Why sex education needs to evolve
Revenge porn, sexting, nudes, unsolicited dick pics, catfishing, dating apps, OnlyFans, consent, queer sex, polyamory—the list goes on. It’s safe to say that youth today are growing up in a drastically different context than previous generations when it comes to discovering and navigating their sexuality, identity, relationships, sexual health and safety. Young people today are arguably more vulnerable than previous generations due to higher levels of interconnectedness and exposure to false or harmful content on the internet. The need for modern supports to help young Canadians navigate these online spaces, content and interactions is vital.
The sex talk reboot
The infamous sex talk—if you were lucky enough to get one—often gets a bad rap for being an outdated and awkward or cringey conversation that’s initiated by either a parent or a teacher at school. Traditionally, these conversations tend to centre on cisgender anatomy and heterosexual dynamics. And until more recently, consent is often left out of the sex talk or neglected as a crucial topic. The way young people are introduced to learning and talking about sex, their bodies and their identities, is a pivotal foundation for how they will interact with, relate to and navigate their sexual health and well-being as they begin to explore their sexuality. When and how this discussion happens is very important.
Unsurprisingly, in a national survey conducted by the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR), less than 15% of Canadian youth said that they prefer receiving sexual health information from their parents, and less than 3% from their teachers. Instead, more than 40% of youth respondents reported that they prefer to access sexual health information online or through the internet, 33% preferred health care providers, and nearly 30% preferred friends. This is in stark contrast to traditional methods of delivering sex education, such as a teacher in front of a classroom of high school students.
Inclusive and comprehensive sex education is needed
In CANFAR’s survey, more than 1 in 3 respondents (36%) identified as part of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and nearly 1 in 10 respondents (9.4%) did not identify with the gender binary. When youth were asked about their sexual health topics of interest, among the most selected were healthy relationships, mental/emotional health, safer sex practices, and HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These findings highlight the demand for more inclusive and comprehensive sex education that goes beyond physical anatomy and emphasizes the social dynamics and experiences of navigating sex, as well as the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
When asked about their sexual history, the most common age youth reported becoming sexually active was 16, suggesting that, to be most effective, sexual health education should be introduced to youth in their early teens before they become sexually active. It’s clear that sex education has a lot of catching up to do!
Finally, youth also expressed interest in understanding HIV, with many unfamiliar with how it is transmitted or uniformed about the fact that people living with HIV on effective treatment can achieve an undetectable status, making the virus untransmittable (a scientific fact known as U=U, or undetectable = untransmittable). These gaps in knowledge underscore the need for
up-to-date, reliable and accurate sexual health education and information that is accessible to youth.
Filling in the gaps: Sexfluent
In response to these survey findings, CANFAR created Sexfluent.ca—an online, comprehensive and sex-positive sexual health education resource that addresses topics such as consent, pleasure, online dating, app safety, mental health, gender identity, sexuality, harm reduction and HIV stigma. Informed by an advisory committee of youth and youth workers, as well as researchers across the country, Sexfluent’s content and online conversations are grounded in tangible, real-life scenarios that youth today often find themselves in.
Supporting today’s youth through better resources
In Canada, youth between the ages of 15 and 29 make up nearly one quarter of new HIV cases. HIV also disproportionately impacts youth who are gay, bi, queer, trans, racialized or newcomers to Canada. These youth often face unique barriers to accessing inclusive, affirming and comprehensive sex education and sexual health information that speak to their lived experiences. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Connecting youth with education and service providers who are non-judgmental about when they begin having sex or how they have sex is key.
Youth need to be met with compassion and provided with safer spaces to ask questions, share their experiences and feel empowered to explore their sexuality. Fear-mongering or promoting abstinence do not work. Sexfluent aims to create a safer online space for youth to seek this information and provides them with as many options as possible to protect their sexual health and prevent STIs. We need to create and foster more of these spaces, both in-person and online, ensuring that the sex talk is peer-driven, evidence-based and encompasses consent, boundaries, protection, pleasure, harm reduction, as well as the experiences of all identities. The sex talk reboot is here to stay.
Order our resources
Sexfluent and CATIE have teamed up to create educational materials that foster safer and inclusive approaches to delivering sexual health information for youth. These postcards are colourful and eye-catching, sparking youth’s interest in informing themselves about HIV, sexual health and harm reduction. Check out CATIE’s Ordering Centre to get free print copies delivered to your clinic or organization.
Roxanne Ma is CANFAR’s vice president of national awareness programs.
Jazmine George is CANFAR’s national awareness programs administrator.