Sex Education for Adults. What is "SEXOLOGY," the smartphone-readable sex education textbook?

This series introduces the latest information through content created by Dentsu Inc.'s cross-departmental organization, Sexology Creative Lab (SCL), within the framework of "Sex × Creativity." What can be done to solve the various issues surrounding sexuality in Japan? The first step developed was the smartphone-readable sex education textbook " SEXOLOGY ~ Learning Sexology ~".

In this second installment, we introduce the features of this "New Sex Education Textbook" and the latest challenges in sex education revealed through it. Kazuko Fukuda, representative of the #Nandenaeno Project working to improve access to contraception in Japan and supervisor of "SEXOLOGY," and Sumire Sugii, SCL member and Creative Planner/Copywriter, engage in a dialogue. They discuss "Today's Sex Education" – information adults like you especially need to know.

"SEXOLOGY ~ Learning About Sex" is a smartphone-readable sex education textbook website covering 20 topics about sexuality. Anyone can access it for free, providing scientifically grounded, globally benchmarked sexual information for everyone from children to adults.
 

The Problem: "Getting Accurate Sexual Knowledge is Super Hard"

Sugii: Back in 2019, before we started developing "SEXOLOGY," projects and content related to sex were gradually increasing. However, it was quite difficult for them to reach the people who needed them. There were many wasted opportunities—content that was incredibly valuable to read, but the design wasn't appealing to young people, or it just wasn't reaching the target audience... We thought about what we could do, since we weren't experts in sex education, but we were good at designing and spreading information.

Fukuda: Conversely, since our field is sex education, we had resources and connections regarding the content to communicate. At the same time, we felt acutely that the projects we launched were only reaching a niche audience interested in the topic, and we wanted to change that.
     
Sugii: That's when we decided to team up with educators in the medical and sex education fields, along with us SCL creators whose strengths are "design, planning, and production," to create content that tackles sexual issues. By the way, Fukuda and I were classmates in university. We often discussed sex education practices overseas, and I'd always thought it would be great if we could collaborate on something together someday.

The first problem we focused on was how incredibly difficult it is to access accurate sexual health information.

Fukuda: This is something I've long considered problematic. In Japan, once you finish health classes during compulsory education, you have almost no further opportunities to access accurate sexual knowledge. Even searching online often brings up dubious summary sites at the top, leaving people with no choice but to rely on adult videos as de facto textbooks.

In contrast, countries like Canada, the UK, and Sweden have government-led, easy-to-understand textbook-like websites. I thought it was great that people could immediately access one site when they had concerns like "My contraception failed" or "My partner is being abusive," and get reliable information all in one place—it made them feel valued.

Sugii: When I heard about these online sex education sites available overseas, I thought, "I want to create a Japanese version of this!" Not something overly formal, but something casual enough to read on the train or in the bathroom, yet with solid sources—something I'd actually want to use.

Ideally, I wanted to create it with the government or educational institutions. But waiting for the government or education system to change wouldn't help people struggling right now. So, I approached clients I thought might be interested in sex education and other topics. I pitched, "How about creating a sex education textbook you can read on your smartphone?" They were interested, and things moved quickly, leading straight to production. I'm incredibly grateful to the client who continues to manage the site even now.

SEXOLOGY means the science of sexuality. The meaning behind the name
     

Sugii: When we started creating the textbook-style site, the first thing we did was think of a name for it.
"SEXOLOGY." It's pronounced "sexology." This was a word Mr. Fukuda taught me.     

Fukuda: That's right. SEXOLOGY means the science of sexuality—the science concerning human sexuality. While it's still an unfamiliar term in Japan, it's a long-established academic field overseas, even existing as a university department.     

Sugi: We named it with the hope that people would use the site we were launching as a reliable, textbook-like resource. A place that stands in stark contrast to emotional arguments and rumors, a place that conveys academic, scientifically grounded knowledge. That's the kind of place we aimed to create.

We also aimed for the word "SEX" – a word that makes everyone pause and take notice, a word that makes your heart skip a beat.

Three Key Features of "SEXOLOGY" and the Challenges in Sex Education They Reveal

Sugi: While sites sharing sexual knowledge have increased in recent years, ours has three distinctive elements.

First, it "aligns with the International Guidelines for Sexuality Education published by UN agencies like UNESCO." We wanted to deliver globally standard sexual education.

Fukuda: In Japan, sex education typically starts in upper elementary school, covering topics like physical changes in boys and girls. The International Guidelines on Sexuality Education begin at age 5. The content covers a wide range of topics in a positive, open, and age-appropriate manner, emphasizing human rights and gender equality. This includes understanding sexuality, gender, relationships with friends and family, values and culture, rights, violence and safety, and internet use.

