The other day I was asked about my sexual health education experience in school. I was stumped. I actually had to think for a second, because I have not been asked that question in years. Sure people ask me about female-friendly pornography, how to communicate sexual boundaries, which vibrators I would recommend for certain activities. No one ever asks me about my sex education experience. (Priorities?)
There are two incidents that I think sum up my sexual health education experience. The first was in my fifth grade class when Mrs. Q yelled at me for squinching up my nose when she was teaching us about menstrual cycles. She caught me making a face, and she said, “Sexual health is a serious matter young lady. You will act like an adult in this classroom, or you will be asked to leave. Now straighten up and be mature.” (In my defense, I was ten, and I was not really prepared to confront this imminent reality in front of my peers.)
The second was in tenth grade when I was in health class. I was forced to watch a cartoon video of a couple, who was of course heterosexual and in love and married. They were in their bedroom, and they got naked (maybe?) and hopped under the covers. All of the sudden the bed starts moving up and down without any explanation as to why. Cut to a pair of cats lying on the bed being jostled around by the couple. Mind you, the cats aren’t having sex. They are just there to illustrate the couple’s actions. (Yes, you read that correctly. Cats. CATS.)
So what I am saying is, considering that my foundational sex education experiences are steeped in shame and a lack of information, that it’s kind of a miracle that we are here today. I think that a lot of us had those experiences around sexual health while growing up. It is possible for you to move past those early hiccups, become educated in the world of sexual health, have experiences, learn things about yourself, and to become empowered sexual divas. I am proof of that.
PS What was sex ed like at your school?
- Lauren, Sexual empowerment diva
Back in the stone age , when I was in school , it was really about not getting pregnant , and not catching herpes . I remember a film showing herpes infections in all kinds if interesting places . Trays about it . The rest I had to " learn onna street "
ReplyDeleteUGH! Tried to post a comment via phone, it didn't like that. SO here we go again...
ReplyDeleteI went to high school here in Texas, a small Texas town at that. The only 'sex ed' they provided was about the STD's we would inevitably (sp? who knows) get if we had sex. No discussion of actual sex, really don't even remember them saying anything about protecting ourselves (glory of abstinence only talk)....really ridiculous, I guess a lot of ppl probably experienced this similar thing. Anything I heard about actual SEX came from friends...which we know can also be problematic.
SO at my last job, working in a school that was not considered to be under 'public school' regulations...I made every effort to talk about it with the kids and get it out there. It was truly disturbing what our female students didn't know about their own bodies (which isn't just the schools fault, parents where are you?!?). I'm so happy that I got to open them up to discussing sex, their bodies, etc, and that we were able to nix the ridiculous false info and ideas they had.
Lauren you are so awesome for this blog.
I cannot believe that we had the same experiences across states and across decades. (Sorry Miss Kim! And you were not alive during the stone ages. Sheesh!)
ReplyDeleteWe all just got scare tactics and had to learn from friends. What a nightmare. It's a miracle any of us got here. Dang!
Suzanne, good for you! I am so glad you started that conversation with students, especially the girls. So important! (And thanks for the shout out!)
I don't remember the Cats.
ReplyDeleteReally? There were totally cats. Did your PE teacher make you watch that video? Was it a dog? I am pretty sure there were two cats on the bed in the cartoon.
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