Well, you can't say the Brits aren't trying. Between a pilot program for low-income youth and a new pamphlet providing guidance to educators and adults on how to emphasize the potential positive aspects of sex, Britain has been making headlines for trying new approaches to reduce their high rates of teen pregnancy. Since our brilliant Senior Director of Research, Kelleen Kaye, already wrote a thoughtful post on the former strategy, I will stick to the latter.
The already-infamous "Pleasure" pamphlet apparently encourages discussion of the health benefits of masturbation and orgasms, among other things. And indeed many public health experts agree that masturbation is healthy and natural, though that perspective is not always presented in adolescent sex ed programs. In December 1994, then Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders commented that masturbation "is a part of human sexuality and it's a part of something that perhaps should be taught" in comprehensive sex education programs. This philosophy didn't serve Dr. Elders well in her career (she was eventually fired for the comment), but it has been espoused by advocacy organizations and many online sex education resources.
In a post on the topic, Meredith of YPulse points out that "...we already live in a culture where teens are constantly confronted with the sexier side of sex. What are the chances that hearing a teacher tell them 'intercourse is a healthy physical activity' will kick their hormones into overdrive?" On the other hand, an article on Breitbart.com quotes a critic of the approach who says teens "should be taught about the value of a long-term commitment not simply about the pleasures of sexual intercourse."
Regarding this particular criticism, I see no reason why sex-positive sex ed shouldn't be accompanied by relationship education--if the goal of "Pleasure" is to promote healthy sexuality among adolescents, isn't navigating communication and interaction with partners a key part of that? Of course it's impossible to judge without seeing the actual pamphlet, but based on what I've gathered from articles and blog posts, the ideas behind the "Pleasures" pamphlet strike me as pretty sound. In my view, the key (and the tricky part, no doubt) would be to ensure that these messages are delivered by intelligent, sensitive adults who can encourage and support teens to make educated, healthy decisions for themselves without succumbing to pressure from peers or adults.
So...what do you think?
Can sex ed teach teens about sexual pleasure without promoting early sexual activity?
Is masturbation acceptable or appropriate subject matter for mainstream sex education?
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