About sex: A video series for teens about bodies, sex and relationships

Videos can be an excellent resource for sex education. They can be something you watch with your teen, or your teen could watch them by themselves. They are also great for upskilling yourself as a parent, where you can update yourself as to what the sex scene is for today’s youth.

The challenge, though, is in finding videos that are both entertaining and educational. The information must also be factually correct (and not based on urban myths).

In this blog post, I am going to share a Canadian sex-ed video series that was created for teenagers.

You’ll find more information about sex education on my Sex Education 101 page. And more videos on my sex education videos page.

Let’s get started!

What is it?

About Sex is a funny, surprising, informative, and uncensored series about teenagers and sex. It invites teens to take a funny and frank look at what’s going on in their heads, their hearts and between their legs as they navigate life and love as young adults. Thirty-five episodes explore topics from consent to pornography addiction through skits, expert advice and teen testimonials.

Each episode explores an important topic relevant to teens and sparks their curiosity using comedy, facts and testimonials. It includes:

• a comedic mini-movie to de-dramatize the topic
• an educational clip to answer FAQs
• a documentary segment in which young adults share advice, opinions and personal experiences

These sex-ed videos from Canada, were commissioned by CBC, Canada’s national public broadcaster, for its CBC Gem streaming platform. The Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN) vetted the content and its relevance by reading the scripts and watching the rough cuts, and updating it as needed (current language or research). Research was done with teens before creating the English series – speaking to them about what they want to see, what they think is essential, and what is entertaining to them – and including what experts in the sexual health industry believe they should know. By involving teens in creating the series, the hope is that it will feel more relevant and credible to them, and they will be more likely to absorb the information.

I like these videos. They are fun to watch but also educational. And they’ll be a great resource for parents and teenagers.

How do I access these videos?

These videos can only be watched in Canada and are no longer available internationally. The only way to watch them is with a VPN service that allows streaming of movies and TV shows.

What is the best age for these videos?

They are definitely for teenagers.

Teenagers who are already starting to think about sex or are already sexually active. So older teens (like 15, 16, 17, 18). 

Or younger teens (14 and maybe even 13) only if they are sexually mature and already starting to ask questions about sex (questions that are more about the practicalities, i.e. ‘what goes where and how’). And even then, when they are younger, you would want to watch the videos together (so you can answer their questions and correct any misunderstandings). 

Remember, these videos are designed to educate teens to make smart sexual decisions and to stay safe. So they are direct and talk about a lot of different things. 

The key to watching these videos is the conversation. I can guarantee that there will be information or behaviour that you disagree with.  But that’s okay! As that is the stuff, you’ll be talking about! You’ll be sharing your values and beliefs with your teen.

So, if your teen is already starting to ask questions about love, sex and relationships, then watching these videos together is a great way to learn together. Plus, it is a great way to share your thoughts about casual sex or sex in a committed relationship.

Be prepared to be asked personal questions, and think about what stories you are willing to share (or not). Most of us have sexual regrets, and sharing them with your teen can empower them to hopefully not make the same mistakes. 

 I watched them with my (then) 15 year old, but we also chatted as we watched them. She was curious about sex then but not interested in yet ‘doing it’ with someone. So, watching it together meant I could answer questions about things she didn’t understand. Plus, it gave me an opportunity to share my sexual values with her when we got to topics like first-time sex or porn.  

Try to see these videos as an opportunity to start talking about the next level of sex – where they are finally ready to start thinking about ‘doing it’ (or they are already ‘doing it’).

What are the videos about?

You used to be able to find all 35 of these videos on Youtube, but sadly they are no longer available.

