The Sex Education Show

A TV series produced in the UK, “The Sex Education Show,” aims to get the British public talking about sex. Why? Presenter Anna Richardson said it was because the UK was in sexual meltdown due to misinformation or lack of information, with children and teens most at risk. One of the five segments in the series was dedicated to helping teens understand that pornography is a poor form of sex education.

Episodes from “The Sex Education Show” can provide helpful starting points for initiating conversations. While these videos are more suited to teens, they offer all parents a good overview of culturally relevant topics.

Why would you want to watch shows about sex education?

First, they are a great teaching tool for yourself — an opportunity to learn something new about sex. They are also a good way to learn what teens are up to. The show is based on British teenagers and was created over 10 years ago, but the information remains relevant.

Second, you could view this show with your teen. Power to Decide (formerly The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy) looked at whether TV shows help parents to discuss love, sex, and relationships with their teen, even if they aren’t watching TV together. They surveyed a sample of 13-16-year-old girls and found that it did help. They also found that nearly nine out of 10 teens say that it would be much easier for them to postpone sex and avoid pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents. Teens crave these conversations with parents, even if they don’t always act like it.

So start thinking about how you, too, could use TV shows about sex education to start a conversation with your teen about love, sex, and relationships.

We suggest watching these shows by yourself first, especially if you’re feeling squeamish about these types of conversations. Given this is a free YouTube version, unfortunately you may encounter bikini-clad women on some of the video covers, or ‘sex ads’.

What you won’t be able to ignore is the content. “The Sex Education Show” makes use of nude models to teach anatomy, which may be uncomfortable for some. But remember, these are videos for teens, who are not totally naive! Far better to provide them with accurate information and use this opportunity to generate discussion than have them learn from porn.

Whilst we recognize that The Sex Education Show provides helpful information, the ideas presented may be different to those held by Culture Reframed.

Season 1

2008 (6 episodes) Anna Richardson and a team of experts visit various secondary schools in the UK in an attempt to educate teenagers about sex in relation to their consumption of pornography.

Episode 1
Parents get a shock viewing the pornography their children see on the internet, and Anna teaches a group of teenagers how pornography affects their body perception and self-esteem.

Episode 2
Anna examines her own relationship history and puts herself through a full sexual health checkup. She also shows young teenagers the physical and sometimes invisible symptoms of the most common sexually transmitted diseases.

Episode 3
This episode explores childbirth.

Episode 4
Anna goes on an emotional ride when she takes a fertility test, reveals the shocking truth about men’s lack of genital hygiene and investigates perfume’s ability to attract men.

Episode 5
This episode investigates contraceptive methods, interviews a teenage girl who has had 60 sexual partners, and gets a group of teenagers to change a baby’s nappy.

Episode 6
In the final program of Season 1, a group of teenagers get a sex education lesson with a difference: Their parents are doing the teaching.

Season 2

2009 (4 episodes) The Sex Education Show vs Pornography  Anna provides a frank look at the world of teenage sex and pornography.

Episode 1
Anna and a team of sexual health experts visit secondary schools to provide pupils with sex education lessons and explore the access that young people have to pornography on computers and mobile devices. She also meets 21-year-old adult-film actor Damian Duke, who talks about the reality of the industry.

Episode 2
Anna provides schoolchildren with a live anatomy lesson focusing on the male body. Later, she discovers whether easy access to risque material has led to the ‘pornification’ of main street. Plus, erotic actor Damian Duke exposes some of the more unsavory practices of the adult film industry.

Episode 3
In this episode, Anna and a team of sexual health experts travel to an inner-city London school to teach students about male and female arousal and using condoms. They discuss the pressures of having sex before a person is emotionally ready, and investigate how pornography in its many guises is influencing fashion and beauty. Plus, porn actor Damian Duke reveals how he struggles to make a living and is prepared to `act gay for pay’.

Episode 4
In this episode, grammar school students witness male and female STI / STD screening in anatomy lessons, learn how to protect themselves from infection and are given information about sex and the law. Plus, Anna meets women who have chosen careers in pornography, and reveals the unsafe sexual practices that have left porn actor Damian Duke and his girlfriend Donna Derriere with a host of problems.

