Consequences

[MichelleYong]

Where I am at, topics about sex is generally avoided because it is deemed as "inappropriate", whether or not there is religious influence. The consequences of it is very much like what is described in the book. There is no way to have a proper discussion about sex, even in classrooms. Almost everyone is reluctant to open up. Most girls shy away from the topic and boys usually just make fun of it.

[Cheryl Erickson]

I don't believe elementary schools should ever teach about sex in the classroom. But middle school and high school-aged children need to learn about their bodies and what can happen to them, especially because so many parents are scared to. Many churches have classes to teach middle school children about sexuality and morality. I believe that parents have an obligation to teach their children even if they are uncomfortable with it. So many young pregnancies happen due to ignorance. Just make sure that you are using an appropriate level of discussion depending on the age of the child.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

Where I am at, topics about sex is generally avoided because it is deemed as "inappropriate", whether or not there is religious influence. The consequences of it is very much like what is described in the book. There is no way to have a proper discussion about sex, even in classrooms. Almost everyone is reluctant to open up. Most girls shy away from the topic and boys usually just make fun of it.

That's a cultural issue, and it's hugely influenced by religion. In my school, they divided boys from girls for sex-ed, which kind of minimized the shyness and the jokes. But... I don't think that's doable anymore (I'm way over 30). I also think that though some people might not open up, they are still listening. At least most of them. So the information's there. There's also the option to provide additional resources for those who want to learn more. Of course, kids have the internet, but it's not all reliable. We should provide them with reliable websites and personal counseling when needed. It might be easier to open in a one-to-one environment.
We would need a total cultural shift. That shyness and those jokes come from kids who grew up in families or environments that don't know how to talk in an open way about sex.

[MichelleYong]

That's a cultural issue, and it's hugely influenced by religion. In my school, they divided boys from girls for sex-ed, which kind of minimized the shyness and the jokes. But... I don't think that's doable anymore (I'm way over 30). I also think that though some people might not open up, they are still listening. At least most of them. So the information's there. There's also the option to provide additional resources for those who want to learn more. Of course, kids have the internet, but it's not all reliable. We should provide them with reliable websites and personal counseling when needed. It might be easier to open in a one-to-one environment.
We would need a total cultural shift. That shyness and those jokes come from kids who grew up in families or environments that don't know how to talk in an open way about sex.

My parents are atheist, so I thought this has nothing to do with religion. Like what you said, my culture is shaped like this because it has been influenced religion throughout the years, I did not think of that.

It's quite thoughtful of the school to separate girls and boys during sex-ed, it would be much more comfortable to discuss the topic that way.

[Rocky Ellery James Tumbelaka]

For me it is more because of tradition. Sex conversation is considered taboo and only those age 17 and up will allowed to speak about it. And it is never publicly. Schools would never teach sex education out of fear of being banned. It us the parents' duty to bring the understanding to their own children at home.

[Hubre De Klerk]

Our high school separated the girls from the boys, and the female teachers broached the sex discussion with us and the male teachers with the boys. We didn't go into a lot of details, but understanding what sex and safe sex means, you are allowed to say no and stop. We talked about being clean and the sicknesses you can get with unsafe sex, etc. I do believe it is necessary that schools broach this topic as well, as there are a lot of houses and cultures that don't discuss this and it leaves the youngsters open to experiment, without realizing the consequences before it is too late. I do also believe that this is a subject that should be discussed at length in a safe space at home with the parents.

[Aloe Crane]

I don't believe elementary schools should ever teach about sex in the classroom. But middle school and high school-aged children need to learn about their bodies and what can happen to them, especially because so many parents are scared to. Many churches have classes to teach middle school children about sexuality and morality. I believe that parents have an obligation to teach their children even if they are uncomfortable with it. So many young pregnancies happen due to ignorance. Just make sure that you are using an appropriate level of discussion depending on the age of the child.

I believe that young children should definitely be taught about sex! Even if it's only at a very basic level, like addressing parts and teaching that certain areas are not for everyone. A lot of young children are abused and should be taught what to do. This is especially true because it's usually close adults of the child that can cause the abuse, so teaching them certain boundaries as early as elementary can help them create a foundation to protect themselves early on!

