THE SEX ISSUE
‘ SEX
IS PART OF MY JOB We speak to four people for whom sex, and sexuality, play major roles in their daily lives
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‘I advise young people about sex’
I PAUL SCOTT, 34 lead discussions around sexual health and relationships, working in the Edinburgh area, with classes of up to 15 pupils, aged between 15 and 16. Sessions are open and
informal. I generally speak
to all-male groups about topics including relationships, STIs, sexuality, self-esteem and attitudes to pornography. We also have a practical demonstration of how to put on a condom using a prosthetic penis. I usually work with a group for about four hours, after which I hope they have enough knowledge to lead happy, healthy, unpressured sex lives.
The level of understanding among teenagers about sex and sexual health is still quite poor. The same myths endure. Pornography is only adding to the confusion by offering an unrealistic portrayal of what teenagers’ sexual encounters might be like – it increases anxieties around how they should look or behave. I try to challenge perceptions of how body parts should look by showing the class a series
of photographs of vaginas, penises and breasts, of all shapes and sizes. I ask them to choose the breasts they find the most attractive, and they consistently pick the perfectly round, fake breasts. They find the image of an unshaven vagina repellent, and assume that shaven testicles are the norm. Again, it all comes back to the negative influence of porn. No matter what they ask, I try to respond to groups’ questions sensitively. I find it’s best to remain impassive and to keep emphasising that it’s positive to be asking such questions. I do sometimes find myself doing the same things in my personal life. A lot of my friends, who are in their 20s and 30s, are equally clueless about STIs – a mark of how poor their sex education was as teenagers perhaps?
I don’t get embarrassed talking about sex.
20 THE LIST 3–17 Feb 2011