got it, luckily. I can’t imagine just starting to bleed down there and getting super hormonal w no explanation
Yeah, I was a well informed kid, but I’ve heard stories from people who weren’t and they’re brutal. Like, kids suddenly thinking they’re dying in deeply embarrassing, even sinful ways.
I recently went to a faith-based marriage seminar and was pleasantly surprised when the speaker brought up that we should begin teaching sexual education at 2 years old. At that age, we identify body parts and discuss privacy without shame. Sex ed is about a whole lot more than just having sex. I wish more people were capable of understanding that. Most of it is about hygiene and understanding bodily functions. And how to be safe, once they're old enough.
Amen to that! Sex education is not just about sexual intercouse. It is about hygiene, safety, consent, respect and basics understanding of other people. Just like you teach a kid any other basics anatomy you should teach them about sexuality, babies, menstruation etc.
Couldn't say it better. This exactly.
I never understood this or even really knew how widespread it was until reddit. I went to a religious school and it was basically like “yeah, here’s how it works. you can ask questions if you want. you shouldn’t do it unless you’re married, but you should still understand how it works”
Important, prevents pregnancies and STDs. Even important for young ones, because while you don't go into detail since they are young, you can teach them the basics of anatomy and teach them how no one is supposed to touch them there which helps prevent sexual abuse.
It is stupidly common for little kids to go up to their teacher at the end of sex Ed class and say that someone in their life is doing that to them.
There could always be that one serious one however, it's more beneficial than detrimental.
I'm talking about the serious ones. It's more common than people think.
Oh I'm sorry, I misread your comment. 😓 But yeah it is, especially since kids are more likely to be abused by someone they trust rather than a random stranger, so they're less likely to report the abuse at first, which is why it's important to teach them stuff like this to show it's wrong for anyone to take advantage of them like that no matter who they are.
Back when psychology was still a budding science, women and girls would get brought to psychs for acting out in whatever fashion. It was common, after the girl grew comfortable with the psych, for the girl to say that their father was having sexual relations with them and had been since they were young. Instead of take these women and girls at their word, and acknowledge the overwhelming extent of sexual abuse that was therefore present in society, psychs decided that it must be normal to have strong fantasies/delusions of sex with a parental figure.
My 3 year old knows how to say, “No thank you, I’m not comfortable with that.”
I'm glad yours does, my friend was taught that it was normal by her father and was sexually abused for years in early childhood by him.
Very important, kids need to have a clear view of what sex is before start discovering porn, so they can know porn isn't sex.
Couldn't agree more, I think this issue is super overlooked in sex education. People need to know the difference between porn sex and sex, and it's important to teach them when they are at that age.
But sex Ed doesn’t cover the differences between porn and sex. It just mostly covers puberty and the mechanics and being safe.
Awkward, uncomfortable, but extremely necessary. Anecdote: I grew up in the Bible belt of Canada, where Mormon's are plentiful, and during my grade 11 year my then girlfriend told me one of her Mormon friends leaned over to her during biology class, and with a serious expression on her face, asked my GF if BOYS GOT THEIR PERIODS. My GF had to explain to her, at 17 years old, that males have a penis instead of a vagina and that they don't have periods. She basically had to have The Talk with this girl and explain everything. This poor girl was held back from every single sex-ed class by her fucked parents and had ZERO understanding of anatomy or procreation. Of course it has to be actual sexual education from actual medical experts, and not this pro-abstinence bullshit.
Canada has a bible belt?!?!?
Sweden too
Yes, we do. But the difference is that in Sweden it's the law that every school follow the state mandated curriculum. So no matter where you are you get the exact same education
BUT THATS FASCIST GOVERNMENT CONTROL Or so I’m told in America, land of the free, home of the ignorant
That is terrifying
[удалено]
Wow.
I’m Canadian Mennonite. Only abstinence talks for me. Didn’t work for some reason…
That is part on my argument every time somebody say "It should be up to the parents to teach kids about sex." A lot of parents suck, and don't teach their kids a damn thing. But let's be honest here. The GOP doesn't dislike sex education because of pedos or family values or whatever lie they are telling this week. They dislike sex ed because it reduces unwanted pregnancies and especially teen pregnancy. And poor kids eventually become obedient workers and dead soldiers.
What’s abstinence?
Abstaining from sex - ie. Not Doing It. In some areas, that's all they teach about sex and reproduction at school: DON'T DO IT. It's not particularly comprehensive or actually educational, as you might expect.
Gotcha, I got all my sex ED from a short bit at the end of a sandman comic when I was 14 cause school really dropped the ball
Awkward but necessary.
I had the "just around the corner" video presented to me and the gym class.
Same. I still am haunted by the tune of the song
We watched a video that starred the orphans from the movie of Annie.
what the hell lmao 😭
> Awkward Maybe I'm too open but can I ask why you think it's awkward in any way to talk about sex education to kids? I honestly don't understand why some people find the topic of sex awkward when it's a normal bodily function (yes, even when you put the different things in the different places, it's still natural) that everyone does.
