Sex education, also known as sexual education, sexuality education or sex ed, is the instruction of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual reproduction, safe sex, and birth control, sexual health, reproductive health, emotional relations and responsibilities, age of consent, and reproductive rights. Sex education that includes all of these issues is known as comprehensive sexuality education. In contrast, abstinence-only sex education, which focuses solely on promoting sexual abstinence, is often favored in more socially conservative regions, including some parts of the United States. Sex education may be provided as part of school programs, public health campaigns, or by parents or caregivers.[1][2][3] In some countries[clarification needed] it is known as "Relationships and Sexual Health Education".
Many governments see it as beneficial to provide public education on such matters prior to or at the beginning of puberty for reasons of public health, in limiting the spread of sexually transmitted infections, and avoiding teenage pregnancy or unwanted pregnancies later on.
- ^ European Expert Group On Sexuality Education (2016). "Sexuality education – what is it?". Sex Education. 16 (4): 427–431. doi:10.1080/14681811.2015.1100599. hdl:1854/LU-7006828.
- ^ Goldfarb, Eva S.; Lieberman, Lisa D. (2022). "Sex Ed in the Post-Roe World: Implications for Public Health Education (Sexual & Reproductive Health after Roe v Wade)". Health Education & Behavior. 49 (6): 919–923. doi:10.1177/10901981221125429. PMID 36172998.
- ^ Maasoumi, Raziyeh; Azin, Seyed Ali; Nedjat, Saharnaz; Parto, Moslem; Zamani Hajiabadi, Arshia; Samadaee Gelehkolaee, Keshvar (2024). "The effect of sexuality education based on the information, motivation, and behavioral skills model on improving the teachers' professional competence". Heliyon. 10 (2): e24170. Bibcode:2024Heliy..1024170M. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24170. PMC 10825351. PMID 38293482.