10 Things We Wish We'd Learned In Sex Ed

Remember sex education in high school? Yeah, it's a dim memory for us too. But a few things stood out. Or should we say, didn't stand out, as they were missing entirely. So read on to learn all the things they should have taught you at 17.

1. Porn is completely, ridiculously unrealistic. From their plastic, hairless bodies to their inexplicable ability to orgasm after 30 seconds, porn creates an unrealistic expectation of sex.

2. Birth control is a huge (necessary) pain in the ass. Not so much for the men, who just need to keep condoms stocked in the bedside drawer, but for the ladies. Having to take a pill at the same time every day can be a giant hassle, especially for a girl on the go. All they drill into us in sex ed is the importance of being on the pill. They don't tell us to, oh, say, set a timer. That would have been a useful tidbit. 

3. Masturbation. Okay, this could be a super weird one, and must be handled delicately, but a little basic anatomy never hurt anyone. Personally, I knew a girl who got all the way through high school without knowing where her clitoris was, or what it did.

4. The fact that sexuality isn't a hard and fast thing. Some people are firmly heterosexual or homosexual. But then there are the rest of us in the middle, who might experiment and confirm their bisexuality, or perhaps just have one pleasurable experience and then go back to a single sex. Whatever, it's all good! We just wish someone had told us that back then.

5. Fetishes exist, and there's nothing wrong with that. Did any of you so much as hear the word 'fetish' in sex ed? Neither did we. But in a time when people are exploring their sexuality and figuring out what gets them going, wouldn't this be a good time to tell them that whatever interesting or 'non-mainstream' things they are feeling are perfectly natural, and nothing to be ashamed of?

6. Lube is a good thing. Like, a very good thing. Not everyone is raring to go all the time, and a little lube goes a long way. It doesn't mean one or both of you is lacking in some way.

7. Orgasms aren't guaranteed. Sure, orgasms are a lot of fun, and an ideal conclusion to sex, but not everyone gets there all the time. Maybe you were thinking about the bills, or your partner had a long, tiring day, but orgasms and sex don't necessarily come as a package deal.

8. AIDS and gonorrhea aren't the only issues you will have to deal with down there. It would have been super useful to know about UTIs and cranberry juice, is all we're saying.

9. Sex toys are AWESOME! They should at least factor into the conversation at some point. People should know that they can rock their own socks with a little friend in their nightstand, and that there's no shame in it.

10. Safe sex is nothing to be ashamed of. Yes, teenagers should abstain until they are old enough to handle the consequences of sex (babies and STDs, anyone?), but there should not be an aura of shame and secrecy that surrounds sex. As long is everyone is protected, mature and healthy, have a good time!