Season 3

2010 (4 episodes) The Sex Education Show: Am I Normal? Anna and a team of experts visit various secondary schools in the UK in an attempt to educate teenagers about sex in relation to their consumption of pornography.

Episode 1
Anna and Dr Radha Modgil tour the UK to help members of the public air embarrassing sexual questions that would otherwise have gone unasked and unanswered. They begin by giving college students a lesson in male anatomy, before visiting a retirement home to discover how sex therapy helps keep the libido alive in the twilight years.

Episode 2
The team provide students with lessons in female anatomy, making use of nude models to demonstrate how no two women have identical bodies. Plus, Anna meets people with physical disabilities to discover how they maintain active sex lives.

Episode 3
Students receive live anatomy lessons featuring elderly male and female models as they learn about how the body and sex change with age. The students are also encouraged to overcome embarrassment and talk about sex with their parents. Plus, Anna discusses favorite positions with two plus-size women, and there is a meeting with a man whose obesity resulted in buried penis syndrome.

Episode 4
Anna and Dr Radha Modgil visit a school where the pupils receive live anatomy lessons featuring nude models, hear how the body alters during and after pregnancy and learn how to change nappies and feed infants. The realities of having an abortion are also explored, and Anna visits a disco for people with learning difficulties.

Season 4

2011 (3 episodes) The Sex Education Show: Stop Pimping Our Kids Anna leads a long-overdue campaign against the sexualization of children.

Episode 1
Anna tackles two major high-street retailers that she claims are responsible for selling risque clothing to youngsters, and arranges a myth-busting workshop to counter some of the rumors circulating in the playground. Dr Radha Modgil also visits the nation’s schools to question teenagers about their opinions on sex.

Episode 2
Anna targets one of the nation’s biggest newsagents, which displays lads’ mags where youngsters can see them, and tackles a high-street store about inappropriate children’s clothing. She then heads to a school with sexual health expert Dr Radha Modgil for a sex education class, and the pupils have an opportunity to learn about sexually transmitted infections at a clinic.

Episode 3
In this episode, Anna investigates music TV channels and confronts the bosses about videos containing sexual images that are broadcast throughout the day. She also joins Dr Radha Modgil at a school, where a line-up of nude models reveals how a woman’s body develops between the ages of 19 to 70.

Season 5

2011 (6 episodes) The Great British Sex Survey Anna leads a long-overdue campaign against the sexualization of children.

Episode 1
Anna begins this series by providing the students a chance to examine living STIs close-up. She also arms parents with the knowledge they will need to discuss the tricky subject of pornography with their children, and meets 21-year-old Paralympic athlete David Smith – who has cerebral palsy – to discuss how he manages to pursue a fulfilling sex life with his fiancee.

Episode 2
Anna heads for a secondary school to teach pupils about male puberty, before taking them to a fertility clinic to witness the moment of conception. She also gathers a group of parents to demonstrate how easy it is for teenagers to log into online chat rooms, and hears from two visually impaired people who have refused to let their condition affect their sex life.

Episode 3
Anna visits a school where the pupils are given a lesson in how genetics determines everything from skin tone to penis size. They are also joined by their parents and grandparents for candid discussions on first love, and a couple explain how they overcame physical disability to enjoy their sex life and conceive a child.

Episode 4
Anna visits a school where she teaches pupils about the three stages of pregnancy. Rabbi Lionel Blue and orthodox Jew Oli Kasin reveal their very different experiences of growing up as gay men in the Jewish community, and the latest results from the nationwide sex survey are revealed.

Episode 5
Anna teaches pupils about attraction, enlisting the aid of gay, straight and lesbian couples for the lesson. She also takes them to a sexual health clinic to discuss contraception, and introduces parents to the world of sexy text messages. Plus, more results from the nationwide sex survey.

Episode 6
Anna visits a school where the pupils receive a lesson in why people come in different shapes and sizes. Elsewhere, 22-year-old Ivy Broadhead reveals how her restricted growth has not affected her love life, and the results of the Great British Sex Survey are revealed. This is the last video in the series.

This review of the Sex Education Show is provided by Cath Hakanson – a sex educator with over 25 years’ clinical experience. Learn more about Cath on her website, Sex Ed Rescue.