Why We All Need Sex Ed (Even Adults!)

Learning is a lifelong journey. We don’t stop learning because we reach a certain age or milestone, or, at least, we shouldn’t. The world is an ever-changing place, we are ever-evolving beings, and new information is discovered every day.

Whether we are in school, going back to school, or past our formal education years, we all have an imperative to continue to learn and grow in all aspects of our life – including in our sexuality and pleasure.

Read: Surprising Lessons Women Learned About Sex Later In Life

Sex Education in Our Youth

We often talk about the importance of sex education for young people, particularly those in their teens and young adult years. We know that in the beginning of our sexual development it is incredibly important to be armed with factual information in order to make informed and empowered decisions.

Young people need to understand everything from how their bodies work, how to respect and set boundaries with others and keep everyone physically and emotionally well. But why do we often leave this conversation to teens and young adults only?

Doesn’t our sexuality and sexual experience change over time? Perhaps, like many other aspects of learning, this is an opportunity to continue to acquire knowledge and modify what we already know to our changing bodies, identities, and life experience.

Read: The Benefits of Knowing Your Body (And Your Vulva)

Why Adults Need Sex Ed Too

Many adults never even received foundational information about sex and sexuality and feel as though they have to act like they completely understand what they are feeling and experiencing simply because they have reached a certain chronological age.

I have met hundreds of people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, or older, who do not know how their reproductive body works, who struggle with past trauma, and who find themselves presenting and identifying in ways that they feel they can no longer call authentic.

They feel shame in admitting that simply pulling information from Google and life experience isn’t enough. Finding resources for sex education for middle-aged and older adults can be daunting, especially when so many sex educational resources and teachers are young themselves.

Despite these obstacles, it is important to continue to pursue personal development around sex as we mature and age. One thing that everyone needs to stay up-to-date on is how physical aging and life experiences, from childbirth to illness, can impact sexual response and comfort.

What worked for us as young people may suddenly seem to taper off or stop working altogether. In the reverse new positions, toys, and fantasies that never did anything for us before may suddenly become our biggest turn on.

How Sex Toys Can Help Us Learn

Sex toys are amazing resources that many us may not have had available to us in our youth. Using toys to explore erogenous zones, such as the G-spot (urethral sponge) or prostate can be something we feel more enjoyable and attuned to as we age. Many of us many not even achieve orgasm until later in our life, once we've had time to properly explore and understand our body.

As we grow, sex toys can help us discover new types of stimulation and new kinds of pleasure! For example, maybe trying an air pulsing clitoral stimulator can help you reach a clitoral orgasm that you never thought possible.