When staff were polled about their experiences with sex education, many recalled instances of shame being the undertone of their educational experiences.
“My first memories of school-sanctioned sex ed all revolve around shame. It wasn’t until I got to college that I was taught it could be a beautiful and empowering topic with unique experiences for everyone. I always wonder how much happier I would’ve been in adolescence without the guilt of my normal, pubescent-kid thoughts,” shared one staff member.
These words should not be reflective of someone’s experience with sex education. But all too commonly—they are.
Like many social issues, there are major ebbs and flows in support and funding for sex education with every shift of the political climate. Guttmacher Institute frequently looks at the landscape of sex education across the US and often uncovers troubling facts, most notably:
- Only 39 states and DC mandate sex education and/or HIV education; of those 39, only 30 mandate that they must meet certain requirements.
- Only 17 of these states require that the content be medically accurate. That gives educators a free pass to be dishonest with young people.
- Only 20 states require that information on contraception be provided.
- Six states require that only negative information be provided on homosexuality.
Incomplete, exclusive and inaccurate should not reflect a young person’s experience with sex education and while some states are teaching sex education and doing it well, unfortunately, that is not the story in most places.
And sex education in Ohio is seriously lacking. Ohio is the very last state without health education standards, which means that districts fall back on general state education laws to dictate what they must teach.
This approach creates inconsistencies in messaging not only across our state, but from district to district. The state education laws are also light years behind when it comes to terminology; using language like “venereal disease” and “out of wedlock.”
If schools are teaching anything at all content may cover the bare minimum of sexual health, addressing sexually transmitted infections and common-place contraceptives like condoms. Others may invite in the abstinence-only groups to promote their messaging which comes with no requirement for accuracy and could include shaming and fear inducing language.
We can all agree our young people deserve a more comprehensive education when it comes to addressing sexual health.
Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio teaches sexuality education in a way that affirms abstinence as the most effective method of preventing unintended pregnancy and STIs/HIV. We also acknowledge that most people will engage in sexual behavior at some point in their lives and the more knowledge and skills we can equip them with, the more empowered they will feel to make healthy and safe decisions. All of our programming is in complete alignment with the National Sex Education Standards, making our programming incredibly unique.
There are so many incredible people out there doing this work every single day and working to fill the gaps empty state sex education requirements leave.
If you are an educator looking to do your own work to address ex education in your students, there are a number of resources:
- Vanessa Geffrard of VagEsteem is an incredible, life affirming sex educator. Geffrard is the founder of VagEsteem, a workshop series and podcast that encourages good and healthy sex through courageous conversations.
- Stephanie Zapata of Stephanie Speaks Here is another remarkable trainer and consultant who teaches what it means to truly approach sex education in a comprehensive way.
If you are a parent or caregiver, we recommend Melissa Pintor Carnagey and Sex Positive Families. Sex Positive Families provides education and resources that help families raise sexually healthy children using a shame-free, comprehensive and pleasure positive approach. You can find all of these resources more in the educational resources section of our website.
The state of sex education today shows us the long ways to go and the strides we have made. Together we can work to bring a comprehensive and positive sex education experience for young people of Ohio and beyond.
Tags: education