February 13, 2017 | Sex & Society

Porn site offers sex education

Pornhub, part of MindGeek, the world’s largest porn network, has launched an online sex education centre. Why? Because of the abysmal quality of much sex education available in public schools.

In many states, controlled by conservative legislators or school boards, kids are taught that abstinence is the only responsible choice until one is safely married. The programs may provide little helpful information on avoiding sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy; gay sex is either very briefly covered or not at all.

So a lot of kids are learning about sex from the Internet. While there are good sources of sexual health information available online, this is dwarfed by the massive amount of porn. All that exposure to graphic porn without the context of a sex education can lead to body issues, unrealistic expectations and risky sex practices.

Pornhub’s Sexual Wellness Center is being headed up by clinical psychologist Dr Laurie Betito and features “original editorial content on an assortment of topics from an array of esteemed doctors, therapists, community leaders and experts.” The site has sections on sexual anatomy, birth control, STDs and relationships.

There is certainly no substitute for liberal sex education in public schools, but this at least demonstrates some social responsibility on the part of Pornhub.