Teenagers are at the age when they first engage in romantic relationships. With this trend of love and at a pivotal stage of intimacy, sex is likely to occur. According to The National Center for Health Statistics, “An estimated 55% of male and female teens have had sexual intercourse by age 18, and approximately 80% of teens used some form of contraception at first sex.” Teenagers are navigating the final years of childhood and naturally explore their identities. This journey of self-discovery often includes questioning their sexuality and their relationships with their bodies—how they feel, look, and how they fit into the world. Through this exploration, we learn and ultimately come closer to discovering who we are. According to Planned Parenthood’s article “What Are the Goals of Sex Education?”, sex education informs people on “how to have healthy relationships, make informed decisions about sex[…] and love themselves for who they are.” With these benefits in mind, the importance of sex education becomes apparent in our lives. 

Down the street from San Rafael High School, in Montecito Plaza, sits Huckleberry, a center where students can access the sexual and personal care that they need. When asked about sexual relationships, Liza Alvarez, the community health manager at Huckleberry Program, comments, “As a sex educator, [we believe that] it’s important to have information, like how do you navigate these relationships?” Six days in the spring semester, Huckleberry representatives come to SR’s Health classes and give mini-lessons to the freshman class. At the end of their presentations, they encourage students to visit the center if they need other support, given that this is the only way that students have the easiest access to them.  

Because of the stigma of sex talk, many students may feel afraid to walk into centers such as Huckleberry to ask for help. In the absence of this education, people turn to other things that they have access to. In a society of advancing technology, accessing adult websites is at our fingertips. In incognito mode, whether we are over 18 or not, clicking the maturity button allows us to enter an endless world of pornography. Pornography allows people an introduction to a sense of what having sex is like. According to The National Library of Medicine, “Watching porn was most frequently done[…] to pick up new fashion and behavior ideas.” However, this might do more harm than good. 

Larissa Baltazar, a senior at SRHS, comments, “[In porn] there is a lot of aggression towards women, and it’s feeding an audience of people that are genuinely enjoying that. People will think they found their information and think it’s okay, when in reality you don’t need to be treated like that, or you don’t need to be treating others like that.” 

Websites like Pornhub are profit-driven companies whose primary goal is to make money. To appeal to their audience, they show content that aligns with their viewer’s perceptions of attractiveness. This way, viewers donate to creators to access more content they find appealing. By using this money, models can afford to do work on their bodies to appeal even more to their audience. This keeps the cycle going of profit and money and giving the people what they want to see. Alvarez states, “People see what they think is common, large breasts and [the absence of body hair]. People’s bodies don’t look like that all the time. A person can be looking at a body they identify with, so it’s not a fair comparison.” Thus, a lot of self-confidence issues can stem from pornography and what we see online. 

Sexual education needs to be more accessible. Baltazar says, “If you aren’t teaching it at school, then they will learn it on Pornhub, where they are seeing it visually.” Where else are you going to find this information? 

Although the internet will always be accessible, Scott Springhorn, a health teacher at SR, states, “Students are good at looking things up, but forcing them to go find information on their own just doesn’t make sense to me.” With limited knowledge of how to gain information about topics that are so stigmatized, students can fall into the trap of going to the wrong places. 

Sexual education isn’t just “how to have sex or why or why not you should do it. There’s more to it,” states an SR Junior who wishes to remain anonymous. The article “Sex Ed Isn’t Actually About Sex” by the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care states that “Core topics within comprehensive sex education include healthy relationships, self-esteem, body confidence, gender equity, communication, empathy, and respect.” In teenage relationships, navigating emotion and conflict can be challenging, especially when you are first exploring the world of sex. The Junior comments, “Emotionally, people should be safe in how they’re treating other people and expressing their feelings in a relationship. There are a lot of bad things that are related to sex, such as assault. So when people talk about this in education, it’s a type of prevention.” In the vast world of sexual relationships, with so many aspects and things to consider, sexual education is a guide to safely doing things. Essentially, it is up to you to make these decisions, and the resources are there only to help you. 

While the curriculum is diverse and informative, the content rarely sticks with students long-term. Springhorn says, “Expecting a 14-year-old to remember it forever after teaching it once isn’t a reality.” Therefore, we should bring the curriculum to the upperclassmen instead of ending it in the 9th grade because “it might not be relevant to them at that time,” says Alvarez. I personally also remember when it wasn’t relevant for me when I was a freshman as well. We should also have a safe place where students can freely (and quickly) ask the questions they need without judgment. This way, people have easier access to information on their personal decisions. Because I remember what it was like not wanting to make a whole doctor’s appointment just to ask the questions I was curious about. But I also didn’t want to scour the internet as it told me several different things. 

Many people believe that pornography, in moderation, is harmless. However, people should be mindful of their intake and seek help if needed. 

There is a national hotline for pornography addiction at 1-800-662-4357 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).