[Aloe Crane]

Where I am at, topics about sex is generally avoided because it is deemed as "inappropriate", whether or not there is religious influence. The consequences of it is very much like what is described in the book. There is no way to have a proper discussion about sex, even in classrooms. Almost everyone is reluctant to open up. Most girls shy away from the topic and boys usually just make fun of it.

That's a cultural issue, and it's hugely influenced by religion. In my school, they divided boys from girls for sex-ed, which kind of minimized the shyness and the jokes. But... I don't think that's doable anymore (I'm way over 30). I also think that though some people might not open up, they are still listening. At least most of them. So the information's there. There's also the option to provide additional resources for those who want to learn more. Of course, kids have the internet, but it's not all reliable. We should provide them with reliable websites and personal counseling when needed. It might be easier to open in a one-to-one environment.
We would need a total cultural shift. That shyness and those jokes come from kids who grew up in families or environments that don't know how to talk in an open way about sex.

I think you're quite lucky you even got sex-ed! In my school, I believe we just got like a half-hour presentation or something and I never heard anything about it ever again. This was probably around 8th grade, and I realized this was the biggest failure of my school. Luckily, I learnt about sex from my boyfriend later on, but before that, I was practically left to fend for myself in those topics. I really wish there was more conversation of these topics at school, because I believe I could've been educated better!

[Itz Savaga]

The avoidance of conversations around sex, especially with teenagers, both at home and in class, is the major reason a lot of them make uninformed decisions driven by curiosity and peer pressure. As adults, we need to do better.

[Julie Gebrosky]

This is a tough situation because some people argue that the schools should be teaching kids this information, but other people argue that it is up to the parents to decide what their children should be taught. Different families have different values and may want to encourage different things (abstinence versus protection for instance).

[OTrain M]

Sex is very much part of our lives and most of you have practised it when your parents didn't think you were, and you have made mistakes trying to navigate that closeted side of life. I am sure if you could turn back the time, you would want to be educated about it. So I think kids should be educated about, and that starts by talking.

[Jenna Floyd]

Where I am at, topics about sex is generally avoided because it is deemed as "inappropriate", whether or not there is religious influence. The consequences of it is very much like what is described in the book. There is no way to have a proper discussion about sex, even in classrooms. Almost everyone is reluctant to open up. Most girls shy away from the topic and boys usually just make fun of it.

That's a cultural issue, and it's hugely influenced by religion. In my school, they divided boys from girls for sex-ed, which kind of minimized the shyness and the jokes. But... I don't think that's doable anymore (I'm way over 30). I also think that though some people might not open up, they are still listening. At least most of them. So the information's there. There's also the option to provide additional resources for those who want to learn more. Of course, kids have the internet, but it's not all reliable. We should provide them with reliable websites and personal counseling when needed. It might be easier to open in a one-to-one environment.
We would need a total cultural shift. That shyness and those jokes come from kids who grew up in families or environments that don't know how to talk in an open way about sex.

I also had sex ed where the males and females were separated. The male teachers taught the male students and the female teachers taught the female students. At the end, all students would come back together to have a little bit of a debrief. In hindsight, this was very progressive for my conservative and religious small town, but I do remember having to get permission slips signed to get my parents’ consent and that was complicated. I’m in my 30s so that might also be something that doesn’t happen anymore.

I agree with you about the religious components. I was raised in a religious household and my best friend wasn’t. Despite this, we lived in a very religious community and the influence was evident.

[Annas Felix]

The reason most of us made very bad sexual decisions was because we were made to believe that talking about sex was evil. If we knew better, we would have done better.

[Austin McMichael]

Where I am at, topics about sex is generally avoided because it is deemed as "inappropriate", whether or not there is religious influence. The consequences of it is very much like what is described in the book. There is no way to have a proper discussion about sex, even in classrooms. Almost everyone is reluctant to open up. Most girls shy away from the topic and boys usually just make fun of it.

Thanks for your perspective! It sounds like where you're at, sex and sexual hygiene isn't really talked about openly. That's a bummer because it's important for everyone to have the right information to make good choices about their health. Hopefully, with more resources like the book we're talking about here, people will start to feel more comfortable talking about it and everyone can learn more.

[Knitkat]

School really don't teach sex education in a way that is helpful for people. They usually start too late, like high school, and by then many students are already dealing with the consequences of sex so it should be on the parents to teach these concepts.