In primary school, my year 4 teacher read us Where Did I Come From? A classic sex-ed resource, long relied on for younger kids, there was one copy of the book in our school library. My friends and I went through a phase of sneaking to the relevant aisle at lunch time, hoping to find more answers to our curiosity each time we flipped through its pages.
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That book depicts cartoon figures engaging in penile-vaginal sexual intercourse, as part of its explanation of human reproduction. Those images are not designed to arouse, obviously. Rather, they serve as a visual representation of the concept: an entirely developmentally appropriate pedagogical approach.
Welcome to Sex by Dr Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes does the same thing, only more comprehensively. The book includes factual descriptions of an expanded range of sexual activity, such as oral sex, "fingering" and "scissoring", which - as a sex-ed researcher and a former criminal lawyer in the area of sexual offences - I am relieved to see.
Relieved because the evidence is clear that providing such information to young people in an age-appropriate way is a critical protective factor in safeguarding their wellbeing. We might worry that a comprehensive sex education could encourage earlier sexual behaviour: but the evidence shows the opposite is true. Such an education has been shown to act protectively against child abuse, delay sexual onset and reduce the likelihood of negative sexual experiences. Conversely, abstinence-only approaches have been found to be ineffective in delaying sexual initiation.
Accordingly, preventing young people's access to comprehensive information about sex puts them at risk and leaves their wellbeing to chance. A significant majority of Australian parents appear to appreciate this, with nearly 90 per cent of them recently indicating their support for improved relationships and sexuality education for kids. No wonder Welcome to Sex has been selling like hot cakes.
Unfortunately, it is also flying off the shelves in a different way. The vocal concern of some members of the community have seen Big W remove the book from their physical stores to protect their staff from abuse. While disappointing, at least those who might have purchased the book there presumably have the means to get it online or from another retailer.
It is a different kettle of fish entirely if the book is removed from a public library. On Thursday, the Yass Valley Council will vote on whether this comprehensive sex education resource should be removed from public libraries in their jurisdiction.
The deputy mayor, Jasmin Jones, recognised that the book contains useful information, but is nonetheless moving to have the book banned out of concern that some of its content is inappropriate for younger children. The library took the step of moving the book to the adult and young adult section, but that was not enough to assuage the concerns it seems, and so it will go to a vote.
This is worrying because, as Trish Hepworth, Acting CEO of the Australian Library and Information Association said to me, "If a book is withdrawn from a public library collection, it prevents access to all users of the library. Access to health information is essential for all members of our community, not just for those who can afford to buy books outright."
Cr Jones has expressed concern that the book includes a "showcase of sexual acts without relationship context graphically depicted like circus tricks." In fact, the pictures are cartoon line drawings, and in several instances the characters are wearing underwear: just like Where Did I Come From?, this is developmentally appropriate. Context - about healthy relationships, feelings, consent, wellbeing - is provided in spades throughout the book.
Another concern is that potential illegalities associated with sending nudes or sexual images are not "flagged up" in the book. Except that they are, with a section titled "Sexting and the law" explaining potential legal implications on page 174.
In any event, insofar as the book lacks context that a particular caregiver deems relevant (for example, personal family values around virginity, which was another reported concern of the council), that could readily be addressed in discussions between that caregiver and their young person: something the book promotes, with pages dedicated to navigating that conversation.
The choice to contextualise or augment the information accessible in this book is not infringed by its availability in the library. Removing the book altogether, however, infringes the right of others, denying them access to information that protects and empowers.
Notably, many parts of the book that have drawn ire are those which answer actual questions from young people received by Dr Kang. The information provided in response is factual, accurate and relevant - it does not promote any particular autonomous choices. Most importantly, censoring those answers will not change the fact that young people have these questions. And just as Where Did I Come From? hasn't encouraged generations of kids to engage in sexual activity earlier than they otherwise would have, neither will this book.
- Katrina Marson is the author of Legitimate Sexpectations: the power of sex-ed. She spent her whole childhood as a resident of the Yass Valley region.
