From my experience, sexual education class was one of the most dreaded and uncomfortable classes taken in school — outdated videos, a set of intimidating diagrams, and a teacher who clearly did not want to be there. Yet these classes and conversations shape one of the most intimate and personal parts of our lives. Sex can be meaningful and fun, but it can also be confusing, uncomfortable, or even painful, and the way we talk about it matters.
Sharing our sexual experiences and perspectives is often how we learn what feels “normal” and acceptable. But awkwardness and shame can build a barrier that keeps these conversations from happening at all. Personally, I’ve found that education is the only thing that really softens that discomfort, teaching us how to better care for our bodies, and the people we love.
These are a few resources that can help open that conversation.
Sex Ed: The Documentary (2013) asks a simple question: how did you learn about sex? Tracing the history of sex education in America from the early 1900s to today, it reveals patterns that feel similar to how sex education has played out in Canada. Available for free on Kanopy with a local library card, this film explores how what we learn — and the way we learn it — affects how we think about safety, identity, relationships, and intimacy.
This was — first of all — funny. It acknowledges how awkward the conversation can be and leans into it. But it also creates space for critical reflection on what we learn about our bodies and how they interact with each other.
Sex in the Middle Ages (2024) is a docuseries for the history nerds. Told in short, engaging episodes, it offers a fun look back at medieval life and shows that we’re not so different from our ancestors when it comes to sex. The series explores how many of the norms and myths about sex from that era have evolved and continue to influence our own cultural moment. We also get to take a look at how the government and church played prominent roles in shaping the sexual landscape, and how experiences varied across social groups — from priests to peasants.
While it was made by The Great Courses, it’s available for free on Kanopy.
The podcast Stuff Mom Never Told You covers a wide range of topics across science, history, and culture, with a focus on the challenges faced by women and marginalized communities, as well as the solutions we can imagine to address them. Episodes that I would specifically highlight for their focus on sex education are “Gynecology and Gender,” “How Estrogen Works,” and “The Spectrum of Sexuality.” The podcast returns to issues related to sex and sex education frequently, though, so it’s worth browsing their catalogue to see what catches your curiosity.
The last recommendation here isn’t actually meant to be educational, but it earns an honorary spot for how thoughtfully it handles the subject — the TV show Sex Education (2019-2023). The series depicts a heartfelt, honest look at sex in all its messiness and complexity. It follows teenager Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield), whose mother is a sex therapist, as he and a classmate set up an underground sex-therapy clinic at their high school.
This is a coming-of-age show that brings us into the lives of characters who are all at different points in exploring their identities, sexualities, and relationships. It’s fun and genuinely funny, and it was one of the first pieces of media that helped me become comfortable with conversations surrounding sex.
Learning about sex doesn’t have to be awkward. It can be funny, comforting, and even emotional. Sex is different for everyone, and the kind of education that will be helpful to each of us will be just as varied. When we approach these conversations with curiosity instead of shame, they can help guide us to make healthier, more informed choices about our bodies and our relationships.