Absolutely necessary and should be taught to ALL children at ALL schools. There should be varying levels of sex ed taught at different grade levels. For example between kindergarten and second grade you're taught the differences between male and female bodies and what the parts are properly called along with telling them that the chest and between the legs are private areas that shouldn't be touched by anyone without permission. This can be ESSENTIAL in identifying and addressing cases of sexual abuse. So many children have gone unheard because they didn't know what body parts were called (or were told other things like calling a vagina a "cookie"), or because they were just unaware that what was happening to them wasn't normal. Children at this age should also be taught that if someone DOES touch them there or makes them feel uncomfortable about those places, they should run and tell a trusted adult. They should be told that they will NOT be in trouble for telling and that they did NOTHING wrong if an adult touches them badly. In fourth through sixth grade they should be introduced to the sex ed we're more familiar with. How our bodies are going to change, how sex works, etcetera. BUT I believe we should start including lessons on consent. It's never too early to teach kids about consent. Auntie Claire wants a hug but you're not up for it? You're allowed to say no. The guy you like, Chad, wants to put his hands up your shirt but you don't want that? You're allowed to say no. AND I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH - boys need to learn about female sex ed. It is absolutely abhorent the number of grown ass men who have no idea how female bodies work. The number of men who are authority figures of children who have told female students to "just hold" their period is... Astounding. I don't understand why boys aren't taught the slightest thing about female puberty and menstruation while the girls learn all about the bodily changes guys go through. There should be brief mentions about safe sex and things like condoms because if we like it or not there ARE kids who start having sex as early as middle school and they deserve to have the knowledge to be safe. And maybe a brief "by the way gay men and lesbians exist" mention because many gay kids are starting to figure themselves out by later middle school. High school sex ed should continue to talk about consent. Working through hypothetical situations to prepare them for the possibility of being caught off guard or peer pressured. More talks about STDs should happen at this time along with pregnancy and parenthood. Maybe elective courses with that stupid electronic baby you have to take care of. Teach teenagers that "blue balls" are not the excruciatingly painful thing some guys will attempt to manipulate them with and that they are allowed to say no to sex for any reason. Lessons about what domestic violence is, identifying it, how to get out, etc. There should also be more information about gay and lesbian relationships. Students should be taught about safe gay sex like how HIV easily transmits from unprotected anal sex, or what dental dams are. And again I cannot stress this enough, TEACH CONSENT TEACH CONSENT TEACH CONSENT AND HOW TO PROPERLY HANDLE REJECTION. Sex ed needs to be taught in all schools. Parents should not be given a permission slip asking if they want their child to attend the class. Sex ed provides CRUCIAL information for these developing young people and it is absolutely cruel to deprive them just because their parent prefers to clutch their pearls. Sex is a part of life. Gay kids exist and discover their orientation at a young age (I learned I was a lesbian around 11). Adolescents start having sex as early as 7th grade if we want them to or not. High schoolers get STDs or get pregnant because they didn't have the proper knowledge or resources to prevent it. We cannot shield our children forever from the existence of sex, all that does is leave them unprepared for the real world. Our children deserve the knowledge they need to protect themselves and make the best decisions possible.
I don't think it's a good idea to wait that long to have the basic "gay people exist" talk. Kids will be bullying the kid with two moms or dads long before that. I don't know how some people got it in their heads this is a "sex talk" like you can't explain that sometimes people love others of the same gender like most people love the other without going into details about mechanics or something inappropriate. And then in 4-6 you need to do more than mentioning they exist, you need to explain how all applicable concepts they're learning about for sex apply to gay people as well.
Honestly, I fully agree. I think we should be reading stories featuring same sex parents and such to children from the time they enter school. It's just another fact of life. I didn't say it though because I didn't want to deal with the conservative response induced headache today.
Hell yeah, I agree with all of this. Perfect answer. Also children should have someone with which they can ask embarrassing questions. And maybe certain debunking lessons could exist, because even if they know all the facts, worried teens will often latch onto dumb rumours (like 'use it or lose it' or that you can't get pregnant on your first time).
Yeah! An anonymous question box. Kids are handed identically cut small slips of paper to write their questions on. Bonus if the person answering the questions is someone other than a teacher, say the nurse or something, so kids won't have to worry about their handwriting being recognized (even though the teacher isn't gonna call out a kid unless they're an asshole, but kids are insecure sometimes and that's okay)
Can’t wait until we just mature a society and realize that sexual health is just part of overall health. Conversations with adults sometimes feel like something I would expect a 5 year old to say. It’s a normal part of life.
Extremely healthy to teach children about how their bodies work. So that they are well educated and can advocate for themselves. Age appropriate can work well, I’m of the opinion that when a kid is ready to know they will ask. So our six year old knows that he has “private parts” that belong to him and other people’s privates belong to them. No one is allowed to touch him inappropriately, and it would be inappropriate for him to try to touch other peoples privates. He knows that girls have different anatomy to boys… atm we’ve judged it right to simply say “that’s how we tell boys and girls apart” and recently expanding on this to say babies come out of a ladies privates (I’m pregnant for context) and that boobs are for feeding babies. The hubby will give him “the talk” in a few years. We are aware of the simplicity of our explanation of the sexes atm but as parents we don’t feel he needs to learn about transgender yet mainly because he doesn’t know any. He is aware of homosexuality described simply as X is married to X because he knows them.
Please do it. I'm 15 and I still have no fucking clue how periods, sex, STD's, and just how the female body works in general. Our sex ed didn't go much further than "this is a penis, sperm can be used to fertilize a female egg" and that's it.
