Just like physical and mental health plays an important role in a human’s well-being, so does sexual health.
During this time it is even less understood and has more taboos around it than mental health.
What are some ways that society could move towards better acceptance and understanding of this topic so that people’s quality of life can improve in terms of this domain?
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The adoption of sexual health awareness is gonna be a tough sell and it’s gonna be freaking slow. Overall staggered based learning, in relation to age, but judging that alone is so relative, based on religious and personal beliefs of the parent majority. Less venerial disease based fear. More open dialogue and concept understanding not regurgitation and memorization.
To start: telling kids what their parts are CALLED. Not stupid pet names but vulva, vagina, penis, testicles.
Then forging the correct pathways for consent. Including not forcing kids to hug or kiss people they don’t want to.
Then explaining how it’s okay to touch yourself but do it in private. Then discussing periods and erections but maybe erections first since they start happening much sooner, usually non sexually then sexually as they age.
Then you discuss how people have sex for many reasons and it’s okay as long as it is consensual, safe, and sane. Stressing age of consent and how adults should never try to engage and any adult that does is being predatory: explain why.
Then we discuss STI/Ds and pregnancy and how sex can and will cause these unless steps are taken. Understanding that STI/Ds are not the end of the world and teaching to dismiss stigma and teaching prevention.
Edit: cleanliness should be taught immediately too