Welcome to the re-launch of SexPress, a quarterly feature that will address a variety of topics related to sexuality and sexual health.
Faithful readers may recall the first iteration of SexPress, which ran weekly in the Shepherd Express between 2008 and 2014. Back then, the column was written by Laura Anne Haave, longtime sexuality educator and owner of The Tool Shed, Milwaukee’s education-focused sexuality boutique.
The world has seen some big changes since 2014, but one thing has stayed the same: people still hunger for accurate, non-judgmental information about their bodies, sexuality, and relationships. In that spirit, we’re ready for a SexPress reboot. This time around, Laura has handed the reins to me, your new host and guide into the fascinating world of sexuality. I’ve worked as a sexuality educator at The Tool Shed for over a decade, and I got my start doing community-based HIV education back in the early 1990s.
Over many years, and through some significant cultural shifts around sexuality and gender in the U.S., I’ve been honored to talk with thousands of people about sex and relationships. Reflecting on those conversations, a few patterns have emerged. One big standout? It is evident our society still has a long way to go with providing science-based, non-shaming, comprehensive sexuality education.
Knowledge, Skills, Attitude
As defined by UNESCO, comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) “is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality. It aims to equip … people with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will empower them to realize their health, well-being and dignity; develop respectful social and sexual relationships; consider how their choices affect their own well-being and that of others; and understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives.”
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
There is significant evidence that CSE contributes to a range of positive outcomes for youth, including:
- Delayed initiation of sexual intercourse
- Reduced risk taking
- Increased use of condoms
- Increased use of contraception
- Improved attitudes related to sexual and reproductive health
That’s welcome news for the folks who have been fortunate enough to have experienced CSE. But is everyone getting good sex education?
As of September 2021, SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change notes that 33 states and the District of Columbia mandate some type sexuality education as part of their K-12 school curricula (though the quality of the programs, and exactly what they are allowed to teach, varies). Wisconsin is not one of those states; in 2012, the existing state statute was revised to make offering sex education optional. Modifications to the law also weakened existing evidence-based requirements for curricular materials, should a school choose to offer sex ed instruction.
Access to Education?
So, whether you have access to sexuality education as a young person will depend on where you happen to live. For LGBTQ youth, the chance for getting relevant and inclusive sexuality education is unlikely. SIECUS notes that only 10 states have policies that include affirming sexual orientation instruction on LGBQT identities or discussion of sexual health for LGBTQ youth. A handful of states explicitly require instruction that discriminates against LGBTQ people.
Granted, school isn’t the only place that we learn about sex. Parents often provide instruction and guidance about sex and relationships to their kids. Exactly how and what folks learn at home varies widely, ranging from affirming and accurate messages that build positive relationship skills and effective sexual decision-making, to negative, inaccurate messages that lay a foundation for difficulties with body-image and sexual health. Even silence about sexual topics is saying something—it might send the message that sex is bad or wrong to talk about.
Unfortunately, many of the folks that I’ve spoken with did not get the knowledge they needed from either school or their parents, or if they did get information, it was incomplete, inaccurate, or they received it in a shame-based or otherwise negative light.
The end result is that many people are equipped with very few skills and scant information to support them during critical developments in their lives, including: learning clear language and boundaries about their own bodies to help prevent or report abuse, developing healthy relationship communication strategies, learning how to give and get consent, experiencing the changes of puberty, exploring sensuality and pleasure, communicating about STIs and birth control, sexual identity exploration, engaging in sexual activity, experiencing pregnancy, giving birth, and navigating sexuality through illness, disability, or aging. Given the significant impact of these milestones, one can truly see the value of access to comprehensive sexuality education.
As for those of us who got not-so-great sex ed while growing up? Thankfully, it is never too late to learn, and sexuality education is not just for young people. In recent years, opportunities have blossomed for learning about our bodies, our pleasure, and how we want to be in relationship with our partner(s)—if you know where to look. In SexPress, I will strive to highlight some of the best educational resources and interview thoughtful voices on a whole host of sexuality topics. I hope you come along for the ride.
Hudson Nummerdor is a sexuality educator at The Tool Shed, Milwaukee’s mission-driven, education-based sexuality boutique.
|
|