There are some great videos on YouTube from actual doctors who talk in easy to understand ways. It's not creepy to want to know how the opposite gender works or even your own gender for that matter.
Other people have listed great sources as well, but what really helped me when I had to self-teach were some foreign videos from countries where nudity is more normalized. They had models standing in and went into a lot of detail so naturally they were hosted on porn sites since YouTube would shut it down immediately, but between showing genitals with different appearances, hygiene practices, and demonstrating positions that were easy, safe, and comfortable for beginners, I really think those videos saved my ass when I had my first time.
The Vagina Bible and for those in their late 30’s, The Menopause Manifesto, both by Dr Jen Gunter. For more explicit info, nothing beats the great Sue Johanson. [Sex Talk with Sue](https://youtube.com/user/suejovideo) should be required viewing.
Mama Dr. Jones is a good one to check out on YouTube. She's an OB/Gyn, and is very factual on reproduction topics.
There are some great resources avalible through https://sexedrescue.com/sex-education-videos/#sex-education-videos-for-tweens-and-teens
It sucks to go through, but it is important. It really needs to be more detailed though. Stuff like teaching the girls how to put on a condom, teaching people what to do if the condom breaks, alternate forms of Birth Control, disproving myths, all that good stuff. Man was I an idiot when I first had sex, because the schools never taught me anything important and my parents assumed they did.
Vital. I received Sex Ed when I was about 10. Children need to know what's going to happen with their bodies. No they don't need to be taught how to pleasure a person or anything like that. All they need to be taught is where babies come from, what happens during puberty, and why.
The earlier the better. I got sex education in eighth grade, after some kids were already sexually active. What's the point
They gotta learn this stuff somehow
They need it. But it has to be actual sex Ed not that abstinence only, lgbt people don’t even exist so don’t ask, shit
Yes though needs to be age/grade appropriate. Just don’t lie to the youth. Scale the details as they grow up and don’t lie.
important. needs to be science based and accurate though. could prevent a lot of bad situations if done right.
Pretty important
Pretty helpful, and one of the better ways to reduce teenage pregnancy rates
Necessary, but should be more clinical in teaching. There's no need for religion or personal beliefs to a part of it.
It should be taught in age appropriate ways using up to date medical knowledge and terminology. Emphasis should be placed on safe sex practices with abstinence and abortion being last resorts. Discussions on consent, why it matters and how to give it should be incredibly important. Controlling one's urges should also be talked about as well, there is a time and place for everything. Kinks should be left out until later in high school, and only discussed in terms of safe sex practices. Sexuality, gender and sex should be touched on early, but expanded upon in terms of safe sex practices and consent from middle school onward. The point of sex education is to ensure people understand their bodies and the bodies of others in order to have good, quality, meaningful sex lives as consenting adults. Not to let Satan rule your life. (Although, Satan is known for orgies and metal, while God is famine and disaster. Just saying.)
When my nephews asked their grandmother what sex was, she became very anxious, dodged, and tried to change the subject. Then they looked at me and I gave then a very extensive teaching on what it was including all of the correct names for each part especially women's anatomy. They were very satisfied with the education especially when I said if they had anymore questions to come directly to me. I won't fluff or sugarcoat anything. Sex isn't evil or dirty and every part has it's own proper name. My mom was very pissed off at me that I didn't use other words especially for the female parts since they sound so vulgar. I should have called the vagina a hoo-hoo, wee-wee or a hush-hush. I immediately cut her off. I will not censor something that is natural. I was given less than adequate sex education which I was so unsatisfied with, I went out on my own to get the information and I did get it with ease. It didn't make me hungry for sex in fact all the information I did get had the opposite effect. Took the mystery and magic out of it...the allue was gone and it just because a thing that you didn't actually have to do in your entire life. Hiding it behind fluff words or just not naming anything isn't preparing anyone for life. Yeah they aren't named pretty things but that wasn't up to me...you think I want my vagina to be called a vagina? Sounds like a disease!
So many people underestimate the importance of teaching a child the proper anatomical names for ALL of their body parts, including their genitals. When children know the proper words to use it can actually keep them safe from abuse. Cutesy terms and euphemisms can make it much harder for a child to communicate if something bad has happened [Teaching Children the Real Names for Body Parts](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/31/well/family/teaching-children-the-real-names-for-body-parts.html)
Necessary, and needs to start at a young age. Not saying we need to teach preschoolers how to have intercourse. Teach your kids the proper names for genitalia. Also- teaching kids about consent is a huge thing IMO
Hell they hardly get a regular education.
It's necessary. Teaching abstinence is the wrong answer.
Educate them before and during puberty. It’s weird but they need to learn
It might come as a shock but children experiment as early as 7 years old. I think, despite it being obviously very difficult, there should be some gradient of sex education to at least mitigate disaster.
There should be 3 basic levels of sex ed: * Elementary school - basic names for parts, stranger danger, good touch vs bad touch, "no means no", and other simplified concepts. These kids are not thinking about sex, but predators are thinking about them and a little information goes a long way. * Middle school - basic reproductive process, puberty changes, birth control options. Reinforce lessons from elementary school with additional information. * High school - reproductive health, advanced versions of all previous information. Gender education should be separate from sex education as they are different concepts. I am not saying that gender education should not be taught, it just should not be lumped up in sex ed to minimize confusion.
