A case for early sex education

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The case for early sex education is strong. It is vital not just for the health of an individual, but for the health of a community. It reduces the risk of unsafe sex during adolescence by teaching about sexually transmitted diseases. Teaching children about consent tackles sexual violence at its source—a lack of education about what constitutes an enthusiastic yes. Contrary to popular belief, teaching sex education early on does not contribute to deviant sexual behaviour later in life. Rather, it counters the inherently violent messages sent through channels such as porn and teaches children to challenge the portrayal of women in the media. It teaches the reality behind impressions of sex portrayed in the media, which are often superficial and unrealistic. And, perhaps most importantly for a child, it teaches them what sex is, and what it shouldn’t be—vital knowledge that can empower a child to recognise and report if they are being abused, for example. Early sex education is the key to a society that is safer for men and women, adults and children alike. So why are countries around the world not taking it seriously?

For some, sex education is hindered by religion. For example, the Catholic Education Resource Centre states that:

The Catholic Church’s traditional teaching about sex education, especially as formulated by Popes Pius XI and Pius XII, is that it should not be primarily a matter of giving explicit information at all, but rather it should be a matter of inculcating modesty, purity, chastity, and morality, a matter of teaching the sixth and ninth commandments. Moreover, it should also be primarily a matter for the parents to impart privately in the home, not something to be purveyed and discussed in mixed classrooms of boys and girls at impressionable ages.

For countries governed by Catholic rules, the lack of ‘explicit information’ given to students means that sex education is lacking. Educational programmes may teach about healthy relationships in a platonic sense, but ignore details about types of sexual activity, the discourses around consent, and advice on safe sex. For the Catholic faith, of course, there is little or no discourse around contraception due to the beliefs and practices of the religion, something that may hinder the ability of young people to practise safe sex if they choose to have sexual relationships. Most significantly, the above statement expresses a wish to engage in at-home, single-sex education given by parents. If there is no established curriculum, there is no requirement for parents to teach their children anything at all about sex. Moreover, separating genders for this purpose does not encourage a healthy understanding of the sexual differences between people. Rather, it serves to heighten the divide between genders and increase the lack of understanding of others’ bodies and sexualities that are vital to healthy sexual relationships at a later stage.

There are, of course, cultural, economic and class boundaries that prevent early sex education, or indeed sex education at all. Developing countries’ approaches to sex education vary, but the struggle to provide a comprehensive education at all outweighs the push for education from an early age. In some African countries, sex education is focused on stemming the growing AIDS epidemic. The World Health Organisation works with many governments on the continent to establish AIDS education programmes specifically for this purpose. For these countries, tackling AIDS is the priority, and early sex education, although vitally important, will have to wait. The same can be said for cultural practices around the globe like female genital mutilation. For countries where the practice is widespread, the focus of campaigners is on protecting women from the operation. Fighting directly harmful practices such as FGM takes priority over early sex education because of this immediacy.

That is not to say that the fight against AIDS, female genital mutilation and other such campaigns is worthless. Clearly, for many countries around the world, certain issues have to take priority before early sex education is implemented. But countries with established sex education programmes should be pushed to tailor and deliver these at different ages. Some studies and articles suggest that programmes are suitable for teaching children from the age of four. Despite the discomfort parents feel around the subject, the evidence is mounting to prove that early sex education is essential to society. As well as encouraging a healthy discourse with teachers, parents and friends throughout their childhood and adolescence, children will benefit from the education they receive as they grow into adults and engage in sexual relationships. For countries in the western world, the conversation about sexuality is opening up, and children should be equipped with an understanding of all aspects of sexual relationships— genders, sexual preferences, anatomy and consent, amongst others—to be able to promote a sex-positive society.

Originally published on The Global Panorama.