In 2022, one particular Netflix show left some adults clutching their pearls in outrage while teenagers around the world celebrated. This revolutionary show is “Sex Education” by Laurie Nunn. It follows socially awkward Otis and class rebel Maeve as they run an underground sex clinic at school to help their classmates shamelessly grapple with the curiosities and tribulations their sex-ed curriculum left virginal, untouched if you will. Whether it be struggling with sexuality, sexual assault, or masturbation, the comedic, heartwarming show breaks barriers by refuting the stigma around sex. With only 30 US states currently requiring sex education be taught to high schoolers (Texas not included) and only 18 of those demanding such education be medically accurate,  “Sex Education” is a battle cry against curriculums that sew doubt and shame by making certain topics, from the female orgasm to menstruation, unspeakable. Beyond providing key information to youth audiences, what makes “Sex Education” memorable is that it is empowering. The shameless discourse encourages youth to understand themselves and make healthy, autonomous decisions. It commands us to evaluate rather than abstain. The show gladly rejects the notion that high school students should be concealed to the realities of sex by illuminating the truth that, not only are teens having sex (in fact, according to the Institute for Family Studies 40% of high schoolers have sex), but we, the youth, inherently operate in a sexual society. Today, sexual curiosities are no longer satisfied by looking up “s-e-x” in the dictionary but through inaccurate, dehumanizing pornographic material just a google search away. Thus, what we need now, are sex education curricula and discussions that prepare us to navigate our identities, relationships, and the sexualized society we reside in by instilling truth and confidence- a conclusion Planned Parenthood, the largest reproductive healthcare provider in the US, applauds. As stated by Planned Parenthood, sexual education is vital to “[increasing the] appreciation of sexual diversity, intimate partner violence prevention, development of healthy relationships, prevention of child sex abuse, improved social/emotional learning, increased media literacy… and [decreasing] unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.” Evidently, comprehensive sexual education is important not only for youth but for the social advancement and health of society as a whole. This is why The Village School’s sophomore class received its own sex education. 

Throughout the months of February and March, the sophomores were enlightened in the realm of sex through Planned Parenthood’s Get Real curriculum. This optional program was born from the efforts of Jennifer Thomas, the assistant principal of the high school, and the social and emotional counselor, Callie Henriksen. Although Mrs. Thomas had advocated for the program for quite some time, her efforts were disrupted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Surprisingly, the motivation for continuing to pursue a sex ed program came from parents who questioned why such a vital facet of education had not been taught at Village. Thus, Mrs. Henriksen committed herself to finding a comprehensive, unapologetically truthful sex education program. She found and subsequently choose Get Real to be Village’s pilot sex-ed program. This cost-free curriculum is composed of a facilitator who leads discussions, answers questions, and provides information on multiple lessons pertaining to sex, gender, and sexuality. The emphasis for this program was centered on the outlook of, “consent is number 1, and safety is number 2,” as put by Mrs. Callie Henriksen. Though, most students affirm that overall the program was beneficial, its major drawback was that it felt like an introduction to sex ed rather than a comprehensive sex ed course, as marketed. Nina Bhakata, a sophomore who completed the program, said she felt “there still was a lack of information that students don’t actually get.” She mainly attributes such a lack of information to the online format. Though it was meant to reduce the need for facilitators and make it easy to carry out the program during the 30 minutes advisory period, the online format was unengaging and made vital educational discussions seem inconsequential. It made most students want to Get out rather than Get real as communicating through the screen turned sex ed into a lecture about sex rather than an invitation to learn. This lack of intimacy, removed the empowering nature of sex education, halting raw discourse. (Though good news, next year the school is attempting to obtain in-person facilitators to make the program more interactive and facilitate more intimate discussions.)  

