Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Newsflash: Sex Ed More Than Diagrams, Directions, Disease
filed under: State of Sex Ed by Melissa Gira
A study out of Melbourne University, polling the usual captive audience of young people — this time, those who’ve received sex education in Victoria — finds (unsurprisingly) that:
Many appeared to be crying out for sex education that went further than the standard biology and risk prevention.
“If they did get sexuality education it was mostly focused on the biological, safe sex and reproduction aspects, and what they really want is someone to talk to them about the social aspects of negotiating sex,” she said.
Besides this form of sex education requiring more pedagogical prowess on the part of typically woefully over-stretched teachers, it seems a little challenged at present.
One of the rhetorical dodges of comprehensive sex education has been that it is based in science and fact; that this is just the biology of the birds and the bees; that safer sex practices are proven to reduce disease & unwanted pregnancy (true). All this “social” talk is just too prone in some moderates’ eyes to coming off as an actual commendation of sexual pleasure.
Really, though, the appeal to science! softens not at all the outcry of cultural conservatives who wish to squelch all discussion of sex — not because they’re not obsessed, mind you, but because a sexually ignorant public is far easier to push around when it comes to moral panics in times of vote-mongering. (See: US election, 2004, “God, guns, & gays,’ remember?)
For all it may be fraught when it comes to The Young People, this move towards Even More Comprehensive Sex Ed is something that we can already see in the production of sex-culture-at-large. Where once sex education was relegated to “marriage manuals,” and now to a full-fledged industry of how-to and after hours classes in erotic goods shops, a polarization has still been at play, between sex education & education — pontificating, usually — on relationships, dating, & (shiver) intimacy. Typically, “relationship” education falls back on the same sexist stereotypes it so desperately needs to question. The very act of wanting to learn more about human sexual relationships is so often tasked to women, is thoroughly feminized as a pursuit for both student and teacher.
And fuck knows the last thing the world needs is another Rules or similar rubbish.
So, has a sex smart approach to talking about relationships emerged? What would it look like? How will it be sold — to politicians, to the public?
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You’ve made some really good points and made me think.
I like your blog and will link one of your posts from my blog at feelingflirty.com and I’d appreciate it if you could do the same. Let me know at [email protected].
I work in Sexuality education for the Peace Corps. And this is not only need here in the third world, but in many places in america. I would hope that soon people will be open to talk and learn more about sexuality and sex, then the scientific approach most are offered.