Breaking the taboo: an exploration of female university students' experiences of attending a feminist‐informed sex education course

Abstract

This article presents the results of a qualitative interview study of nine young women who attended a feminist‐informed human sexuality course as undergraduate students at a US university located in the ‘Bible belt’. The course focused on messages of desire and empowerment, rather than romance or fear, and was designed to encourage students to think critically about current sexual discourses. Results indicate that participants' information on sexual issues prior to taking the course was limited and largely negative. Experiences of the course are described in themes including owning sexual desire, improved body image, reduced guilt and fear, and increased confidence as a woman. It is concluded that sex education may be used to help empower female students and enrich their quality of life; current educational practices should therefore be examined for ways in which they are oppressive to development.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the women who kindly gave their time to participate in this study. Additionally, Dr Kathryn Roulston offered invaluable insight and support throughout this project.