• Performance: Julian and Rose are stressed out at the thought of making out. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to performance in a sexual context.
• Sexting: Leah has come up with an app that will solve the problem with dick pix… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to sexting.
• The penis: Arun discovers that his best buddy Marcus really likes talking about his penis! The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to the penis.
• Breasts: A romantic dinner takes an unexpected turn when Julian says something about Rose’s breasts. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to breasts.
• Friends with benefits: Arun and Leah are surprised when Marcus and Maddy casually reveal they are friends with benefits. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to friends with benefits relationships.
• Male orgasm: Worried about his orgasms, Gavin calls a help line. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to male orgasm.
• Masturbation: Rose is happy to have a bit of time with herself, but the real – and fantasized! – Julian gets in the way… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to masturbation.
• Fantasies: Did Camille really say she fancied the tooth fairy?!? Yep! The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to fantasies.
• Sexual orientation: Ryan tries to reveal his sexual orientation through a boardgame, but Rose and Julian can’t seem to get it… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to sexual orientation.
• Consent: As Arun is choking on a sandwich, Gavin and Marcus discuss the importance of him consenting to abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to consent.
• STBBIs: Marcus and Maddy’s improv skills are tested when Leah chooses STBBIs as the theme. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to STBBIs.
• Foreplay: As Leah is trying to teach Camille about foreplay, she realizes Camille knows more about allergies… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to caresses and foreplay.
• The first time: Rose and Julian remember that their first time was… something to forget about! The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to the first time they had sex.
• Porn and reality: Camille tries to convince Ryan that porn has made her a sexpert… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to porn and reality.
• Contraception: As he’s about to have sex with Camille, Ryan finds a surprising use for his condoms… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to contraception.
• Virginity: When Arun gathers his friends because he absolutely needs to tell them something, they think he’s about to come out. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to virginity.
• The vulva: Julian has come up with an unconventional idea for his Christmas cards. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to the vulva.
• Gender identity: Julian starts to wonder about his gender identity when he realizes he’s wearing a piece of Rose’s clothes. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to gender identity.
• Romantic feelings: Maddy and Marcus go on a mock date to test if he’s developing romantic feelings for her. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to romantic feelings.
• Double standards: Julian becomes confused when Ryan and Rose use muffins to argue about how many sexual partners men and women should be allowed to have… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to male-female double standards.
• Dating violence: Leah defends Arun when she thinks he’s been physically abused by a girl. The comedy clip is followed by informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to dating violence.
• Being ready for sex: While playing “Never Have I Ever” with Maddy and Marcus, Arun feels he’ll never ever be ready for sex! The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to being ready for sex.
• Pubic hair: Camille wants to be “bare down there” for prom, but Maddy proposes something more original. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to pubic hair.
• Flirting and seduction: Rose and Julian compete to see whose flirting technique will win Leah’s approval. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to flirting and seduction.
• The clitoris: It looks like Julian doesn’t know where the clitoris is… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to the clitoris.
• Oral sex: Julian is sure Rose said she wanted floral sex and decides to prep his car accordingly. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to oral sex.
• Interest in sex and attraction: Marcus is puzzled when Maddy starts comparing her interest in sex… to pizza! The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to sex and attraction.
• Termination of pregnancy: While waiting for their home pregnancy test result, Rose and Julian panic at the thought of becoming parents. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to termination of pregnancy.
• Sex, drugs and alcohol: Having met a possible first sex partner at a party, Arun wonders if taking something will help to calm down. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to sex, drugs, and alcohol.
• Sexual assault: Leah and Arun eat Marcus’ cake to prove a point about sexual assault. The comedy clip is followed by informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to sexual assault.
• Jealousy: As Rose prepares to go study with a male friend, Julian fights off his feelings of jealousy and learns to trust Rose. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to jealousy.
• Impacts of porn: Ryan thinks he needs to over exercise in order to be as good as a porn star. The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to the impacts of porn.
• Nudity and shyness: Getting ready for tennis, Arun seems shy at the thought of undressing in front of Marcus and revealing one particular part of his body… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to shyness about being naked with someone.
• Heartbreak: Marcus is feeling bad and seems to believe it has something to do with the chili he ate. Arun thinks it’s something else… The comedy clip is followed by funny and informative mixed media content and by young adults’ tips and experiences related to heartbreaks.

I hope you’re able to watch these videos with your teen.

Happy talking!
❤️ Cath

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