Why global, up-to-date sex education is essential for us adults.

What comes to mind when you hear "sex education"?
Many people might think of it as something embarrassing, something they learned in school long ago, or something no longer relevant once you become an adult. In reality, Japan's sex education lags significantly behind global standards. And this very lag in sex education is actually linked to various social issues, such as sex crimes, gender discrimination, and youth suicide.

To change this situation, Dentsu Inc.'s cross-departmental organization "Sexology Creative Lab" has created " SEXOLOGY," a content platform offering the latest globally standard sexual information. While designed primarily for young people as a "textbook on sexuality you can learn on your smartphone," it actually contains a wealth of crucial knowledge that we, the adults living in contemporary Japanese society, should know. In this series, we aim to introduce the latest information on sexuality through content realized by combining "Sex × Creativity."

For the first installment, we speak with Kazuko Fukuda, representative of the #WhyNotProject, which works to improve access to contraception and other services in Japan, about "The Lag in Japanese Sex Education."

Ms. Fukuda, who also contributed to the planning and production of this "SEXOLOGY" project, currently works as a Program Analyst for sexual health at an international organization in Rwanda. She holds a degree in Public Health from Sweden and has witnessed firsthand the situations not only in Sweden but also in Finland, Canada, India, and other parts of the world.

【Sexology Creative Lab】
An internal cross-functional team at Dentsu Inc. developing content and spreading information within the "Sex × Creativity" framework. Launched in 2019 by creative members interested in sexual health issues, it collaborates with experts in medicine and sex education to find creative solutions for various sexual health challenges, including sex education and fertility support.

What I noticed in Sweden: "This is what's wrong with sex education in Japan."

"Japanese youth aren't being protected at all, are they!?"
"They tell us to value ourselves, but isn't it impossible to do that in Japan anymore!?"

These were my thoughts five years ago, during my first long-term study abroad in Sweden while still in university.

For example, access to emergency contraception.
Commonly called the morning-after pill, this medication prevents pregnancy with a high probability when taken by women within 72 hours of sexual intercourse that carries a risk of pregnancy, including contraceptive failure or sexual assault. In Sweden, this medication requires no prescription and is sold at pharmacies for less than 1,500 yen. This isn't unique to Sweden; due to its 72-hour time limit, it's available over-the-counter without a prescription in over 90 countries worldwide.

In Japan, however, a doctor's consultation and prescription are required. The price is around ¥10,000. Considering that it is provided free of charge to young people in many countries, including Sweden, the UK, and even low- and middle-income countries, this price is exceptionally high.

Furthermore, compared to male condoms, other highly effective contraceptive methods like the low-dose pill are also expensive, resulting in low adoption rates globally. Abortion is also problematic. Abortion pills, the least burdensome method and commonly used worldwide, are not approved. Hospitals still perform surgical abortions using metal instruments for curettage, a method the WHO deems "outdated." The cost is also high, ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 yen.
  
When I share these realities, I sometimes hear the response, "Having sex in the first place is wrong." However, while commercial sexual information floods our surroundings, the reality is that people are not adequately educated about the specific risks associated with each act, how to avoid those risks, or that everyone has the right to sexual and reproductive health and rights. In such an environment, can we truly make decisions that protect the safety, happiness, and well-being of everyone involved? The answer is no. To make decisions that protect our own and others' well-being, we first need reliable information we can trust.

To change Japan, ranked 120th out of 156 countries on the Gender Gap Index.
 

When I was a teenager, schools and society were flooded with phrases like "You are irreplaceable" and "Take care of yourself," based on adults' understanding of youth as having "low self-esteem." That's precisely why, through my life in Sweden, I was utterly shocked to discover the stark reality: despite being told so often to "value yourself," the essential environment to actually do so was fundamentally lacking. And yet, under these conditions, where young people could only be hurt, the issue was dismissed as if the problem lay solely with their lack of self-esteem.