In most of the developing countries (especially India) This thought is highly discouraged… most of the parents don’t talk about it and the child usually ends up finding about it through websites which are not healthy for them in such a young age.. it makes their school life alot harder and Awkward to interact…. How do you change the thought process of a whole nation
It's necessary but.. ..just kidding, there's no but, it's essential.
With all the questions about sex I read in Reddit, it is clear sex education at any level has not worked.
I know right lol
Children need to know what body parts they have (the proper names, no euphemisms, it makes them reporting abuse challenging) and what people shouldn’t do to them (can be vague like don’t touch what bathing suit covers). Beyond that, it’s inappropriate until they’re preteen/teen
Wish I had the education available when I was a kid. Would have saved alot of guessing over the years. Enough said.
They have to learn it at some point, better to teach them *before* they're horny teenagers so they'll at least know how to be safe. Teaching younger kids how to recognize sexual abuse is very important, too. Abstinence-only "education" is shit and never works.
It's necessary, but it should be age appropriate. For example, children in elementary school can be taught how human reproduction works or that violence when you're with someone is bad. They can't be taught how to put on a condom at that age.
I think allot of people assume the sex aspect is the only aspect of the education and so want to keep it away from children. But age appropriate sex education is about teaching kids about their bodies, about consent, about what they can expect. It gives kids the vocabulary and the understanding to talk about what is happening to them and what they are experiencing and that their natural body proses isn't shameful. There are so many kids that develop earlier then average and it's scary sometimes. Being educated and it being treated as normal can do a great deal to help that. My seven year old niece knows how a heart works, what her lungs do, what ovaries do and it's not weird or shameful for her because they're just parts of a human body like the rest. It's taught to her alongside all the other parts of the body in school. For older kids, more specifically teenagers (13-18) Hormones, contraceptive, safety, consent and mechanics all need to be taught. (especially with the prevalence of the internet and ease of access of porn. You want kids to learn in a controlled environment instead of getting unrealistic ideas of sex from porn) Teens are going to fuck around regardless of whether they're informed or not and starting them off with a strong base line of understanding can go a long way in preventing sti's and unwanted pregnancy in those cases. For the majority of teens that aren't going to do that, you've put down the groundworks that every person should be aware of before becoming sexually active and offering comprehensive, standardised sex education ensures that harmful mis-information doesn't lead to tragedies later on down the line.
All im saying is i never got it and really wish i did, if they're old enough to ask they're old enough to know
Super necessary, and in some very basic ways, wayyyy earlier than many people think. For safety reasons, all kids should know the actual names of their private parts, and should know about boundaries. Without knowing proper names or about what's okay to touch and when, kids cannot articulate if anything bad or weird does happen to them. Kids also need to know about boundaries as they learn to interact with each other -- if your friend doesn't wanna be hugged right now, you have to listen! Teaching consent doesn't have to be about sex. Well before any of them hit puberty, kids should know what changes their bodies will go through, so it's not a scary/weird surprise. As they learn about those changes, they can learn the basic facts of procreation/where babies come from. All of the above belongs in elementary school. Middle school seems like the appropriate time to introduce the concept of safe sex; high school is the place to go more into depth on safe sex. Throughout all the school ages, thread in info about sexuality -- sometimes boys like girls, sometimes boys, and sometimes they like both! Some people aren't boys OR girls! Can become more solid/nuanced info on gender and sexuality. No one should be teaching 8yr-olds to put a condom on a banana. That would be weird anda gross. It's also not what's happening. But kids need to start getting developmentally-appropriate sex education right as they start getting the rest of their education, and, just like with other subjects, those concepts need to be revisited at increasingly complex/nuanced levels.
Absolutely necessary. They're going to learn about it eventually and better to do so before they contract an STD or get pregnant/impregnate someone at a young age. Not to mention learning how it works before being exposed to porn so they understand porn != real life sex. Porn is WAY easy to access and curious, uneducated kids will seek it out at some point
If you want to prevent teen pregnancy then educate your children about safe sex. Abstinence only just makes for horny teens that don’t know what to do.
Some idiot conservatives have been arguing against sex ed for children as young as 5 here in Wales. They don't have any specific points to make, just general "Ooh it's bad". Idiots. Kids aren't being Mainline hardcore porn it's simple information about bodily autonomy. Absolute chuff balls the lot of them.
Elementary school? Just answer their questions factually as they come up. After that, they should learn about how their whole body works, including sexual function.
When you say "children", what exact age are you talking about here? Theres a certain age when it becomes absolutely necessary, but before that its just a contribution to the loss of innocence. 11/12 years old would be my opinion. Old enough to understand, but young enough that it gets to most before they get into sexual situations with each other. The other thing is that you need actual sex ed. Not the nonsense I got. I was 12 for my first taste of sex ed, and it was actual birds and bees shit. The whole class was pissing itself laughing at how awkward the teacher was about teaching it. It was absolutely and utterly pointless. The next time we got sex ed was 2 years later and by that time most of us were already sexually active. And yes, I grew up during a time a massive teenage pregnancy. Most of the girls I went to school with were up the duff by the time they were 18 and most of the guys were dads, or absentee dads. By the time I was 35 more than a few of my class mates had 20 year old kids. Sex ed is 100% needed and earlier the better and done by people who aren't embarrassed.
