On Tuesday, August 30, 2022, the class of 2025 partook in a sex education lesson during the extended advisory period. Sex education is the provision of information about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships, along with skills-building to help young adults make informed decisions regarding their sexual health. Tenth grade is the optimal window to gain this education, as young adults often approach the peak of hormonal development and puberty at this point in high school. On Tuesday, the students were introduced to their sex-ed instructor from Planned Parenthood. Furthermore, they were briefly quizzed over their prior knowledge and provided an anonymous notecard to list all of their questions free of judgment. 

“They gave us some useful lesson pertaining to self-esteem and gave us a test to determine our previous knowledge,” sophomore Nicky Nguyen said. “I think it’s really important because we are teenagers and we need to know how to take care of ourselves.” 

According to the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance Survey, 41% of high school students have had sex at least once. Only 18% had used birth control pills, and 20% of sexually active high school students were under the influence of narcotics or alcohol when having intercourse. As abstinence-based education has made sex increasingly unsafe for young adults, The Village High School is taking a crucial step towards integrating an education that enables high school students to be healthier, happier, and safer.