This year National Geographic has launched a new TV series on the world “Original Sin: How Sex Changed The World”; I am catching up with this series, but I can tell you it is interesting in how much sex education we still don’t educate our youth about.

How did I pick this up, well of course our local newspapers who used it to republish about Robiinson & McCambley (a story past its sell by date), with a few added twists about the TV series, but also used it to republish photographs of Mrs Robinson and Mr McCambley; but then I put the article down in my tray and left it, because in itself it was the TV series that was of interest not the replay of Robiinson & McCambley, who by now have moved on with their lives.  The reason why I am now writing is the story of Republican Mike Yenn, “the President of Jefferson Parish and happily married with one daughter”.  While Yenni doesn’t appear to have much of a record when it comes to being for or against LGBTQ rights, he is a member of the political party that, in its most recently adopted platform, officially defines marriage as “between one man and one woman,” calls pornography harmful “especially on children,” and wants to police which restrooms trans people use in an effort to protect women and children from sexual predators

Now going back to Robinson & McCambley, the story was news at the time, it is not now, what is news now is the abysmal level of sex education in our schools, and the impact it is having on society. It is not enough, as the USA have since found, to preach abstinence. We need to to be honest with our youth, and education them properly about sex and relationships, in all its forms, we can no longer hide behind various texts in the belief that they will protect them.

But sex education is a hot potato, …sex education is political because it is a good way to get elected… particularly if you take a purely conservative point of view and support the vociferous minority who don’t want it taught in school as it is a parents right to do so – well I would argue that our history indicates that we don’t do it well at home or at school. I am not saying we shouldn’t do it at home, what I am saying is that we need to start teaching about sex and relationships properly in school to augment what is taught at home.

We cannot allow … political agendas to stand in a students right to know…

By all means watch the National Geographic program for its titillation when the various high profile people hit the screen, but don’t forget that statistically most new cases of sexually transmitted infections occur in youth and young adults! Sex education must be considered  is a failure, when it is considered right that drinking bleach is a good birth control.

We owe it to our youth, both the current and those to come, to provide a balanced and well funded and taught sex education system that is without bias – not only will this enable our youth to make considered decisions about their lives, but it will also help us as a country who is trying to reconcile its various budgets, including the NHS. Spending on education is not a hit and miss, if we get it right we save money in other areas, and we have a richer, better educated society.

Further reading:

• Sexual Health of Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States

• The Irish Times – Iris Robinson to feature in US documentary on sex scandals
• The Belfast Telegraph – Iris Robinson’s toyboy Kirk McCambley affair to be retold for National Geographic documentary ‘Original Sin’
• Queerty – Married Conservative Politician Outed For Sexting Teen Boy, Kissing Him In Mall Bathroom
• Queerty – Teen’s Story About Hooking Up With Married Politician Sounds Awfully Like Mike Yenni