Sex education is so important—but unfortunately, lots of schools refuse to teach it. And even if you’re lucky to even have a sex-ed class, you still might find that the information you learn is lacking and you’re left with questions.
On Reddit, folks are suggesting topics that need to be covered in sex ed classes — things like miscarriage, bodily fluids, and when you should be concerned about period pain.
Because when you don’t teach sex ed in schools, people look elsewhere but don’t always get the facts.
1. Discharge
“Idk how common this is, but my health classes never taught us about vaginal discharge. Would’ve been very nice to know! because I told myself I had somehow f*cked up my body for having it, until I looked online and realized it’s natural and normal.” — IWantFries21
2. Miscarriage
“About 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage.” — TylerDurden312
3. Lubrication
“The importance of lubrication, whether natural or bottle.” — Fair_Border4142
4. Period Blood
“This is gonna sound dumb but here it is. In sex ed, they would tell us how much we bleed during our period but never the pressure of the blood. So I went through middle school thinking that if my period started, blood would be GUSHING OUT, like if I got stabbed. I was paranoid as a preteen thinking at any time my period could start and I would end up drenched in blood from the waist down. No one ever told me the blood pressure was not in fact that of a stab wound but more of a nose bleed or a dripping faucet.” — idek-lmao
5. Condoms
“Proper condom disposal.” — NiteTiger
6. Childbirth
“We didn’t learn about childbirth. At all. Nothing about dilation, contractions, labor etc. So childbirth.” — SpicyHashbrowns
7. STIs
“How STD/STIs actually affect you and what treatments there are available. The amount of people who don’t realize being asymptomatic is the most common symptom is shocking. Also the amount of men who think they still shove a little umbrella up their urethra and scrape it out to cure gonorrhea is sad. You take a pill for it. The invasive penis scraping was a very old and very not used anymore treatment. Also they could do more to destigmatize getting tested regularly if you have multiple partners or getting tested at the beginning of each relationship if you’re a monogamous person. STD/STIs don’t devalue you and I find sex ed really doesn’t do anything other than make people feel dirty and ashamed about contracting something. Chances are the person who gave it to you was asymptomatic and didn’t know they had it and are also victims of a fear and shame based sexual health education.” — 123throwawaybanana
8. Gynecomastia
“Gynecomastia, aka a sort of temporary enlargement of the breasts or nipples in boys as they go through puberty…I thought I was developing breast cancer, I was horrified for weeks…thank God for PE and the shower rooms… saw others who had the same issue, and we talked…one of the boys, whose parents were doctors, could inform us…we learned from each other and not sex ed…” — GiantTeaPotintheSKy
9. Pornography In Context
“Pornography needs to be put in context. A vast majority of sexual intercourse isn’t anything like that.” — seefith
10. The Clitoris
“The whole of the actual clitoral structure.” — tinygribble
11. Cleaning Up
“Telling people about cleanup. Apparently some girls thought their vaginas would just absorb everything and it wouldn’t all come out lol.” — VaccuumLawyer
12. Cancer Screenings
“How to properly check yourself for cancer in your private parts, like testicular and breast cancer. If I would’ve known what a testicular tumor felt like it would’ve saved me a lot of misery and time.” — Weak_Carpenter_7060
13. Period Pain
“Your period cramps SHOULD NOT interfere with your regular life much. If they do, see the dr and don’t let them brush you off. Endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS , etc. – pain isn’t just a typical part of it, no matter how much we get told it is. Advocate for yourself, keep track of everything, and get support.” — Wildflower_Daydream
14. Body Hair
“Why don’t they tell us that we grow hair on our arses that would’ve been amazing.” — fluffy_desu
15. UTIs
“Pee after sex to avoid UTIs!” — BosmangEdalyn
16. Hymens
“That having a non-tight as f*ck vagina or large labia folds DO NOT MEAN SHE SLEEPS AROUND. Holy sh*t the amount of stupid as** mother f*ckers who think that. Oh and hymens are very delicate and can break before she loses her virginity (horseback riding, gymnastics, falling down hard, or in my case roller blading) and some women are born without them. In some cases, they don’t even break after the first time. It’s not a sheet of skin that covers the whole vaginal entrance. If that were the case, then how the f*ck are they going to have their period?” — GigiJuno
17. Orgasms
“That majority of women don’t orgasm with penetrative sex.” — Loaceo
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