Unable to forget that shock, upon returning home in 2018 while still in university, I started the "#WhyNot Project." There, we advocate for the realization of comprehensive sexuality education—which is fundamentally necessary for "taking care of yourself"—and for improving access to contraception. Currently, while continuing the project, I work as a Program Analyst at an international organization in Rwanda, specializing in SRHR and gender-based health and rights in refugee camps. My work has taken me not only to Sweden and Rwanda, but also to Canada, Kenya, India, Finland, and other countries, giving me the opportunity to learn about situations around the world.

What struck me most profoundly was the stark contrast: while "sexual and reproductive health and rights" (SRHR) are now widely recognized and advocated for regardless of a country's income level, they remain virtually unknown in Japan.

These "sexual and reproductive health and rights" are considered crucial because they significantly impact multiple goals within the SDGs, which are gaining increasing attention in Japan. Furthermore, Japan recently made headlines for ranking 120th out of 156 countries on the Gender Gap Index. I feel that without the permeation of this concept and these rights, achieving significant change will be difficult. This time, I'll explain what Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights are – concepts becoming standard worldwide – and what Sexology, closely related to them, entails.

What are "Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights" (SRHR)?

"Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)" translates to "Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights" in Japanese.

"Sexual and reproductive health" refers to "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being in all matters relating to sexuality and reproduction." This concept gained widespread recognition as a universal right at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. The following year, over 25 years ago now, the Beijing Conference on Women adopted an action platform including SRHR, setting global guidelines.

This represented a major shift globally, transforming reproductive issues from matters of "national population policy" to questions of "individual rights to choose."

The goal here is not merely the absence of disease, violence, or discrimination. It encompasses a broader meaning: ensuring everyone can enjoy a more satisfying and safer sex life; enabling all people to live authentically regardless of their gender or sexuality; and allowing individuals to decide for themselves whether to have children, when to have them, how many to have, and at what intervals.

The Declaration on Sexual Rights adopted by the International Conference on Sexual Health (2014 revised edition)

To achieve this "sexual and reproductive health," essential elements include providing accurate information, starting with sex education; ensuring safe, effective, and affordable contraceptives; offering testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections; and establishing medical environments that support safer abortion and childbirth.
One of the foundations enabling this is SEXOLOGY.

Why SEXOLOGY is needed in Japan now.

SEXOLOGY refers to the science of sexuality, the science concerning human sexuality. To my knowledge, Japan has no university departments specializing in SEXOLOGY, but overseas, it exists as a university department and is one of the academic fields that has been studied for many years.

Even today, much of the talk circulating about sex often lacks credibility or is based on misinformation. Amidst this, the origin of SEXOLOGY lies in the idea of accumulating knowledge about sexual behavior and sexuality itself, grounded in proper research and investigation, to achieve "sexual health."

Globally, the World Association for Sexual Health (now renamed the World Association for Sexual Health) was founded in 1978 with the goal of improving people's sexual health through sexology. Specialists in this field are called "sexologists."

Since SEXOLOGY concerns the human body, it encompasses not only biological research but also numerous studies focused on sex education and psychology. Furthermore, a growing trend in recent years is the momentum to utilize accumulated knowledge to improve national policies, aiming to realize the sexual and reproductive health rights of all people.

However, as mentioned earlier, sexual and reproductive health and rights in Japan are still far from being adequately protected.

The list of problems is endless: lack of comprehensive sexuality education, insufficient access to reliable contraception and safe abortion services, inadequate laws addressing sexual violence, the inability to marry someone of the same sex, persistent gender inequality across economic, political, and other fields, and a national perspective on low birth rates that still prioritizes the state over individual choice.

What can we do to tackle these mounting problems? This project began with that very question. The most crucial step is ensuring vital information reaches those who need it. Couldn't eliminating all the "I didn't know that" moments surrounding sexuality be key to solving these social issues? Driven by this belief, we planned and created this smartphone-readable sex education textbook: " SEXOLOGY ~ Learning About Sex" ~.

Next time, we continue with a conversation between Kazuko Fukuda, representative of the #WhyNotProject and supervisor of the smartphone-based sex education textbook "SEXOLOGY," and creative planner/copywriter Sumire Sugii. They discuss the behind-the-scenes of "SEXOLOGY" production and the challenges facing sex education in Japan in 2022.