Not every school has sex education, and many parents feel uncomfortable talking with their children about the birds and the bees. For girls, who mature earlier than boys, the lack of information can be especially confusing.
So many kids seek out information from other sources, namely popular culture. To find out what they’re learning, Bitch Media started a conversation via the hashtag #popsexed about what women found out about sex from pop culture. The response they got suggests that girls discover the facts of life from movies, TV shows and books ranging from Sex and the City to Dirty Dancing to author Judy Blume.
The other thing the submissions reveal is that pop culture isn’t always the best sex ed source. Women shared their experiences on Twitter about how what they saw in entertainment and other media made them feel ashamed of their bodies or confused about how to engage sexually with a boy.
Here are the best #popsexed responses:
READ MORE: What’s Desperately Needed In Sex Ed Now
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Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com