Things we wish we were taught about sex in school

If you’ve been asked to name the subject that was most awkward back in secondary school, sex education would probably be there somewhere.

But as embarrassing as sitting through a class about genitals and puberty was, the lessons are essential to teach children about such an important area of life as soon as possible.

While sex education has improved in recent years with relationships and consent now a standard part of the syllabus, it didn't used to be so.

Depending on how inquisitive you were in secondary school, biology class may have been exciting for you. A few of us were very shy about reproductive system in biology class so we learnt all we know about sex from the internet, and you know how crazy that can be.

The enthusiasm to learn how sex works, what to do, the reproductive organs and most of us were sorely disappointed when we found out we barely learnt anything about sex in that class. Rather we were thought how the fallopian tube, uterus and all works not much about the baby making process, essentially the baby conception procedure.

A Reddit thread titled 'what do you wish your sex ed classes had actually taught you?' which received over 2,900 comments, revealed what people wish they had been taught at school.

In Nigeria, for some of us Sex Ed was merged with Biology for Senior Seconday School. Some of the answers were surprising, with some not learning even the absolute basics of procreation, reports Alice Johnston for Mail Online .

Others were only taught about the mechanics of sex, rather than anything to do with feelings, respect and pleasure. For my class, feelings and pleasure were never part of the lessons thought. Honorary Cassowary wrote that they would have liked to have been told:

'How genitalia functions on a day-to-day basis, what is normal vs abnormal.'

Mystic Flareon took it upon themselves to explain to their friends that sex was supposed to be pleasurable, as no-one apart from them had been told that.

AMHousewife posted a surprising list of things they weren't allowed to be taught in Utah in the early 90s, writing: '1. Sex. 2. Birth control (they still can't). 3. Homosexuality (they still can't). 4. The symptoms of STDs. 5) The body parts of the opposite sex except in a very general way.

RAGE-RAGE-RAGE was very candid about the fact that they weren't taught even the basics of human relationships, saying: 'That gay sex exists. That women can receive oral. That it is okay to say no at any point when anything you don't like is happened. That it's okay as a girl to want sex.'

Saru-Rosco wishes they'd been taught 'that not everyone likes sex and not every wants/has to date someone in order to have sex.'

Some were told utterly false information such as; 'They also told us it was possible to get pregnant by laying in bed with a guy. Just laying there. Completely clothed.'

This is perhaps the closest to what we have heard in here in Nigeria. Some parents told their kids, if a boy touches you, you will get pregnant.

Some commenters would have liked more practical things to be thought in class.

GenericPenName said that it would have been helpful for them to know that 'latex allergies are common, and what the symptoms are'.

Sadly, a very important point was missed that so many commenters mentioned, it was put aptly by Tampoonie: 'That you should always pee after sex, to help avoid getting a UTI. I still can't believe this was never mentioned.'

Sex Education is important, and the earlier children learn about, the better for their life in general, and then there were the inevitable posts from people who wish their sex ed lessons in school had taught them how to have sex that they actually enjoyed.

It's funny but it's true: At the time the lessons at school are given, many teenagers can't imagine ever getting to a stage where they'll have someone to have sex with

VeganBuzzard421 wished that they'd been told 'that 2/3 of women do not orgasm from penetration alone'.

Imagine in sex education class that your teacher told you that, won’t that have solved a lot of problems you’re having in your adult life?

And tiger1296 voiced what many teenagers sitting in sex ed classes have thought.

They wanted to know 'how to get to that stage' in the first place.

To which one commenter said was the 'most important and overlooked part'.

It might be time that meaningful sex education be thought in schools