Survey: Half of U.S. Women Say They Had Inadequate Sex Education

LOS ANGELES—More than half of all American women — in fact, nearly six of every 10 (56 percent) — say that the sex education they received as a teen was inadequate, failing to educate them about birth control, according to a new survey by the research firm OnePoll. And 50 percent feel they were not properly educated about sexual health issues.  Not only was birth control not part of their sex education, but almost one of every five (19 percent) say that they never learned about it at all, from anywhere, according to the poll.  The survey covered 2,000 American women between the ages of 18 and 50. Older women, ages 41 to 50, were more likely to be educated about birth control — 33 percent more likely than women aged 18 to 25.  Some of the blame for poor sex education appears to lie with parents, the survey indicates. Nearly half the women polled, 46 percent, say that neither parent ever gave them a “sex talk,” to prepare them for life as a sexually active teen or adult.  Of those who said that they were given the parental sex talk, 38 percent said they were just 12 years old at the time, while 34 percent said that the “talk” consisted of being shown an “awkward video.” Another 46 percent reported that during the “sex talk,” their parents spoke in euphemisms, avoiding direct descriptions of sexual acts or topics. But schools are also at fault for the inadequate American sex ed, according to the survey, with 40 percent of women saying that the lack of sexual information in schools was the main reason they felt poorly educated about sex. Of those who reported taking a sex ed course in school, 56 percent said that the number one topic covered in the course was sexually transmitted disease. Only 50 percent said that the course focused primarily on “what sex is,” and just 30 percent reported that the issue of “consent” was the most emphasized sex ed subject. But more than any other issue, the survey makes clear that education about birth control is sorely lacking, both at home and in American schools. Just 16 percent of women said that they first learned of birth control from their parents, and 14 percent said they learned about it in school. But 21 percent learned about birth control from the internet, TV, or by reading about it in a magazine. Photo By CollegeDegrees360 / Wikimedia Commons