A Thank You Letter To The Failed Sex Ed System Of America
Start writing a post
Sports

A Thank You Letter To The Failed Sex Ed System Of America

Thank you for making it taboo to even say the word "sex" in the hallways at school.

21
A Thank You Letter To The Failed Sex Ed System Of America
PBS

Dear Failed Sexual Education System of America,

Thank you for conditioning me to hate words like sex, penis, vagina, clitoris, and anus, and turning chlamydia, herpes, AIDS, and gonorrhea into jokes; they're not bad words or jokes. It has taken me years to be comfortable even saying them to my doctor. Thank you for making it taboo to talk about any of those things in school hallways, causing whispers and misinformation to spread like wildfire.

Thank you for allowing sex ed to be a state decision, and that only 24 states out of 50 mandate their schools to teach it, and only 12 of those 24 mandate that it must be medically accurate. Thank you for allowing abstinence-only based sex education. Thank you for leading to so many unplanned teenage pregnancies due to incorrect information or worse, no information. Thank you for using scare tactics, telling young girls that they'll get pregnant and die if they have sex, but subtly letting boys know that it's okay for them to have as many sexual partners as they want. Thank you for never teaching how harmful slut-shaming can be. Thank you for the slut-shaming.

Thank you for never mentioning consent. Thank you for subliminally teaching young boys that they can have sex whenever they want because they won't bear the consequences of a pregnancy. Thank you for never teaching students what a broken home looks like, how much strain is put on a single mother or father, or how much child support matters and costs.

Thank you for never mentioning places like Planned Parenthood. Thank you for never teaching us what a gynecologist or a pap smear is. Thank you for telling us the only options for an unwanted pregnancy were putting the baby up for adoption or keeping the baby anyway. Thank you for never mentioning the word abortion. Thank you for scaring young girls into being ashamed of and scared for wanting sex.

Thank you for all the misinformation and the left out details. Thank you for never teaching how hormonal birth control works. Thank you for leaving out that girls can have multiple orgasms and that boys have rebound times. Thank you for leaving out that girls even can have an orgasm. Thank you for teaching that the only reason that humans should be having sex is to make babies. Thank you for ignoring the fact that we are human and disregarding the fact that we can very easily get aroused. Thank you for never teaching that vaginas are elastic and that a vagina isn't really loose from sleeping with multiple people; it's loose because the girl's sexual partner is doing something right arousing her and preparing her for sex so it won't be as painful. Thank you for leaving out the fact that period sex is not a bad thing. It relieves cramps and is so much more intense for the girl, albeit just a bit messier.

Thank you for making girls ashamed to have their periods. Thank you for teaching us to either shove foreign objects up our vaginas to staunch the flow of blood pouring out of us or wearing a hygienic pad and leaving us to feel like we're sitting in a pool of our own blood. Thank you for making boys terrified of and/or uncomfortable because of tampons. It's actually hilarious to see their reaction when we just whip one out of our purse. Throw one in the middle of a circle of them and it's like watching oil shrink away from dish soap. Thank you for making a girl bleeding through her pants one of the most embarrassing things to happen to her.

And most of all, as a woman, thank you for leaving out the fact that a clitoris exists and what exactly it is and what it does.

Sincerely,

A Pissed Off and Informed Female Who Is Scared for Her Future Children Who I Will Most Definitely Be Teaching the Things That You Probably Never Will

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

48164
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

30570
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

954509
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

174776
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments