Support a Well-Rounded, Healthy Understanding of Human Sexuality
This week, I’m starting my annual guest lecture series at Baylor University, speaking to Human Sexuality classes. For over a decade, I’ve shared what I know with these students—and learned just as much from them in return. I’ve shared in an array of educational concentrations from the School of Business and Department of Communications to Religion and Baylor Football and Basketball teams.
When human sexuality education is avoided or neglected, the consequences affect everyone: you, your children, your community, and beyond. Currently, the average American adult receives just seven hours (or less) of sexuality education¹—compared to the 40 hours required to earn a driver’s license in Texas. Yet, understanding human sexuality has the capacity to affect generations.
Through our Stop Demand: Restore Lives program, I’ve worked with over 280 sex buyers and seen firsthand the critical gaps in basic sexual health knowledge. For instance, sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates continue to soar, in part due to lack of and misinformation as well as stigma around discussing sexual health.
For college students, learning about the effects of pornography on the brain is often eye-opening, especially considering the average age of first exposure is between 8 and 13 years old². When we ask teenagers today where they learned about sex, the most frequent answer is, P*rn Hub.
I am more convinced than ever that avoiding open, healthy discussions about sexuality fuels issues with unwanted sexual behavior, including the demand for commercial sex. Talking about sex with your children shouldn’t just mean, “Don’t do it.” I’m not here to discuss your beliefs around when to engage in sexual activity—that’s for you to decide. I am here to encourage honest, healthy and informed conversations about human sexuality. Create an environment where curiosity is welcomed. Answer questions openly, using accurate terms (it’s a “penis,” not a “pee pee”).
Approaching sexuality through a lens of awkwardness or silence only promotes shame and ignorance.
That’s why we host Live Talks—to educate, normalize, and support a well-rounded, healthy understanding of human sexuality. It all starts with open, informed conversations.³ Let’s face it, in 2024, commercial sex has become normalized more than ever. P*rn Hub, OnlyFans and Sugar Daddy’s are common social media topics and song references…revenue earned from porn sales far surpasses the NFL, MLB, NBA combined. And data suggests the normalization of explicit and sexual content on platforms like OnlyFans can contribute to harmful attitudes and behaviors towards sex and sexuality, including objectification, commodification, and a lack of respect for boundaries and consent. If you view porn regularly, the data says you are more likely to send intimate images without consent—a crime in Texas. In a study conducted recently, 17% of porn consumers attempted suicide and 72% of those surveyed considered it (Dr. Patrick Carnes).
Sex is a profound part of the human experience: it can bring new life, deepen bonds, and create immense joy. But without understanding, it also has the potential to cause significant harm, spread disease, and even cost lives.
Let’s talk about it. —Brett