Sex education

[Peter]

I feel very let down by the sex ed I received.  In the whole of school, we got a couple of hours of it, which didn't cover much more than how a baby develops in the womb, the changes that happen during puberty (when we were already mid-way through it), and that there existed things called condoms and 'the pill' (nothing about how to obtain and use them).  How do you feel about the sex ed you received?  What sex ed would you like your kids to receive?

This is about the state of sex ed in the UK:

While in principle primary school students learn about how a baby is conceived and born, the SEU report observed that thousands of ten- and eleven-year-olds receive no information about periods, despite the fact that one in ten girls starts menstruating before finishing primary school.
Nor can secondary schools rest on their laurels. “We’re not good at talking to young people about sex. Lack of sex education is an important contributory factor in individuals getting pregnant,” says Francis. Sex education is compulsory in secondary school, but parents have the right to withdraw their children from lessons. The curriculum chiefly focuses on the reproductive system and how the foetus develops in the uterus, along with the physical and emotional changes that take place during adolescence. Anything beyond this is discretionary, including contraception, safe sex and access to local advice and treatment services.
Several studies into unplanned teenage pregnancies point to a lack of information about contraceptive use and embarrassment about discussing contraception with a partner. In February 2000, the University of Brighton conducted a survey of nearly 700 pupils between 14 and 15 that revealed a deep-seated anger about sex education in their schools. Girls felt that classes focused on the mechanics of sex and contraception rather than on emotions. Boys claimed they were denied access to information judged too explicit. The majority were “furious” because they felt legislation, such as that which requires teachers to inform pupils’ parents if asked about contraception, has stopped them from gaining access to information. Schools are expected to inform parents when a pupil tells a teacher they are having sex or asks about contraception in all but the “most exceptional circumstances”.

It's meant to be a bit better in Scotland these days, but looks like the rest of the UK is still struggling.

[McGiver]

woody woodpecker cartoons!

[ozymandias]

Sex ed. was non existent, if not a joke in my time at school.  (1960-1973)

[Peter]

The main thing I remembered from sex ed was diagrams of the male and female reproductive tracts, showing the ovaries, testes, uterus etc.  It was more like a biology class than anything else.

[Graelwyn]

I don't recall us having any sex education classes at school. I went to a private all girls school, mind, so maybe that accounts for it. I just don't remember anything other than the usual, generic biology lessons, but my mother did give me a book about it when I was about 9 or 10 years old.

[Randy]

Do I got a fuckn problem?, because I feel no embarassament about such things.  I just don't see the point.  I would have no problem teaching a class.

[McGiver]

Do I got a fuckn problem?, because I feel no embarassament about such things.  I just don't see the point.  I would have no problem teaching a class.

some of your students will be gay.
they deserve equal air time.

do you have a problem now?

[Scrapheap]

  How do you feel about the sex ed you received?  What sex ed would you like your kids to receive?

Did you ever watch Mont Python's "Meaning of Life"??

[Randy]

Do I got a fuckn problem?, because I feel no embarassament about such things.  I just don't see the point.  I would have no problem teaching a class.

some of your students will be gay.
they deserve equal air time.

do you have a problem now?

No.  Its a class and not a raping. Even if it was I would fight or runaway, and still have no problem.

[Randy]

My sex education classes where just fine. In addition my mom even showed us some videos, that we laughed at, my brother and I.  I know how my mom is with sexual thing, making jokes, cocking teasing men, and modeling.

[Nomaken]

Same story here.  I think that regardless of what people want, what would probably be best is a full and explicit explanation of sex(and some sex culture education might help) at around 7 or 8 for both genders.  However, if people vote to make sex education totally personal, that is the parents choice to educate their children how they want, I will be okay with it.  I plan to explain the whole thing to my children very early.  I don't think there is any risk that the child wont understand how to treat the information as long as I don't rely on him or her knowing common sense.  As long as I say unsaid things that you learn later in life, there should be no problem with it.

Like, "Okay, sex, and all sexually related things are totally natural and unshameful, and anybody doing it is kind of heart warming and admirable, but when you are in places like school, or most public places you are supposed to ACT like you have a slight feeling of shame about the whole thing.  Not supposed to talk about it, supposed to ignore and feel embarassed when others break that rule, shit like that.  You can only shed that act in public and in school with people you've learned to trust."

[purposefulinsanity]

We had no sex ed at all at First school level (ages 5-9)
The girls had a lesson about periods and the products you could use at middle school at age 11.
At upper school we had some lessons about sex, including lessons about contraception.(ages 13-18).

All in all, whilst it wasn't the must fantastic sex education it was adequate.

   Personally I think schools should give a comprehensive sex education and that sex education should be compulsory. Its information that almost everyone needs, the lack of such information has the potential to affect people's lives in a negative way (e.g. unwanted pregnancy, STD's).  I don't believe that all parents who excuse their kids from such lessons do so because they believe they can teach their children about sex better than the school, many do so because it feels wrong to them that their children are learning about sex.

    Whilst I find it weird that any girl living with a menstruating mother can not know about periods I know that a lot of mothers don't tell their children what periods are.  My mother used to send me to the corner shop to buy sanitary towels for her, but whenever I asked her what they were for she would just say they were 'women's things'.  Some parents are too embarrassed or think that their kid's are too young to teach them about this so primary school age children should have proper lessons about periods.
     
   I always answer any questions my children have about sex/periods/pregnancy.  My daughter (eight) knows more about these than her elder brother (10) but that's only because she's a very curious child and asks a lot of questions. I won't rely on their schools to give them a comprehensive education about sex, but I think that we should be able to trust that the schools will offer a good education about this.

[McGiver]

what are sanitary towels for?

[purposefulinsanity]

what are sanitary towels for?

Is that a serious question?

Sanitary towels are what a lot of people call pads over here.

[McGiver]

it is serious.

i know what they are but i want you to tell me.

i shouldn't have to rely on my wife to answer these questions for my girls.  i figured if you gave me an explanation, then i would be better prepared to answer that same question for my girls.  should the situation arise.