Sex education in the Netherlands can be quite different to sex education in America. I remember at about age 12 being herded into the school auditorium, along with all the other girls my age boys were not admitted and shown a sex education film.
It was all very technical, and it was easy to think the entire thing was something that took place in a lab somewhere. I had a hard time believing two human beings were actually involved in this event. I was horrified. The Netherlands, however, has a different attitude toward sex βone that emphasizes teaching children from a young age that sex is about relationships, both with others and with themselves.
Not only that, it can actually be funβan idea that would shock most US school boards. The Dutch are very practical about dealing with issues many other countries especially the US struggle with. Rather than sticking their heads in the sand and advocating abstinence-onlyβa policy that has been proven to be a dismal failureβthey realize that human sexuality is a perfectly natural part of life, and the more resources with which children are equipped, the better off they will be.
From age 4, all children in Dutch schools receive compulsory age-appropriate sexuality education classes. And they are not just about the nuts and bolts so to speak of sex. The teen pregnancy rate in the Netherlands is very low. Dutch teens tend to have their first sexual experience slightly later than their American counterparts. When they do finally have sex, the majority of Dutch report it as having been a positive, fun experience.
One of the earliest lessons revolves around consent. Amy T. Dutch sex education also includes topics such as gender identity and homosexuality. Children here learn early that it is perfectly natural for two men or two women to be in love.
