We’ve all had The Talk, either from parents, guardians or from sex education in school. But with increasing numbers saying that the provision they received was not sufficient, how can we address the lack of knowledge and empowerment when it comes to our own bodies?
Sex Ed – A Guide for Adults is a self-help guide all about sex, attraction, loving your body and everything else we should have (but probably didn’t!) get in school. With illustrated images of all kinds throughout the book, the guide focuses on all aspects of sexual relationships and how to navigate them in a healthy, inclusive and body positive way, whilst also throwing in personal anecdotes and comments from people with relevant experiences.
If your time at school was anything like mine, sex education was covered in a very male-dominated, heteronormative way, and one that didn’t take much time, if any, to talk about the queer community or attitudes towards sex. And this book not only highlights that, but addresses these issues and many more. Whether it’s discussing attitudes regarding sex itself, contraception, abortion, consent, body image or a plethora of others, it approaches all of these topics with care, compassion and honesty, which is often lacking in sexual health instruction in schools.
Reading a guide that is this inclusive and open, whilst also being an entertaining read, is a much needed breath of fresh air in the area of sexual health and wellbeing, and the concise but effective messages contained in this book are important for everyone, regardless of your current beliefs towards sex.
This book, simply put, should be read by everyone, regardless of what you think you may know about sex. It is a simple but effective read, and goes a very long way in furthering any provision you may have received at school.
Rating: ★★★★★
Sex Ed – A Guide for Adults (ISBN: 978-1-5266-2837-4) was published in 2020. A copy is available to borrow from the LGBTQ+ Lending Library in the LGBTQ+ Lounge
