‘The Talk’ is a series of stories, each produced by a different newsroom, on the state of sex education around the world. Stories will be published by the Impact newsletter, CNN As Equals, Kontinentalist, Unbias the News, Nadja Media, Suno India and BehanBox throughout the months of October and November.
Schools on fire: how sex education conspiracy theories led to arson attacks in Belgium
Conspiracy theorists and far-right groups in French-speaking Belgium have whipped up a frenzy against comprehensive sexuality education. A family planning expert explains how viral disinformation campaigns have led to schools being torched. Read more in the Impact newsletter.
‘How would people like me know about sex?’ Young people are losing judgment-free spaces to learn about sex and sexuality
Sex education content creators in India warn that their ability to share information about safe sex is being hampered by changes to how social media platforms are moderated. Read more in CNN As Equals.
Sex ed: How Druze women are balancing traditions and sexual health
Having “the talk” can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, and it becomes especially difficult if you’re part of a very small, close-knit community like the Druze – a small, religious and ethnic group whose beliefs and practices are often concealed from outsiders to preserve their religious heritage. Read more in Nadja media.
Call Me by My Name: How the lack of sex education in India is impacting society
In India, the lack of proper sexuality education for young people can have serious consequences long into adult life. Ankita Anand spoke to people in their thirties about what they wish they’d learned. Read more in Unbias the News.
Let’s Talk About It
In this podcast, Suno India hosts a conversation with two young adults Aiswarya, a lawyer turned entrepreneur & Sudhanshu, a part-time podcaster & full-time corporate professional about how they navigate the world of sex, where they access sex-positive information and what the biggest barrier they are facing is, about sex education and more. Listen here.
How Young Girls In Small Towns Learn about Sex In The Absence Of Sex Education
While India is now the most populous nation in the world, it lags behind countries such as Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, and Sudan on sex education. And though there may be resources in urban areas, an investigation by BehanBox found that in small towns, girls and young women learn about sex from coercive relationships, limited internet exposure and families. Read more here.
Let’s Talk About Sex (Ed), Baby
In Singapore, national conversations about sex have evolved over the years due to concerns about issues like population and housing. Kontinentalist analysed more than two decades’ worth of newspaper articles to see what exactly gets Singporeans talking about sex education. Read more via their social story.