(It's On Us) College Men’s Experiences with Sexuality Education

Sexuality education that teaches young people about not only the physical aspects of sexuality, but also the cognitive, emotional, and social aspects, may lower risk for sexual and dating violence (UNESCO, 2018, 2015). Yet, in the US, there are resistance and systemic barriers to providing such a comprehensive approach to sexuality education in schools, often resulting in young people turning to alternative sources to find information. Regardless of this educational deficit among young men, once stepping onto campus, they are assumed to have a basic understanding of relationships and sexuality leaving a large gap to fill in for themselves from other sources – reliable or unreliable. With the ultimate goal of filling this gap in prevention programming, the present report contains data to answer four questions: What Were College Men’s First Experiences Learning About Sex? Where Did College Men Receive Sexuality Education Prior to College? Did Community, School, Religious, or Online Settings Correspond More with Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Approaches to Sexuality Education? How Does Sexuality Education Prior to College Predict Sexual Assault Risk Today? A US national sample of 1006 men, 18-25 years old, currently enrolled in college completed an online survey reflecting on their sexuality education experiences prior to college. This report also zooms in on two subpopulations: Black and LGBTQQA college men. Recommendations for what can be done to address sexuality education knowledge gaps are included.