For most people, middle and high school sex education classes are not fond memories. But most sex ed isn’t just cringeworthy and awkward, it’s also ineffective, new research shows.of 1,500 Americans ages 18 to 44, 90% of respondents said that their sex education had not prepared them for real-world sexual experiences.
Younger women were even less prepared. Nearly half of Gen Z female respondents said that sex ed hadn’t prepared them for changes during their menstrual cycle, compared with 38% overall. Another 37% weren’t prepared to find out that getting pregnant can be difficult. One thing that men are learning about more than women: sexual pleasure. About half of men surveyed said formal sex ed classes taught them about sexual pleasure compared to just 32% of women.
Among Gen Z and Millennial respondents, 48% said their primary source for sex education was online sources while 32% look to friends and one-quarter cited porn or social media . Healthcare professionals and formal sex education also made the list of primary sources.