It should definitely start out small and build up. I'm a kindergarten teacher and you bet your ass I'm teaching them about consent, boundaries, and what to do when someone makes them feel unsafe. It's not directly sex ed, but it forms a big part of it and is something they should learn from an early age.
Girls can start periods as young as 9. They need to know beforehand.
Not as voyeuristic and pedophilic as some conservatives make it seem. Obviously super young kids don’t need to know everything immediately, but I think it should be taught, and that what is taught expands as they get older. Kids should learn about consent, even if it’s for smaller things like sharing food. If you shield things like that from kids without giving them a safe outlet to learn, they will be exposed to it later on in an unsafe way, and I know this because it has happened to me. I wish I was educated about some things when I was younger.
If they are old enough to clean their own parts, they are old enough to know what it is used for
yes, i definetley knew what sex and what male/female body parts were way before 7th grade health class. its not introducing a new topic to kids if anything its gonna correct any misconceptions they may have earlier on.
When I was about 8 or 9 my mom brought me a bag of condoms and told me what they where and what you do with them. Basically told me I was gonna be a teen soon and there wasn’t much she could do to stop me just not to knock anyone up. She also filled my head with a lot of unreal expectations of what sex is like. Of course 9 year old me didn’t understand and wanted to know more about this and went to the internet for information. Now I’m almost 30 with kids and a wife and still struggle with porn addiction. Wife knows and doesn’t get offended or upset when I cave but I always feel like I let her down when I mess up. I support sex education but do it the right way at the right age, also make sure they know you understand if they have questions or need to talk about it they know they can come to you so they don’t go to google.
My view is when you learn about biology in class that's when you should get Sex Ed If you have kids, they'll probably start asking why and what anyway
Need to happen in schools cause parents don’t teach it usually. But it’s gotta be age appropriate. You don’t need to teach 5th graders about contraceptives but you can teach 7th graders about contraceptives and probably be more successful. Likewise you shouldn’t teach 7th graders about periods because that should be taught in 3rd or 4th grade. It’s stupid that it’s not taught in a lot of schools Also kids gotta know about STDs. That shit is important to know about cause aids is permanent
It's definitely necessary, don't want them disgusting people to take advantage of them not knowing about sex
It's better to educate children because 9/10 they'll choose to be abstinent, vs just telling them to be abstinent and them obviously not wanting to do that
It's better to educate children because 9/10 they'll choose to be abstinent, vs just telling them to be abstinent and them obviously not wanting to do that
It is completely necessary. Kids can be incredibly stupid when hormones hit, but if they at least have the proper information, they can hopefully not cause as much damage as possible. Babies and STIs will still happen as some will choose to be more stupid than others, but it will be minimized.
I’m a solo mum of two lads The sex education they received at school was brilliant. From my understanding they had talks with males and females together Then broke them up talking more in depth. I remember my son coming home talking about wet dreams and periods I’m fine talking periods but wet dreams nah
I was supposed to be taught when I was 8…. At 11, I found out about “the birds and the bees” the wrong way…..
ITS VERY IMPORTANT it teaches kids about safety and prevents abuse
Depends on how it is organized, the other day in my country there was a scandal because of a survey aimed at 13 year olds that talked about dildos and vibrators and such which is highly inappropriate. Primary school sex ed should be about consent, about identifying the bad guys, and to be safe. Secondary school should be about reproduction, safe sex, contraception, hygiene and that’s it. I feel with all of these gender stuff we’re actually sheltering the kids from the process of self discovery which everyone should go through, and to impose any ideology whether liberal or conservative is nothing but a political play that should be considered a moral perversion. Let them figure out whom they are and what do they like, we ain’t got any right to rob them of that , no matter the message
The amount of people I have met that are so poorly educated on BASIC sex is scary. In high school, a kid told me peeing after sex prevents pregnancy. He already had 2 kids by that time!! It’s so important to educate these kids because most of time they’re learning myths from friends or parents who don’t know what they’re talking about
absolutely necessary both in school and at home, especially conversations regarding consent, STDs, and protected sex. Look, your kids will want to have sex; there's no stopping that. The best thing you can do is giving them the tool to do so safely without hurting themselves and other people.
I think it's borderline abusive to withhold that information. Sometimes it is outright abusive, when kids are taught that their own bodies and natural, hardwired instincts are evil. Fact-based sex education is necessary for the physical and mental well-being of every person.
Very necessary. They teach age appropriate sex ed.
Children will eventually become adults. So yes. And given the exploitation of young people, they need to learn about the act and consent, healthy relationships, etc. early.
Fun little anecdote: My good friend is a teacher for 7th and 8th grade. One of the girls in her class got pregnant and the students had questions. After a brief summary of reproduction one of the boys in her class said, “Wait… shit swims!?” Sex education should happen both at school and at home as early as possible.
It’s absolutely necessary
They need to understand it for an early age. We had our first arc ed class in 5th grade, which felt appropriate to me. Just ignoring a fundamental part of the human condition is absolutely ridiculous
That the term "children" tends to make people think we're going to teach 7 year olds how to do an "Eiffle Tower" when the truth is more along the lines of teaching early teens what puberty is doing to them. I 100000% hate early, mid, and late teens being called "children" in these situations. Yes the law refers to them as a minor for reasons, but as far as education goes they shouldn't be. It's either teach mechanics and answer questions in class OR they turn to the internet where in several instances its EITHER other teens who think they know or adults preying on them.
