“Shouting into the Void”: Experiences of Virtual Sex Educators during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Virtual sexuality education has become increasingly significant since the COVID-19 pandemic began. This research seeks to investigate the common challenges and successes, professional resources, and online tools among sexuality educators teaching virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. Curriculum adaptation, engagement, trust/connection, and professional support were the most common areas of concern for educators; lack of available online tools seemed unproblematic; technological access presented a significant barrier for rural and marginalized students; and experiences of success did not fall into a clearly defined “best practices” strategy but rather responded to the specific needs of the classroom context. These findings join pre-COVID discussions around sexuality websites and best practices for curriculum adaptation, and suggest a refocus of professional discussion away from listing online tools and toward discussions around strategies for adapting material, promoting engagement, increasing student access, and building trust.

Keywords:

• Sexuality education
• pandemic education
• virtual learning
• online pedagogy

Acknowledgments

The author first wishes to thank the editors and reviewers who examined this manuscript and provided helpful suggestions. Thank you to Knox College, the Self-Designed Studies program, the Educational Studies department, and Lisa Harris for her support in the ASSET program. Thanks also to the participants of this study, without whom this work could not have been completed, as well as Jennifer McCarthy-Foubert, Heather Hoffmann, Dr. Lexx Brown-James, and my AASECT cohort, who provided valuable professional support along the way. Finally, this work could not have been completed without the continuing support of my spouse, Solis Scriver, and our cats, Dumpster and Toaster.

Ethical approval

IRB approval for research involving human participants was received by Jonah Rubin at Knox College on June 3, 2021. This approved the use of participants’ real names, with participant consent (Submission ID: 4981206984522434388).

Disclosure statement

The author was formerly employed alongside one of the participants in the study implementing virtual education but is no longer affiliated. Publication of this paper may contribute to the author’s pursuit of certification as a Sexuality Educator (CSE) through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). There are no other conflicts of interest to disclose.

Notes

1 Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) and Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) are the U.S. Senate and House bills became law on April 11, 2018. The laws are intended to hold online platforms accountable for trafficking activity on their sites; this resulted in online platforms enforcing much stricter policies around explicit content, forcing sex workers out of safe online platforms.

2 “Whorephobia” (coined by Maitresee Nikita and Thierry Schaffauser) refers to systemic marginalization, fear, and demonization of sex work and sexuality in society. It is used here to refer to motivations behind sexual censorship in media and education. “Purity culture” or even “societal sex negativity” also work, but “whorephobia” specifically recognizes the interconnection between sex work and sexuality education.

Additional information

Funding

This research was advised by Jennifer McCarthy Foubert and funded by the Knox College 2021 Artists, Scholars, Scientists, and Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (ASSET) program, the Paul K. & Evalyn Cook Richter Memorial Fund, the William Fern Fund, and the Thalia Manganari Papavas Fund.