If you were a product of the Texas public school system then you probably had very little to no sex ed.  I remember, very vaguely, a seminar during PE when I was in Jr. High.  I remember taking a health class in high school, but not a single thing of what that class pertained to.  This being Texas there was probably a focus on abstinence and the dangers of having sex.

Unfortunately, no one ever talked about consent.  This is a very important topic that needs to be discussed and Stanford recently announced that all new and transferring students will be required to attend a program entitled, “Beyond Sex Ed: Consent & Sexuality at Stanford.”

The new program is one of several educational initiatives designed to engage incoming Stanford students in conversations about the need for affirmative consent, the reality of sexual violence on campus and the collection of resources available to all students.

Hopefully, this will lead to more universities discussing consent as part of the intake process.  However, it would help if high schools or middle schools would begin the discussion.  As the below image shows, consent doesn’t have to be about just sex, it is about respecting other people’s boundaries.

Anything we can do to improve sex education is needed, and that includes discussions about consent.  Dreamers is committed to destigmatizing sex and discussions about sex. We are about sex positivity and that begins with positive affirmation for consent.

As Last Week with John Oliver pointed out last year, we need to do better about talking to our young adults about sex.  The clip is long but so worth it.

Because sex is like boxing, if one of the parties didn’t agree to participate, the other one is committing a crime.  — John Oliver

Bravo Stanford, here’s hoping more Universities join your ranks.  Let us know some of your sex-ed horror stories in the comments below.