Sex is everywhere. Our media is saturated with it, we love to talk or joke about it, and we can access it easily through TV and online devices.
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But when it comes to our own personal experiences we often become very quiet, nervous and unsure.
This interesting dynamic means many Australians struggle to access care if needed, and our country is faced with some shameful sexual health statistics.
Sex education is a powerful tool to help combat these issues.
Your own likely involved a series of whispers, giggles or awkward conversations - if it happened at all.
Messages were probably fear-based, and focused on the basics of bodies, bugs and babies.
Current young Australians tell us that their experiences are the same.
The need for truly comprehensive sex education, which breaks down barriers of shame and stigma, is stronger than ever.
Young people will always need help to navigate, along with skills to reduce their risk of sexually transmissible infections or unplanned pregnancies.
However, they also need realistic education that doesn't shy away from the fact that people have sex for variety of reasons, and often it has nothing to do with reproduction.
A contemporary understanding of sex and sexuality acknowledges these as pleasurable activities for many.
Nevertheless, gender stereotypes and inequalities, child sexual abuse and intimate partner violence are still too common.
Sexually explicit imagery and pornography is easily accessible, and the online world presents new challenges and opportunities.
Our education should also affirm diverse experiences of sex, gender and sexuality.
Three decades of research has given us a clear understanding of what best-practice sex ed looks like.
It should be contemporary and comprehensive in its coverage, delivered in an age-appropriate way through every year of schooling, provided by well-trained educators who can makes lessons engaging.
Adaptations might be necessary for people from specific cultural backgrounds, or those living with a disability.
Every young person has a right to receive comprehensive, accurate information so they can make informed choices.
We need to work collectively - families, schools and community groups - to provide this education, reinforce key messages and push back against shame and stigma.
Each of us can do our part to listen to young people and respect the overwhelming evidence before us.
We need to put personal discomfort aside and do more to ensure every young Australian receives the protective benefits of high-quality sex education.
Dr Jacqueline Hendriks is from Curtin University.
