Norway's Latest Sex Ed Video Is Refreshingly Blunt

Sex education in the US, as we know, is problematic. Sometimes it doesn't exist at all—for instance, where abstinence only education is taught (HELLO, TEXAS!). And sometimes, even when it does exist and is well-intentioned, it falls way short of providing a well-rounded, inclusive, or practical service for teenagers. Meanwhile, what we learn from our parents is often no better, as sex positive parents seem to be in rare supply. So with that in mind, the below sex education video from Norway will make everything you've been exposed to via sex education seem prudish and pretty meaningless. Because this video is REAL, doesn't beat around the bush (pun intended), and talks to teenagers like, you know, HUMANS, and not baby children who don't understand the words "penis" and "vagina".

We really do need sex education to start adapting to meet societal attitudes towards sex. When sex is so prevalent in the every day, whether through TV and movies, music, advertising, or any other visual or verbal storytelling going on around us, it's important to educate the young people dealing with all that stimulation. There shouldn't be mystery (or too much romance) around sex, especially for kids hitting puberty (who are literally the horniest people on earth). This Norwegian video, while it might seem crass to some, gets so much right, by cutting out propriety and getting straight to the point. When you watch the video in its entirety below, you'll probably wish someone had spoken to you this frankly and unashamedly about sex when you were a teen:

Some things I wish someone had told me about sex when I was a teenager include:

1. Sex is important (in that you should do it safely, happily, respectfully), but it's not that important (it's not the be all and the end all and it doesn't define you)

2. Sexually transmitted infections are a very real reason to use protection

In a lot of scenarios, pregnancy (while a definite worry) is probably going to be the least of your worries. Being stuck with an illness that renders you infertile or leads to cancer or other life threatening diseases is just as scary, if not more so, than babies.

3. MASTURBATE

Have a "get to know you" session with your fun bits before you share them with somebody else.

4. Sex should always be on your very specifically laid out terms

You're welcome, America.

Images: Getty Images; Giphy (4)