Pornography accounts for the majority of many teens’ sex education, according to recent studies.
The studies, conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and entitled “A National Strategy to Improve Sexual Health” and “National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior,” were both released in 2010. They show that teenagers, ages 13 to 19, get their sex education and advice
from unusual sources like pornography.
According to the studies, only 60 percent of teenagers have received some sort of sexual health education, and 68 percent of teens never speak to their parents about birth control. Even “sexting,” or text messages that contain inappropriate content, is on the rise with teens at 10 percent.
Dana Berkowitz, assistant professor in sociology and women’s and gender studies, believes being surrounded by sexual messages plays a part in teenage fascination with porn.
“It’s everywhere. We are literally inundated with sexual messages, not just from porn but in media,” Berkowitz said. “We live in a country that doesn’t really like to talk about sex. Porn is one of the few avenues that teenagers … can [use to] get information about sex.”
Porn may be successful as a teaching method, but teens are not exposed to an accurate portrayal of sex via porn, Berkowitz said.
“The majority of pornography these teens are getting their hands on is probably not the very small, empowering, critical sort of pornography,” Berkowitz said. “They are not getting the most honest approach on sex. It leaves out the messiness of it, the awkwardness.”
Some of the messages teens receive through pornography can be damaging to their sexual education, Berkowitz said.
Jamaal Robinson, psychology sophomore, agrees that porn can create false expectations. He said porn can foster “false stereotypes [and] images” and may create confusing views on “how you’re supposed to interact with each other.”
Pornography may confuse men, but it could also increase confidence among women, Berkowitz said.
“It can also create these new social spaces for women to be comfortable in their sexuality,” Berkowitz said.
Sexual health representatives can combat pornographic influence by introducing sex to teens at young ages, Berkowitz said.
“[Talk] about … desire, sexual pleasure, the awkwardness — not just about how you’re going to get pregnant,” Berkowitz said. She advises guardians to converse about “different types of sexuality, not just heterosexuality, different types of intimacy. … [Create] an open, safe space for kids to talk about this.”
There is no one best sex information source, Berkowitz said.
“Some people can talk to their parents, but not everyone has parents that want to view them as active sexual beings,” Berkowitz said. “Some people have teachers, friends. Typically the media, i.e. pornography, is not the best place.”
Audrey Robert, international studies sophomore, said she learned about sex from her peers and health classes.
“All my friends knew a lot more about it than I did, so it was just a lot of gossip and girl talk,” Robert said.
Health class videos moved Austin Damiens, mechanical engineering freshman, to ask his parents for more information.
“We had this dumb video to watch, but it started out the education,” Damiens said. “I could ask my parents. They were cool about it.”
Those who are approached for sex information should be “willing to treat the subject honestly and openly and not demonize it and not theologize,” Berkowitz said.
“We are a puritanical society,” Berkowitz said. “One of my students told me [her European high school health teacher] brought in vibrators to show them about female sexual pleasure. It’s a little more than we do.”
Berkowitz said honesty in sex education will not harm students.
“I don’t think introducing sex education at a young age will make kids want to have sex,” Berkowitz said. “Kids are introduced to these images before they are 10. If we can talk about it honestly in schools, I don’t see the harm.”
 
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Contact Kittu Pannu at [email protected]