Sex education and the views of young people on gender and sexuality in Portuguese schools

This paper draws upon the recognition of sex education as an educational space for the development of youth sexual citizenship and gender equality. Despite the more open political and public debates in Portugal during the last three decades, around the implementation of sex education in schools, the relationship between education and sexuality is still seen as a «problem» and not as a citizenship right. Going beyond the health centred approaches, the paper explores new possibilities for sex education based on sexual and intimate citizenship concepts. Firstly, a brief outline of the advances and setbacks in sex education and gender policies in Portugal is presented to better contextualize this question. Secondly, an interpretation of young people’s views on sexuality, more concretely on sexual pleasure and sexual pressure and the implications of sex education for intimate relationships are taken into account, based on interviews from male and female pupils in Portuguese schools. Finally, the need to rethink sex education is emphasised with consideration of young people’s views for overcoming revealed issues and constraints in order for an educational agenda on equality and citizenship to be created.