Many teens in the United States don’t receive any formal sex education, and those that do aren’t necessarily receiving accurate — let alone comprehensive — information.

I spent grades 2–12 at a handful of different schools in Mississippi, and the most I got in the way of “sex ed” was a solitary lesson in 6th grade science class that required a signed permission slip.

The only thing we covered was male and female anatomy — as in, we looked at a generic diagram in our science textbook and that was that.

Fast forward to 2020, and not much has changed. My 17-year-old sister — we’re 10 years apart — is entering her senior year of high school.

On one hand, she spent a whole week in 8th grade learning about sexual health. That’s an improvement, right?

But the teacher only covered abstinence, how to “identify” chlamydia and gonorrhea (FYI, both are typically asymptomatic), and to avoid drinking at parties or risk being sexually assaulted.

I’m not sure if that’s better or worse than learning nothing at all.

What we’re doing to change this

As we move through September, Healthline is explaining the in’s and out’s of reproductive and sexual health in honor of Sexual Health Awareness Month.

Adrienne Santos-Longhurst kicks things off with a cheat sheet for taking care of your sexual health in its entirety, which includes a roundup of questions so thorough it could pass for a game of Never Have I Ever.

Crystal Raypole gets at the root of what most guides for better sex are lacking: what’s inside of you. No, we don’t mean that — though you may want to grab some tissues, because it’s time to talk about our Feelings.

Next, Crystal shares what it’s like to receive a herpes diagnosis in a world that’s stuck on stigmatizing an incredibly common skin condition and how she’s moving forward.

Gabrielle Kassel gets real about orgasm-focused sex and offers a PSA for the ages: “You don’t need to choose between your sexual health and paying rent, your gym membership, or, heck, even your morning coffee.”

Something else on your mind? Our brand new content hub covers everything from pandemic-related relationship woes and sex toy shopping to decoding your dreams, sharing your STI status, and more.