By Kasemire Christina Mulinde
If you ask most young people where they learned about sex, chances are the answer will not be “school.” It will be TikTok, YouTube, a cousin, or simply figuring things out through trial and error.
For something that affects almost everyone, sex education remains one of the most uncomfortable conversations in many homes and classrooms.
Parents avoid it because they find it embarrassing. Teachers often rush through it because they have limited time or must follow strict guidelines.
As a result, many young people are left to piece together information from the internet, where facts and myths exist side by side.
The result is a generation that can name every dating trend, such as “soft launching,” but may still have basic questions about consent, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and healthy relationships.
The problem is not just a lack of information. It is also the type of information that is available.
Social media has become a major source of education, but it was not designed to be a classroom.
One video may contain medically accurate advice, while the next spreads misinformation. This can leave young people confused about what is true.
Sex education is often misunderstood as simply teaching people how to have sex.
In reality, comprehensive sex education is much broader. It can include topics such as consent, respect, communication, contraception, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, anatomy, puberty, digital safety, and recognizing unhealthy or abusive relationships.
These conversations matter because relationships today do not exist only in person.
They also develop through Snapchat streaks and disappearing messages. Modern relationships come with new challenges that many traditional lessons never covered.
Another common misconception is that talking about sex encourages young people to become sexually active.
However, that is not the case. Research has shown that comprehensive sex education helps young people make more informed decisions and is associated with safer behaviors rather than encouraging earlier sexual activity.
Of course, people disagree about what should be taught, when it should be introduced, and who should teach it.
Regardless, one fact remains: young people will ask questions, and silence does not stop curiosity. It simply changes where they look for information.
Perhaps the goal of sex education should not be to tell young people what choices to make.
Instead, it should provide accurate information so they can make informed and responsible decisions while respecting their own values and those of their families.
Knowledge does not remove personal responsibility. It makes responsible choices more possible.