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Sex Ed Works Better When It Addresses Power In Relationships : Shots - Health News Most school sex education programs stick to the nuts and bolts of biology. Teenagers who also talk about what makes for a good relationship are more likely to avoid pregnancy and STDs, a study finds.

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Sex Ed Works Better When It Addresses Power In Relationships

Public Health

Sex Ed Works Better When It Addresses Power In Relationships

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May 17, 20157:18 AM ET

Maanvi Singh

Enlarge this image iStockphoto iStockphoto

At schools that offer comprehensive sex education, students tend to get the biology and the basics — they'll learn about sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, how to put a condom on a banana and the like.

But some public health researchers and educators are saying that's not enough. They're making the case that sex ed should include discussion about relationships, gender and power dynamics.

"The idea here is that sex is a relationship issue — you don't get HIV by just sitting there by yourself, nor do you get chlamydia or gonorrhea, nor do you get pregnant," says Ralph DiClemente, a professor of public health at Emory University.

Knowing how to communicate and negotiate with sexual partners, and knowing how to distinguish between healthy and abusive sexual relationships, are as important as knowing how to put on a condom, DiClemente says.

So, over the past decade, researchers have developed "empowerment based" sex ed programs that address the social and biological aspects of puberty and sex.

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