Sexual Education is Important

Yes, you know that. It is the reason you searched out this site.

But why is it important?

Family-based sexual education is a way for caregivers to teach young people their values. 

Sexual education starts younger than many adults think. Young people begin to get messages about gender roles, biological sex and sexuality at a young age. So we are already giving lessons without even knowing it, the idea is to be cognizant of the messages we are sending.

As your young person reaches school age they will be receiving huge amounts of sexuality education. In some schools it will be peer-based, some even fear-based, in some it will be a mixture of peer and abstinence-only curriculum. 

Caregivers can add more to what is taught in their young person's school; they can debunk myths, add perspective and increase their young person's self-confidence.

What is Comprehensive Sex Ed?

Comprehensive sexuality education is a way to teach young people about sexuality that includes the 

• Intellectual side of sexuality (such as thinking choices through, reasoning, or remembering facts) this includes both value based information on choice making and learning risks, protection methods and rewards of sexual behavior.
• The emotional part of sexuality including but not limited to the subjective feelings which arise, behavior changes and behavior impact on feelings or the morals and values involved in sexuality. This also may include helping young people understand the differences between attraction and biological sex.
• Physical aspects of sexuality including anatomy and physiology, how reproduction works, how pleasure sensory receptors impact sexuality. Physical aspects like how STD/STIs can impact the body and how biological sex is understood (versus gender expression and attraction)
• Social aspects of sexuality can include consent, abuse, relationships and understanding cisgender norms.  It may also include family-based values and peer influence on sexuality. It can involve how the media alienates some underrepresented populations, how fear can be used in sexuality.

When teaching your young person comprehensive sex ed the focus is on helping them find their own attitudes and values to give them dignity and power. The other pieces of comprehensive sex ed are to give young people the skills and knowledge to make healthy decisions.

Family-based sexual education can be paired with community-based sexual education to help young people broaden their understanding. A multi-pronged approach will assist young people to develop respectful sexual and social relationships. We want our young people to consider their well being and the well being of others. 

Comprehensive sex ed helps young people understand their bodies, values, and emotions and will protect then throughout life.