Comprehensive Sex Education: Does one size fit all?

Abstract

This qualitative research study explores young adults’ experiences with and perceptions of the sex education they received in Canadian middle/high schools. Seventeen participants between the ages of 18 and 21 took part in the study; due to the sensitive nature of the topic, participants were offered the choice of completing an online, semi-structured interview or an online, open-ended survey. Results were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory. Influenced by the concepts of sex positivity, intersectionality, and normative and youth sexual cultures, my analysis highlights the variability in how young people prefer to learn about sex, where and with whom they are comfortable discussing topics related to sex, and when they are ready to discuss a variety of topics. I conclude that the so-called 'comprehensive' approach to sex education currently favoured in Canada means different things to different people.