By Isabelle Gard
The internet is home to vast amounts of information and resources. People are constantly sending, reposting, and sharing information on social media each day and night. The extensive knowledge and resources provided are useful for allowing people to educate themselves, but there is still misinformation to be aware of.
Misinformation is critical to acknowledge when it comes to sex.
Sydney Harris is a student at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, pursuing their Master of Education in human sexuality. Harris is also running an Instagram account and education website called Clitoriscious, where they share information about sex, anatomy and sexual pleasure.
“I didn’t know that the clitoris even existed until around five years ago, and I didn’t know that it was larger than just the little button that we think of it as until two years ago,” Harris said. “I’ve been sexually active for about six or seven years, so how have I gone this whole time and had all of these sexual experiences without fully knowing my body and what’s going on?”
Misinformation is critical to acknowledge when it comes to sex.
Sydney Harris is a student at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, pursuing their Master of Education in human sexuality. Harris is also running an Instagram account and education website called Clitoriscious, where they share information about sex, anatomy and sexual pleasure.
“I didn’t know that the clitoris even existed until around five years ago, and I didn’t know that it was larger than just the little button that we think of it as until two years ago,” Harris said. “I’ve been sexually active for about six or seven years, so how have I gone this whole time and had all of these sexual experiences without fully knowing my body and what’s going on?”
Dr. Roz Dischiavo is a certified sex educator, founder of the Institute for Sexuality Education & Enlightenment (ISEE) and a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). Dischiavo emphasizes the significance of formal sex education and how it can help with misinformation regarding sex.
“People can be well-meaning and still cause harm,” Dischiavo said. “It’s important to make sure that resources have weeded out the misinformation in the way that specialized education allows them to.”
Through Clitoriscious, Harris is able to spread correct information on a wider, more accessible platform. They are gradually changing peoples’ ideas and sense of shame surrounding sexuality by providing resources, debunking myths and listing alternatives to conventional ideas of sex.
Harris also uses polls, questions, and comment sections to create engagement with their followers. Their followers interact whenever they feel comfortable and consent to starting conversations about sex. Such forms of engagement allow Harris to build trust with their audience in the same way that a teacher must be able to connect with students.
Lilly Martinez, a recent graduate from the University of Arizona’s College of Education, believes in the importance of asking questions and searching for answers to ensure that her students are learning and understanding the material.
“You have to have that trust between your students because if they don’t trust you or feel comfortable, they won’t listen to what you have to say,” Martinez said. The same comfort and understanding is important to starting any conversation about sex and relationships.
When proper conversation isn’t happening, there are consequences. Sexual violence and unsafe sex are often caused by a lack of understanding, which comprehensive sex education may be able to subdue.
Priscila Ledezma, a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Educational Psychology Master’s Program, researched sexual health literacy and resources for her master’s thesis.
“Prior research shows that providing comprehensive sex education, which includes skills-based training in resisting unwanted sex, has been shown to be a successful strategy for preventing sexual assault in college,” Ledezma said. “Also, group-based comprehensive sexuality education has been found to reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and adolescent pregnancy.”
Comprehensive sex education is inclusive. It talks about pleasure, STIs, contraceptives, gender identity and sexual orientation. Rather than focusing on the negatives and what not to do, it prepares students to make their own decisions.
According to three high schoolers, social media has shaped their understanding of sexuality. They agreed that no matter how much they know about sex, there is always something new to learn.
“I thought I knew a lot [about anatomy] and then I found out that I have two ovaries,” said Keegan Kyrolainen, a senior at Empire High School.
The person behind Clitoriscious states that they still have a lot to learn as well.
“I may be an expert considering my education thus far, but there is always more to learn and I am very excited for that,” Harris said.
“People can be well-meaning and still cause harm,” Dischiavo said. “It’s important to make sure that resources have weeded out the misinformation in the way that specialized education allows them to.”
Through Clitoriscious, Harris is able to spread correct information on a wider, more accessible platform. They are gradually changing peoples’ ideas and sense of shame surrounding sexuality by providing resources, debunking myths and listing alternatives to conventional ideas of sex.
Harris also uses polls, questions, and comment sections to create engagement with their followers. Their followers interact whenever they feel comfortable and consent to starting conversations about sex. Such forms of engagement allow Harris to build trust with their audience in the same way that a teacher must be able to connect with students.
Lilly Martinez, a recent graduate from the University of Arizona’s College of Education, believes in the importance of asking questions and searching for answers to ensure that her students are learning and understanding the material.
“You have to have that trust between your students because if they don’t trust you or feel comfortable, they won’t listen to what you have to say,” Martinez said. The same comfort and understanding is important to starting any conversation about sex and relationships.
When proper conversation isn’t happening, there are consequences. Sexual violence and unsafe sex are often caused by a lack of understanding, which comprehensive sex education may be able to subdue.
Priscila Ledezma, a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Educational Psychology Master’s Program, researched sexual health literacy and resources for her master’s thesis.
“Prior research shows that providing comprehensive sex education, which includes skills-based training in resisting unwanted sex, has been shown to be a successful strategy for preventing sexual assault in college,” Ledezma said. “Also, group-based comprehensive sexuality education has been found to reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and adolescent pregnancy.”
Comprehensive sex education is inclusive. It talks about pleasure, STIs, contraceptives, gender identity and sexual orientation. Rather than focusing on the negatives and what not to do, it prepares students to make their own decisions.
According to three high schoolers, social media has shaped their understanding of sexuality. They agreed that no matter how much they know about sex, there is always something new to learn.
“I thought I knew a lot [about anatomy] and then I found out that I have two ovaries,” said Keegan Kyrolainen, a senior at Empire High School.
The person behind Clitoriscious states that they still have a lot to learn as well.
“I may be an expert considering my education thus far, but there is always more to learn and I am very excited for that,” Harris said.