The Need For Better Adult Sex Education: The Internet As A Vessel

This piece argues that the United States urgently needs better sex education for adults, and that the internet is one of the most powerful tools we have to meet this need. Traditional sex education—when it exists at all—is limited, fear-based, heteronormative, and ends far too early, leaving adults without basic knowledge about anatomy, pleasure, communication, consent, contraception, or the complexities of real-life sexual dynamics. The authors highlight how adult learning must address nuanced topics such as boundary setting, self-determination, BDSM, kink, trauma, and identity, all of which are largely absent from school-based curricula. They point to the growing ecosystem of digital sex educators, therapists, and online platforms that provide inclusive, culturally relevant, and specialized information to people across the lifespan. Ultimately, the piece calls for embracing the internet as a lifelong educational vessel—one that empowers people to explore, learn, and re-learn sexual health and pleasure in ways that support safety, autonomy, and well-being from young adulthood through older age.