Sex education for teenagers is extremely important and sorely under supported. I recently discovered a woman that could be my role model, especially regarding sex education for teenagers! Jane Fonda is slow to start but ultimately once she got warmed up delivers a powerful message.
In this hour-long talk she gave at the National Sex Ed Conference in 2014, she describes what teenagers go through, what they need and what they are not getting. I loved her talk! Much of her work is to empower teens both male and female. She presented valid ideas of what teen girls need as they transition to womanhood. In addition, she share her own personal stories. Make time to listen. It inspired me! And I know it’ll inspire you too.
Sex Education for Teenagers that Provides Support Instead of Fear
In Jane Fonda’s talk, she said that so many women don’t know about “down there.” She was referring to all women, not just teen girls. She went on to say how their lives can be determined by this knowing (or lack of knowing) both in good and bad ways.
Much more education and support needs to be offered to young flowering girls about how to deeply love and honor their bodies. They need support to avoid falling prey to all the misinformation that circulates amongst them. Not to mention the peer pressure they experience. Teen girls need someone they can talk to. Did you have someone with wisdom you could talk to when you were a young teen?
Teens are Fraught with Challenge
Jane talked about the “fraughtness” of it all for teens during puberty. It is fraught with our cultures covert and overt message that women need to be “good girls.” At the same time, it’s fraught with the media encouraging women to be sexy. This plays out in a teens world with her experiencing pressure to be sexy in order to be popular or to get a boyfriend. And way before her maturity level can handle it.
This puts extra pressure on her outer appearance at a time when she can be very self-conscious of it due to all the changes her body is going through. Puberty is a time when her body is changing tremendously and at a unique rate often different from other girls in her class. She may be developing (in her mind) too soon or too late.
My Breasts Didn’t Develop as Fast as The Other Girls
I know that was the case with me. I was the last to develop breasts. I loved my breasts now but back then it was a dramatic experience to still be flat when many other girls in my class already starting to develop. And some girls already had fully developed breasts already. It was easy for me to think something was wrong with me. Nobody was there for me to talk to about this. I kept it all inside. What experience did you have at that time of your life?
Sex Education for Teenagers That Honors the Uniqueness of The Process
Not enough support and guidance is given to these young flowering girls to celebrate this beautiful transformation they go through. Also, to let the girls know that everyone is uniquely different. They’ll all, guaranteed, end up having a fully matured adult female body in its own unique form.
They need the support and understanding that their pubescent process will be different from any of the other girls in her school. She needs to know that her uniqueness and “differentness” is what makes her a woman. She needs to know that womanhood is not black and white, it’s floral with many different shades of beauty. She needs educators and mentors that let her know this, otherwise, she could suffer needlessly.
My goal is to provide teen girls a place of celebration instead of suffering during this huge and powerfully fraught transition.
Add to this that statistically speaking 25–30% of teens girls have been raped, molested or otherwise sexually abused. Often by a family or community role model. Gosh, that makes me so sad. This undoubtedly creates a situation that can be very confusing for these young girls. And they take this imprint into the rest of their lives and relationships.
Girls Voices Go Underground During Puberty. Not so for the Boys
More education, inspiration, cheerleading, and support is needed for teen girls. Especially regarding their voice. Jane Fonda also talked about how teen girls experience adolescence much differently than boys. Girls will lose their voice. She reworded that to say that they don’t lose it… it just goes underground. Teen boys, on the other hand, tend to experience an increase in social power during adolescence.
Boys Need Support Too
The teen boys need support too, don’t get me wrong, however much of my work is supporting these young girls (and their mothers) to have a voice (and so much more!). Not only do I want to educate teen girls on the wisdom of their bodies, but I also want them to have a greater understanding of their emotions. Now that they are experiencing more highs and lows with their emotions, I want to teach them how to navigate them in a productive way. Something most of us STILL need to learn. So my education includes all ages of women.
Jane Fonda offered solid, well-founded ideas of what sex education for teenagers should include. I found her talk extremely heartwarming, inspiring and educational. It gave me more motivation to make a difference as well.
If you’d like to listen to Jane Fonda’s entire talk here is the video. She explains why being a teen isn’t easy. It started off a little slow but she definitely packs a punch at age 73! I want to encourage you to watch this instead of some TV series tonight. :)
What resonated most with you from Jane’s Fonda’s message?
Leave a comment below and let me know. I would love to hear from you. Thousands of other women come here each week for inspiration, education and wisdom. Your comment may provide support to someone else.
Thanks for being here and for adding your perspective. Please share this post with other parents.
I’m Anna-Thea an author and Divine Feminine Educator. If you would like to find out more about my education for women check out my online school The Art of Self Love & Emotional Empowerment.
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