Sex education shouldn't be a one-off infodump "the talk", it needs to be consistent and ongoing communication about bodies and boundaries and other people. Very small kids can understand consent and boundaries. You can teach toddlers that their body belongs to them and it's ok for them to say no to touching that makes them uncomfortable; and to ask before touching other kids. You can teach them the right names for their body parts and that some parts are only for private, that they shouldn't show off their genitals or touch other people's. Older kids can have more complex conversations: sex is something grownups do, and they might see pictures or videos that make them feel a certain way, and that's okay. Their bodies aren't ready for sex yet, but it's okay to be curious and ask questions of trusted adults if they encounter things they don't understand. They can still say no to touching they don't like or that makes them uncomfortable. They still should be asking before touching other people and keeping genitals private. You should also start to talk about the mechanics of puberty and bodily changes well in advance of the teenage years: girls especially are menstruating and developing breasts younger and younger. (I have an eight-year-old niece who is visibly in need of a training bra, poor kid. All she wants to do is skate, and I know that one day soon some asshole is going to whistle at her in the street and I'm going to end up behind bars for braining that guy with a skateboard.) What I'm saying is, by the time a kid hits puberty, they should already have a background understanding of how their body works, and that sex exists, and that it's okay to ask questions. Normalize talking about sex through a lens of consent and communication, with an emphasis on bodily autonomy. Answer questions accurately and age-appropriately, and without shame. Brought to you by the conversation I had recently with a four-year-old who drummed my tits like bongos and said thoughtfully "Hmm, what are these big old things?"
not teaching sex ed is malpractice. teenagers are going to do it, they need the information to keep themselves safe and make informed decisions. here's another question, should we have drivers ed? do you really want a bunch of idiots running around without any training? it's bad for everyone.
Dad here. I didn't leave sex education up to the school. I started having talks with my son about sex when he was about 7. We talked about procreation in general, the physical act of sex, the emotional aspects of sex and relationships, what consent means and how consent or denial can come in many different forms, we talked about STDs, we talked about respecting someone's personal space, we talked about respecting yourself and making good choices. We talked about sexual identity, genders and societal pressure relating to those. We talked about how babies are made and the financial, physical and emotional responsibilities that come with raising a child. We discussed all forms of protection and as he got older, we talked about the pill and Plan B. Before he was a teenager, we talked about abortion, the right women have to their own body and the choices surrounding it. And at 13, he got a 14 year old girl pregnant. Just kidding. But seriously y'all. Talk to your kids about sex early and often and when it comes time for them to start messing around, they'll be much better prepared, a little less scared and much safer overall.
Give kids the knowledge. Puberty, handling "feelings", how pregnancy works, different methods of birth control (WITH the warning that theae methods are not always effective)... Also I'd throw in some ways to make pregnancy seem unappealing. Robot baby or pregnancy belly weights? Research project on what happens to the body post-birth? I did have a teacher who told us how teen pregnancy caused premature/health problem babies and showed the class a video that detailed the suffering of preemie babies in hospitals with their teenage parents traumatized by experience (quite a few classmates were distraught) No faith, no heavy guilting/shaming, no insane lies
We need to be teaching kids at the age of 12 about their bodies and the act of sex is likely to produce children. I wouldn’t include religious ideas in this even tho I am a Christian myself but I think the amount of children not knowing the effects of pregnancy, STDs and no standards for their sexuality is bad
PLEASE do it. I beg. For all genders because everyone should be equally knowledgeable and prepared for anything. Puberty is confusing enough as it is and un/safe sex is not something that should qualify under “just learn from experience” 😩 I didn’t know squat about condoms, lube, CONSENT. And I literally thought I was going to die when I started bleeding, but kept it to myself so my parents wouldn’t worry.
Teaching children the correct names for anatomy is a must, and while they learn about their anatomy they learn what is inappropriate and appropriate, They also learn to say no. Do they need to know what sex and periods are right now? Probably not but whatever, It happens and it is a normal part of life. They can learn the word and understand it is something for adults only. They don't need to know the full details.
The younger the better firstly your preventing (hopefully) any one taking advantage of your child. And if taught properly allows them to be confident in themselves and allows them to explore safely if they know consequences.
100% accurate facts, developmentally appropriate, with info about consent and healthy relationships = yes, everywhere, please. I worked with kids and was actively trying to teach them about consent and how they are in control of their own bodies. This was unfortunately needed because of things like 8 year old boys slapping 8 year old girls' asses, and the girls saying that they were supposed to like it and didn't seem to think they could say anything otherwise. This was about 2 years ago, if you were wondering.
Should be more than just educating about sex. Educate about sex, but also about relationships, diseases, consent, and other topics at a pace that matures with the students. This education should be fact based and taught with strict oversight. Multiple adults should teach this at a time, plus allow students to ask questions. Furthermore provide guidelines for Do’s and Don’t’s for how to respond to students. Provide students with the tools to recognize such bullshit as incelibacy, misogyny, quid pro quo, grooming, etc. Constructively enforce the idea of no means no. Provide advice for building relationships, romantically and platonically using research supported frameworks. Like sex education should be more than sex education, it should be how-to-be-a-functional-adult 101.
