Canada: Internet "Snake Oil" Boosts Sex Education Need

Sexual health educators in Canada say misinformation circulating on the Internet -- like the "facts" that Mountain Dew can be used as a spermicide, "penis-enlargement" pills really work, and an HIV vaccine already exists -- make accurate sex education more important than ever. Teenagers' ability to navigate the Internet often exceeds their ability to critically evaluate what they find there, said Matthew Johnson, media education specialist with the Ottawa-based Media Awareness Network.

"If you put in any search terms related to sexuality, for every good source that comes up, you're going to get a number that at the lesser end may simply be pornographic and at the worse end may be disturbing or even illegal," Johnson said. In addition to teaching the basics, educators must help students acquire the media literacy skills they need to find more facts for themselves, he said.

Saleema Noon, a sexual health educator in Vancouver, said she finds students are often reluctant to ask questions about what they see online for fear of being punished for seeking information about sex. Because she believes the ability to speak confidently about sex is key to gaining knowledge, she instructs boys and girls together and encourages them to answer questions using proper terminology.

Alex McKay, research coordinator for the Toronto-based Sex Information and Education Council of Canada, said teachers struggle with how to respond to the Internet's influence. He added, however, that at its best the Web can guide teens toward the answers to hard-to-ask questions, and it can help otherwise isolated youths -- particularly those who are disabled, gay or transgender -- find a sense of community as they explore their sexuality.

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