Sugi: The "SEXOLOGY" website offers reading materials organized into 20 categories aligned with the International Guidelines for Sexuality Education. These include: the body, menstruation, gender, sex, masturbation, pregnancy, fertility, childbirth, contraception, abortion, STIs, testing, sexual violence, pornography, human rights, relationships, body image, the internet, family, and sexuality education around the world.

Examples of SEXOLOGY Topics

Sugii: And the second feature of "SEXOLOGY" is "supervision by experts from diverse backgrounds." Since this concerns people's lives and well-being, we wanted to ensure it was thoroughly reliable, so we enlisted the cooperation of six experts. Mr. Fukuda is one of them.

Fukuda: Yes. Besides me, diverse experts—including an OB/GYN, a urologist, and an education professor—oversee all articles and designs, regardless of gender or age.

Sugii: Seeing the drafts of articles and illustrations get progressively refined through the experts' supervision is always incredibly educational.

Fukuda: That's great! While the topic is "sex education," I believe it's crucial that we develop our plans with a multifaceted perspective—not just medical professionals, but also experts well-versed in global trends in education and human rights, and researchers knowledgeable about sex education worldwide. Sexual health and rights can only be achieved when they encompass physical, psychological, and social dimensions!

Sugii: When a designer was illustrating the "Women's Bodies" topic, they drew a slender woman. I was startled when someone pointed out it might impose a body image. I realized I'd unconsciously assumed what a woman's body "should" look like. Articles and illustrations undergo multiple reviews by our supervising professor, constantly improving. The knowledge gained here is incredibly valuable in other advertising work too, and my own stereotypical values are updated daily.

Sugi: And the third characteristic of "SEXOLOGY": "Not assuming heterosexuality as the norm and breaking free from lookism. "

Many existing sex education books and websites, when discussing sex and romance, inevitably default to descriptions based on heterosexual relationships between men and women. The SEXOLOGY site is written and designed with a wide range of sexualities in mind: heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and people who don't engage in physical relationships or romantic love.

Fukuda: When I looked up relationship troubles online, I often found worrying content—like advice on power plays or material that seemed to condone dating violence. But SEXOLOGY's pages on "Love" feel refreshing.
     
Sugii: Exactly. The way it clearly states, "Our focus isn't on couples, but on individuals," and gently explains, "It's okay to be interested in romance, or not. It's okay to have someone you like, or not. It's okay to have a one-sided crush or mutual feelings. There's no 'strange age' for not being in love," is exactly what I wished I could have read as a student. "SEXOLOGY" also produces videos about sex and pregnancy, and those videos depict all kinds of couples too.

We take great care in how we portray people, making sure the content we create and share doesn't perpetuate lookism. We strive to depict the beauty in all kinds of styles. Traditional health textbooks often depicted masculine bodies and feminine bodies, but we wanted to change that.

Expanding "SEXOLOGY"

Sugii: After "SEXOLOGY" was completed, we implemented several strategies to expand this content. The first was web banners.

Sugii: Since it was deemed sexual content for ages 18 and up, we couldn't run it on social media. Instead, we used banner ads to increase awareness of the site. We also added a "SEXOLOGY QUIZ" feature on the site where users can test their sexual knowledge, creating a mechanism that encourages them to share their results on social media.

As a result, the site started attracting many visitors and seems to be gradually spreading—even being used in high school and university classes. Recently, we were featured in a pamphlet for high school students by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and it's been introduced through various channels, which makes us incredibly happy.

Sex education isn't something to be ashamed of. We need to start changing adult attitudes.

Sugi: The "SEXOLOGY" site launched on September 1, 2020, and we continue to update articles regularly. It's constantly evolving, delivering world-class sex education. We plan to keep updating it as a sex education textbook that anyone can read anytime, anywhere.

Fukuda: Finally... I hope that when you hear "sex education," you won't think of it as something embarrassing, something you learned in school long ago, or something no longer relevant to adults. I want everyone—teens, adults, and people of all ages—to read SEXOLOGY as content that provides the knowledge and power to live authentically throughout your life.

SEXOLOGY: Learning About Sex
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【Sexology Creative Lab】
An internal cross-functional team at Dentsu Inc. developing content and spreading information within the framework of "Sex × Creativity." Launched in 2019 by creative members interested in sexual issues. Partnering with experts in healthcare and sex education, we work to find creative solutions for various sexuality-related challenges, including sex education and fertility support. If this series inspires you to create something addressing sexuality or sex education issues, please contact us.