Female founded sexual wellness start up NORMAL is launching a new adults sex-education e-course to combat misinformation and prejudice in sex education in Australia.
The 15 lesson e-course called ‘The Modern Guide to Sex’ will address the inadequate sex education currently in Australian schools, while taking advantage of the global rise of ‘sex-tech’: companies that aim to normalise sexual wellness and sexual health.
The start up, founded by entrepreneur Lucy Wark, is one of the four brands owned by Eucalyptus: a Sydney-based startup owned by four young men that builds and launches digital consumer products.
In July, their startup received a huge infusion of funding (up to $30 million) from investors.
In the past year, Normal conducted a survey of roughly 1000 people, where they found that information regarding pregnancy and contraception, consent and LGBTQ+ sexuality is not being accurately or compassionately taught.
“Sex education is seriously lacking, particularly when it comes to consent and boundaries,” the survey explains. “But, even anatomy and contraception.”
The survey revealed that the internet, including the sensationalisation and violence of porn, remains the most prominent ‘educational resource’ being consumed.
“The lack of education isn’t age-specific,” the survey added. “Gen Z to Boomers were all in the dark.”
The survey found that little to no sex-education existed either about or for the LGBTQ+ community and that misconceptions about topics such as queer sex still exist.
Wark’s company is working alongside Monash Student Union on consent and pleasure education, as well as collaborating with Splendour in the Grass on a panel about consent education in Australia.
“We’re still treating LGBTQ+ students as though they don’t have the same right to health and wellbeing as other Australians,” Wark said in a statement.
“The Modern Guide to Sex deliberately avoids assuming sexuality or gender identity in how it describes different types of sex.”
The course will offer sexual health information covering “all kinds of sex, not just penis-in-vagina and oral like our schools,” as well as a glossary of terms explaining important concepts in LGBTQ+ sexuality.
The course aims to be the “total opposite of the cringe-worthy Government-produced milkshake ad” and teach consent in a practical, engaging way.
Normal’s founder Lucy Wark told TimeOut Magazine that her aim was always to make sexual wellness more accessible to people everywhere.
“Despite a lot of progress, as a society we still don’t make it easy to explore sexuality,” Wark said.
“Whether it’s sex ed in school that mainly covers the ‘plumbing’ and ‘condom on a banana’, or the fact that many people learn sex from a distorted medium like pornography.”
“Even shopping for something as simple as a sex toy can feel really confusing, awkward and stressful if you’re not a sex nerd.”
“Sexual wellness is more than the absence of a sexual health issue or having a certain number of orgasms per week! It’s about a state of comfort and empowerment.”
Wark studied Politics at Cambridge University and spent some time working at McKinsey as a business analyst.
The Modern Guide to Sex is run online through a series of videos, taught by certified sex coach Georgia Grace. The course will be available for free for university students and private school students.