ReadingWelcome to Sex as a parent reminds me that I have a long-held complaint about our reluctance to discuss even the basic anatomy that allows us to have sex. You see,by age seven,my kids could name all the major bones and most of the body’s organs,yet the books and apps they were learning from completely neglected the reproductive system.
That’s odd because all kids have genitals and many are hugely curious about them from a very young age. So let’s teach children the names for their bits – both formal names and nicknames. I’m shocked that many adults – includingfamilies on Nine’sParental Guidance – either don’t know what a vulva is or use the word vagina instead. Sure,the two are connected but the difference is very significant when it comes to talking to a medical professional and learning about sex.
I advocate for all “human body” books to include the names and anatomical details of vulvas,vaginas and penises as well as hearts,femurs and lungs.
In addition to learning language so we can think,and talk about,our genitals and sex,another key concept behind any age-appropriate sex education is that knowledge equals power. Not power over others but,far more importantly,the power to understand yourself and therefore make informed decisions. I worry about what power those objecting toWelcome to Sex are trying to hold on to,and therefore deny others.
I suspect the furore over this new book,co-written by former Dolly Doctor Melissa Kang and all-round commentator Yumi Stynes,is smaller than our social-media outrage-driven world would like us to believe. However,it’s resulted in enough face-to-face abuse that Big W withdrew the book from sale in-store. I would like to say the furore is old-fashioned but,sadly,a return to 1950s-era gender norms and repression seems to be the aim of some sections of our society.
It’s not as if sex-ed books are new. My daughter has a copy of Kaz Cooke’s excellentGirl Talk which covers similar content (as well as puberty and other teen issues) in an equally up-front way. I grew up in the era ofWhere Did I Come From?,a book from 1974 that’s aimed at primary school-aged children.