However, beyond the online format, there were a host of topics missing from the program. Most students I talked to wanted to know more about how to have sex, the details per say. Even though it was routinely emphasized that if we decided to have sex, we should have safe sex, students were left with doubts and fears pertaining to the actual act, especially concerning how to know if they were ready to have sex, how to prepare for their first time, and what to do during to reduce discomfort and boost communication. Even the discussion of  “safe sex”, pregnancy, and STD prevention, left a risidue of shame and doubt. The discussion was centered mainly around different types of female birth controls and how women should make sure their partners are wearing condoms before having sex. The lecture seemed to unfairly place the burden of sex on women as well as left many unanswered questions. For example, what does “safe sex” look like for lesbian couples when condoms aren’t an option? At this point, some readers may be responding with something along the lines of  “Well, if the sexual educators did talk to youth about this stuff, then it would only encourage teens to have sex younger. ” However, I am glad to inform you that they are mistaken. In fact, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology,  “Studies have demonstrated that comprehensive sexuality education programs reduce the rates of sexual activity and sexual risk behaviors in adolescent youth.” 

 In addition to the details of sex, the most egregious absent content from the curriculum was the political and legal paradigm of sex. See, sex isn’t just an action, it is a potent social identifier that governs our policies. Right now, as “don’t say gay”, medically fallacious anti-abortion, and excusatory sexual assault bills are making headlines around the nation, understanding how our perception of sex influences our politics, American culture, and perception of each other, is crucial. Also, given a recent school incident with a dismissed member of faculty, education on abusive relationships, especially information on how to identify predatory and grooming behaviors, should have been included. Next, legal-wise there are so many laws surrounding sex (especially when it comes to consent, birth control, and sexting) that many of my peers are unaware of as the program did not illuminate them. Most do not know how Texas’s Romeo and Juliet Laws work in relation to Texas’s 17-year-old legal age of consent. Romeo and Juliet Laws protect older individuals in teen couples from statutory rape allegations if the sexual act was mutually consensual and the defendant was less than three years older than the minimum 14-year-old partner. Knowing about such a law is of paramount importance to understanding consensual relationships, yet it was not included in the program. Furthermore, most teenage girls are unaware that to be prescribed birth control in Texas parental consent is required unless they are receiving birth control from a Title X clinic or are seeking emergency contraception at a drugstore when above 17 years of age. Finally, keeping in mind the privacy violation that occurred against a student by other students last semester, as a whole student body, we lack knowledge on the legality of sending and receiving nude photos. This is especially dangerous as today, the new love language is sexting.  In Texas, it is illegal for a minor to send or possess the image of another nude minor nude under Texas’ child pornography legislation. Violation of this law could result in $500-$4,000 fines, as well as a tick on the sex offenders list, depending on the circumstance. Therefore, teenagers must be equipped to navigate this landscape.  

Hence, although I, along with many in my class, greatly appreciate the vital step forward to improving our sexual education, I make these critiques in order to surface necessary changes for the future of the program. I hope to see (as planned) the Get Real Program provided in person to help facilitate more discussion. I hope to see more mentions of the details surrounding sex, various applications of “safe sex”, the politics of sex, recognizing grooming behaviors, and the legality surrounding sex explored. I hope to see a program that continues to strive towards the high bar set in the everso popular “Sex Education” television series, a bar that is shameless, joyful, and acts as an homage to comprehensive education. 

References

Comprehensive Sexuality Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2016/11/comprehensive-sexuality-education

Fewer American High Schoolers Having Sex Than Ever Before. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ifstudies.org/blog/fewer-american-high-schoolers-having-sex-than-ever-before

Parenthood, P. (n.d.). Goals of Sex Education for Teenagers: Youth Health Services. Retrieved from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/for-educators/what-are-goals-sex-education-youth

Parenthood, P. (n.d.). Goals of Sex Education for Teenagers: Youth Health Services. Retrieved from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/for-educators/what-are-goals-sex-education-youth

Rebecca Pirius, A. (2020, October 08). Texas Sexting Laws for Teens and Minors. Retrieved from https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/teen-sexting-texas.htm