Sex Ed Lessons from COVID-19

Abstract

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States was brought to a virtual standstill. National, state, and local governments, as well as the private sector, took stark measures to stem new cases of COVID-19 and “flatten the curve.” Among these measures were the closure of in-person classes at schools and universities and reduced access to in-person health care services. During the summer of 2020, the authors conducted an open-ended online survey with a convenience sample of sexuality educators, asking about their professional experiences in teaching sexuality education during the height of the pandemic. This article summarizes eight major themes that surfaced from a systematic analysis of the survey data and the authors’ commentary and lists of tips for teaching sexuality education virtually. Despite a multitude of challenges presented by the pandemic, sexuality educators found innovative ways to reach youth and adults with information and skills needed to make healthy decisions about their sexual health, link them to services, and advocate on their behalf.