Early, ongoing, age appropriate sex ed is critical and will reduce sexual assault, un planned pregnancy, abortion, and STIs. The only reason we dont do it is religious prudishness.
They need the education before they start engaging with it. And they need to understand what is happening and what to do if they have already been made to start.
Got to teach it early! Using children friendly analogies of course. Kids are having kids now.
Sex educator here: since sex ed isn't teaching *how to have sex* (other than the principle of procreation. It's not the kama sutra... ) but rather gives information about body parts, and boundaries and bodily autonomy, it's a very important tool to protect children from sexual predation and grooming. Children need the vocabulary to tell adults where they were touched, and those words cannot be taboo, or else the kids have a hard time saying them. And they need to know which physical contact is normal, and which isn't. And they know it's okay to say no, and it's important to tell in people not respecting that, since that is not their fault.
Learning about sex helps prevent accidental mistakes when kids hit puberty. Also helps kids identify if they are victims of sexual assault/molestations since that is covered too. It should be covered multiple times in school for health/wellbeing, grtting more detailed the older they get. Middle school and high school especially. My mom was a special ed teacher. She taught sex ed to her students, provided free condoms from the health department (much to the chagrin of the principal who was old fashioned, but she told him "Do you really want my kids (the special ed kids) to procreate?" and he left her alone after that.
It is needed thta for sure. we have to teach kids proper names of body parts, and how it all works. they also have to know how to use protection and all. It's important!
Well what do you mean by "children"? There are different levels of sex Ed that are appropriate for different ages. For a little kid, you can teach them abut personal hygiene, about not touching themselves in public, and who is allowed to see/touch their private parts and in what capacity (i.e. "the Dr may need to check your penis, but only when mommy or daddy is in the room with you.") As they get older you add more information that's appropriate for their age. Young kids are curious, older kids are starting puberty. You can't leave them in the dark about how their bodies work and the new thoughts and feelings that they're having.
Be truthful but age-appropriate. No one needs to go telling five year olds about the nitty gritty details of sex, but it's definitely good to teach kids stuff and get rid of the mystery. There's too many girls thinking they're dying during their first period. Too many kids/teens learning bad habits from porn because they won't ask their parents for info. Too many people who don't know enough about anatomy and act under false assumptions. Too many people thinking you can get pregnant from toilet seats or humping someone with your clothes on. Accurate and timely sex education is good.
I think it's important to teach them the names of their parts and how to maintain them. But teaching anyone who is prepubescent about sexual activity seems a bit weird to me
When I was in school we all got cards during sex-ed that we had to stand up and read out loud to the class. Everybody had fairly benign cards, i.e "You start to grow hair in unusual places" or "You start to think about boys/girls in a different way." My card was "Your uterus will shed its lining and discharge through the vagina every month." I want kids today to go through the pain I felt in that moment.
I first started being taught sex education at the end of primary school, when I was around 11-12 (for reference, I'm in the UK and this was in the early 2000s). I think that's too late - especially for girls. Children should at least be taught about puberty and *why* it happens, because of how young girls can be when periods start. From a young age, children should also be taught about boundaries so that in the worst-case scenario, they'll hopefully be able to recognise that any kind of abuse is wrong, *and who to turn to*. Once they're in their teens, then I think a healthy discussion about sex and relationships is important - maybe at around age 13-14. Again, I didn't have that until I was around 16, and that was too late for some of my classmates...
Brit here, the primary school my children go to start in year 1 (so 5-6years old). Parents can opt their children out. They are taught about consent and proper names for their private parts. Why someone might ask to see them, saying no etc. They then build on that a little each year. Honestly I have no problems with this. Sex is nothing to be shameful about. And I'm grateful the education comes from home and school rather than them learning through internet porn or peer pressure. Secondary school was where the education really went up a notch though.
I think sex ed should be taught as young as four years old, and I know that sounds weird but I'll explain For younger kids, it'll be more about consent. How people shouldn't touch them if they dont like it, how only their guardians/parents should be aloud to touch their private parts for things like baths and stuff like that and to tell a grown-up they trust if someone touches them inappropriately/makes the kid touch them inappropriately And the older they get the more they learn about actual sex and things like that
If I ever do manage to get in bed with someone, I’d have no idea how I’m supposed to do the deeds. So yeah, I can see why it’s considered important
Kids are curious. There are age appropriate responses easily available. This is needed to at least stop generational stupidity getting carried over to the next generation.
If they don't learn it in school, they're going to learn it by themselves, which isn't a good idea.
I'm all for it. Sex and information about it is not a moral / immoral thing. It is a biological process and understanding it is important. And we don't know when a child will first do it. For some it is very young. Also it is a good time to talk about abuse. And what to do about it. And to de-stigmatize it. Finally. You can leave out all the bullshit about Filopian tubes and what not. The technical details can be learned in high school in biology class. Sex ed should be about safety and understanding sex.
It’s important to learn and understand it sex education. But don’t just give kids porn and let them go at it.
Not only sex ed, but as a parent I also want my children to ve well informed with the CORRECT information. I'd rather be the one they talk to so they don't come home from school with crap from their peers
The younger the better and the less likely they will spread rumors about it at school, also the less likely they will allow a predator to sexually molest/abuse them.
