Sex, Etc. editor Lee Hernandez, 18, of West New York, NJ, remembers his best experience in sex ed. It happened one day when his class discussed misconceptions about sex.

“Someone said he heard that after girls have sex their hips grow, from one day to the next,” says Lee. 

The teacher explained that this wasn't true, and then the class had a good laugh. 

“We thought how funny it would be, you know, actually seeing one of your friends have way bigger hips from one day to the next,” he says.

A good time in sex ed? Seems strange. Many teens can’t imagine a fun sex ed class, and don’t like the idea of being lectured to about sex by an older teacher they may not feel comfortable around. But Sex, Etc. editors and other teens have had some memorable and positive sex ed experiences. These good times prove that learning about sexuality can be fun and educational.

Teachers Who Inspire

A good sex ed teacher is often what makes or breaks a sex ed class.  Matt Karkinen, 15, of South Bend, IN, thinks that sex ed teachers “need to be cool with the subject and have kids participate.”

“I hate to be lectured to about sex,” he says.

Sex, Etc. editor Joleen Rivera, 17, of High Bridge, NJ, sides with Matt.

“A teacher has to be comfortable enough to talk about sex. He or she has to be able and ready to interact with students about ’touchy’ subjects,” she says.

I agree. At my school, sex ed starts in the ninth grade, which is the year I had my teacher, Evelyn Shalom. She made my sex ed experience wonderful. 

Ms. Shalom had a very unique way of teaching. She didn’t use scare tactics, and she didn’t once tell us that we shouldn’t be having sex. She strongly encouraged us to remember that sex is not the greatest idea when we’re in high school. 

But she told us that if we make the decision to have sex, we should make it responsibly, and use forms of birth control and protection against STDs. She also reminded us that abstinence is the most effective method of protection.

Two of my most memorable activities in Ms. Shalom’s class were the question box and her infamous condom demonstration. Every few weeks, each person in class wrote an anonymous question on a piece of paper, and we put them all in a shoebox. 

Then we went to the back of the room, sat on the carpet, and discussed the questions. They ranged from “Can you get pregnant from oral sex?” to “How does religion affect our sexual choices?” 

Ms. Shalom answered each question and gave us any information we needed.  The information was always factual—never sugarcoated or biased. 

Her condom demonstration was also informative. One day, she brought in a test tube and a condom to show us exactly how to put on a condom. She wrote ten steps to proper condom usage on the board and encouraged us to write them down. She was always telling us that there are very few people who know how to use a condom properly, and she wanted us to be part of that minority.  (Click here for the correct steps to using condoms.)

Beyond the Teacher

Other Sex,Etc. editors have also had memorable sex ed experiences. Editor Kirsten Schmitt, 17, of Oradell, NJ, recalls a slide presentation on birth control that made a difference.

“Last year, in my junior health class, we were shown all the methods of birth control. The visual aspect really helped bring birth control to a level of reality in my mind. It made contraception real, and not just names in a textbook,” says Kirsten.

Joleen agrees.

“Schools should stay away from standard sex ed through textbooks. They should also use group activities to get us actively involved and interested,” she says.

In Our Own Hands

Ken Hewington, 16, of East Lansing, MI, speaks for many teens when he says that schools should “let kids get involved in sex ed.

“Let them share stories and experiences. Teens would rather learn from their peers than their teachers. Their peers are from the same generation and can only relate to their own generation, too,” he says.

One teen who’s sharing his own story to educate students is Sex, Etc. editor Alex Onish, 17, of East Brunswick, NJ. 

Alex, who’s openly gay, will give a presentation on homosexuality at his high school with another student, who’s a lesbian. They will talk about growing up gay, homosexuality and sexuality, and issues of tolerance. 

“Basically, sexual orientation isn’t included in the sex ed curriculum in any grade at my school. The word ’homosexual’ is probably brought up about one time. We’re going to make sure people understand that gay people do exist at school and that we can be successful,” says Alex.

He and his teaching partner will answer students' questions about homosexuality. They will also teach about the harm caused by the hateful words used against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and other groups.

“We want to promote a tolerant and comfortable environment for all students to mature,” says Alex. 

Comfort Zones

Even though sex ed is a class many of us are required to take, it should not be our least favorite. There is no one way that sex ed can be effectively taught, but hands-on demonstrations, student presentations, and informal discussions are methods that work. Most importantly, a comfortable environment needs to be established—for both teachers and students.

 “Being in an atmosphere where we’re all treated like adults really opens doors to informative discussions about sex,” says Sex, Etc. editor Megan Esteves, 17, of Oxford, NJ.

Sex, Etc. contributor Colleen Farrell, 14, from Plainwell, MI, helped with this story.