"Very Turned Off": Canadian Youth Discuss Their Sex Education in Their Own Words

Background and Purpose: Sex education is designed to teach young people about healthy and safe sexual expression, and can be integral in the development of healthy adolescents, who spend these years learning about themselves and exploring their social and sexual identities. However, sex education program delivery tends to vary widely and may not meet student needs. Furthermore, most sex education research focuses on specific curricular information, behavioral outcomes, and risk. With few exceptions, there is a dearth of research exploring youth experiences of their sex education in their own words. This research investigated youth perspectives on their school sex education experiences.

Method: An online survey was conducted with 129 first-year undergraduates at a university in southwestern Ontario (mean age=19; 65.1% female; 58.1% Caucasian; 76% exclusively or predominantly heterosexual.) Participants were asked about their retrospective experiences with sex education and sexual messaging in elementary, middle, and high schools. Following a series of closed-ended questions, an open-ended question was asked: “How did your school sex education program influence your thinking about sex and romantic relationships?” Participants were able to type in their own responses of unlimited length. A process of open and focused coding was used to analyze these data, guided by the principles of grounded theory. The authors coded and analyzed responses independently, and then came together to discuss themes. Discrepancies were discussed until consensus was reached.

Results: Participants identified several themes in their experiences of sex education. Some participants said they received positive or balanced messages about safety, consent, and readiness. Another theme was one espousing morality and encouraging sexual abstinence until marriage. These participants discussed learning about “right” and “wrong,” and some expressed feelings of shame.  The most common theme was one of risk, fear, or danger. Participants discussed being warned of the risks and dangers of sex. For some, this created feelings of intimidation or discomfort. An additional theme that emerged was about what was not offered: many participants identified that they did not receive enough information, particularly pertaining to the emotional or relational aspects of sex. Sometimes this response was explained  in juxtaposition to receiving a lesson on the biology and mechanics of sex. Finally, some participants said their sex education had no influence on them, and turned to other sources for answers or support.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings shed light on how diverse student experiences of sex education can be. Although mandated in Ontario, programs and delivery may vary dramatically. Messaging received by students from their school sex education programs may be negative or incomplete.  In the absence of complete, satisfactory, or desired information, students may turn to other sources, among which may be social workers. Furthermore, school sex education programs have the potential to accept student feedback, integrate more complex issues and approaches, and become safe spaces for individual youth exploration and sexual identity development. Social workers can take a leadership role in these efforts, in both school and community settings, as well as through policy and research.