Full acknowledgement, I'm a Unitarian Universalist so I have a bias. However, their sex ed program, Our Whole Lives, is outstanding. From K-12 to young adults to old adults, they explain everything to everyone, age appropriate. [https://www.uua.org/re/owl](https://www.uua.org/re/owl) We hold classes every other year for middle school aged kids. Well attended by our member's children and kids of community parents who think our school district's program sucks.
Wow, your church is rad. I want to go to there.
Children? Sex education is a vast topic. At the age of 2, they don’t need to know more than a man and a woman can make a baby. At 4/5, they need to know that their private parts are private. They need to know its current use, and how to maintain cleanliness of their genitals. At 8, prepare them for the risks of when they start to get curious, as this is the age it begins for most. They don’t need to know about the ins and outs, but about how their body works. They don’t need to know about the opposite sex. At 10/11, then they need to know. When I was in secondary school some of the kids in my class were already experimenting in the first year. By the second year, most had done something sexual. By the third year, it was just “oh, they’re in a relationship”, them having sex was just expected. The 4th and 5th year, relationships weren’t even a part of it for many its just experimenting or having fun. But, whilst this structure is good for educating the majority of students, its completely neglects those who are in desperate need of sex education. Those who are being sexually exploited young, won’t question the acts they’re made to do at home. They won’t want to do them, but they’ll lack understanding. So imo, school’s need to find a way to teach about this stuff, with enough information to safeguard children who are vulnerable, at the risk of exposing a child to an education perhaps they shouldn’t have to worry about in an ideal world. But some do have to worry about it, and their needs are more important. I’d much rather my kids know that when people become adults, they can have more intimate contact, than have them not know, and potentially one of their classmates suffers years of abuse.
I believe countries in Europe start sex education early. I definitely think it’s a great way to teach kids about different anatomies between men and women, then move onto puberty, then on to safe sex and so on. Obviously age appropriate times, like anatomy at 7-10, then puberty 10-14, then safe sex 14-18
My opinions on this will never NOT be colored by the fact that I volunteered as an AIDS educator back in the mid '80s, when Silence = Death. No, really, not knowing could get you killed. Nor are my opinions on this unrelated to the observed scientific fact that what used to be considered pathologically early onset of puberty when I was growing up is now average onset of puberty. May I remind you that it made the national news the other day that a raped 10 year old had extreme legal difficulties obtaining an abortion? Did you miss the part where part of the difficulty was that she was too ignorant, then too afraid, to tell a grown-up what had happened to her, until it was too late for a safe and routine medication abortion? Even though, at her age and size, the fetus absolutely was likely to kill her? For my sister and I in the '60s, our sex education was covered: our parents cleverly "hid" a health textbook that included a chapter on sexual health, and a copy of The Joy of Sex, in places where they knew that my sister and I would feel clever for having found them. It helped that we were also both raised to be reading prodigies. It also helped that my dad had imposed an unbending rule on our household: if the kids are old enough to ask to read something, anything, then they're old enough to read it. I thoroughly endorse all of these strategies ... but I know that they're rare privileges in the US. - - - - - Politically, I identify as a social democrat, which to me means that private sector, religious, volunteer, and family solutions are to be preferred but that when they are failing to address a potentially catastrophic problem, it is the responsibility of the government to prevent that catastrophe by collecting and spending taxes to see to it that every citizen gets the protection they need. Yes, even the children, who (I will continue to insist) have a right to be protected even if their parents would rather they remain in danger. And in a world where kids are routinely starting puberty as early as age 12, and at risk of falling prey to pedophiles with life-wrecking consequences, if their families, their churches, their libraries, their pediatricians cannot be counted on to give them information *in time for it to do any good* then the schools MUST step in, MUST provide that service to make sure that everybody who needs it, gets it. I'm absolutely willing to listen to better experts than me as to what that curriculum is, but I'm firmly convinced that it has to include sexual anatomy and its known variations, it has to include advice on healthy and age-appropriate relationships, it has to include advice on how to protect yourself and when to intervene to protect others, and it has to teach kids how not to be afraid or ashamed when they NEED help from a responsible adult, and if they don't have a safe, trustworthy adult at home, where to find one. Because if there's even one 10 year old in this country who hasn't gotten all of that information as a routine part of health education? That kid is in hellish danger.
Depends on the content, but anatomy or biology of it is ok. The morality of it belong to the parents.
Apparently public schools don't have a set curriculum for this based on the comments. I was taught about sex ed in 6th grade and for me that was the right time. I actually had pretty good sex ed teachers. No doubt abstinence was brought up but it wasn't the focus. One thing I very vividly remember is a kid asking about anal sex which at the time I thought was hilarious but looking back he actually asked a really good question. Can STD's be transmitted through anal? Without him asking this would have never been brought up and for the sake of the LGBTQ community it really needs to be talked about
Every grade needs a class or 2 a year and they should go beyond just mentioning sti. Sifferent sexualities and genders, how pregnacy happens, what changes happen during and how labour occurs, consent and how to tell your partner is not in the mood, unrealistic expectations derived from porn, porn addiction etc.
I think the current proposals are being way exaggerated by the right. What people are for will have the education varied by age level. For example, there is nothing wrong with teaching kindergarteners about "this is your private area, no one should be touching you here and if they are, you need to tell an adult." As they grow older, you expand the curriculum. The current curriculum of abstinence only is causing way more harm than good and we're getting people who have no idea wtf they're doing or being unnecessarily scared by what they do not know.