Sex Ed in school

[CuteKitten]

Hi all wonderful volunteers at Scarleteen,
Even though I sound like a broken record I am going to say again how absolutely incredible this site is the message board has helped me with online struggles, talking to parents and other sex ed advice on your free time, and of course the articles are so informative and are written in a style that is humorous and engaging, so thanks to all of you past and present for all the hard work you have done.

So recently I was reading the article: Scarleteen is and it made me think back at my own sex ed at school, I remember boys and girls being separated into different rooms when we talked about puberty but we didn't focus on the opposite sex. The first time a learned about the menstrual cycle was for a biology test where we had to plot the different hormones on a graph but I didn't learn in detail about how menstrual cycle effects women. (on a lighter note a women told me that women can taste and smell wine better on different stages of there cycle! Pretty cool I think!) Also when I was in sixth form (17-18) we had no discussions in sex ed and everyone seemed to embarrassed to talk about it. Compared to many countires the UK has good sex ed but I feel so horrible thinking about the restrictions in the US and many other countries in the world were this is lacking. I was wondering what needs to be done to have more sex ed in schools is it legislation, public pressure or something else. Also I know you all probably don't have a answer but it just makes me so angry.

[KierC]

Hey CuteKitten! It’s great to see you here!

Thank you for such a wonderful compliment. We love the work we do and we’re glad to be able to help you all. <3

Also, thank you for such a great question! You know, I also find this space to bring up so many thoughts about sex ed in other spaces, particularly schools. I remember when we talked last time I mentioned that I used Scarleteen as a teen, and even then, as a teen, this space made me think so much about the comparison between sex ed in school vs. here. It’s always so cool to see other people’s experiences with sex ed, and honestly the sex ed I received in school was really similar to what you’ve experienced!

I also remember being separated by gender, which you know from being here how backwards that is. Also the focus on menstruation in the biochemical sense, which is important for context and reproduction but obviously so lacking when it comes to how to care for yourself or what to expect while experiencing different parts of the menstrual cycle. It’s really interesting to hear how your experience was in schools in the UK.

Haha, the comment about the woman you met saying that folks who menstruate can taste and smell wine better in different stages of the menstrual cycle made me giggle, but it’s not inaccurate! It’s just more of a whimsical or poetic way to describe having a heightened sensitivity to smell and taste in general.

Estrogen does actually play a role in our sense and sensitivity to smell and taste, and there’s been a number of studies that observe folks who menstruate with a higher sensitivity to smell and taste when estrogen levels are higher around ovulation. Researchers think there’s multiple reasons for this, including that the nasal cavity is nourished by estrogen and has receptors for estrogen. The place in our brains where we process smell also has receptors for estrogen, and same with the place where we process taste!

Interestingly, I also read this study once where the researchers observed a higher sensitivity to the smell of fat-rich foods during the mid-luteal phase, which they attributed to progesterone levels. So, yes! The hormones that fluctuate during different parts of the menstrual cycle can certainly affect smell and taste.

To respond to your question about what needs to be done to have more or better sex ex in schools in the US, I think there’s multiple things that can be done! I can’t speak to the topic super fluently, so I’ll leave this space open for others to give their perspective as well, but I think there can be a layered approach to getting more sex ed in schools. Thinking about *why* we don’t have as much comprehensive sex education in schools has been helpful in identifying how to solve that problem. For instance, the (incorrect) view of anything involving sex as “taboo,” particularly for young people, has done a lot to devalue sex education in schools, at the deepest level. This has led to a lack of funding for sex ed, and at the highest level it’s led to an outright attack on sex ed and sexual health by our current “administration.” So, I do think making sex ed more present in schools has a lot to do with advocating for sex ed and for young people’s sexual development, both locally and federally.

There’s groups in the US who work on lobbying for sex ed, and a big part of their work involves advocating for sex ed and squashing the idea of young people’s sexuality as taboo. Sex ed also has a lot to do with our local school boards and what they decide is valuable for young people to learn in school, so local advocacy groups and individuals advocating for sex ed can certainly make a positive impact on sex ed in schools across the US.

I hope that answered your question at least a little, let me know what you think and if anyone else has things to add please do! <3

[CuteKitten]

Haha Kier,
That's so funny you also know about how different periods of menstrual cycle effect smell I thought it would be a niche thing to know! That is so interesting thanks for tell me about it I found what you said about the nasal cavity really cool its amazing what are bodies do!

I was wondering, how does Scarleteen promote itself, like are there ways that it can gain traction to get more exposure. Sadly I just happened to stumble on Scareleteen because I was watching a sexplanation video (great youtube channle) about educational websites. I have told many friends about Scarleteen and they also love the resources available.

Also I saw on the news about the National Guard being sent into Chicago must be super scary, hope everythings ok.

[KierC]

It is so cool, right? I love sex ed fun facts!

Scarleteen promotes itself in a couple different ways! We are pretty active on social media, so we have a lot of promotional materials over there that folks in sex ed share around to others. We occasionally will do outreach in our own communities as well, spreading the word around our in-person and online circles. We also do a yearly fundraiser to attracts donors and attention to our site and it services! Our yearly fundraiser is coming up very soon, actually! Also thank YOU so much for sharing Scarleteen with your friends, that’s another really important way that people learn about us!

Also thank you for the well wishes for Chicago. The national guard is indeed here and it’s been unbelievable and scary. One bright spot, though, is how much all of our neighbors are coming together to protect our neighbors and protect our rights. I’ve never felt closer to my neighbors than I do now, and we’re all making sure to stick together. <3