Let’s talk about sex: Where do teens get their sexual health information?

Having access to appropriate sexual health information can increase young peoples’ knowledge related to their sexual health and behaviours. Sexual health education includes topics like contraception and sexually transmitted or blood borne infections, as well as other aspects of well-being such as healthy relationships, sexual attraction and gender identity.

Having someone to talk to

Whether it is a parent, a teacher, a health care provider, or another trusted adult, having someone to talk to about sex and sexual health is important for the health and well-being of youth and their transition to adulthood.

According to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, most youth aged 15 to 17 years (85%) reported having an adult that they could talk with to get help or advice on puberty, sexual development or sexual health. This means that 15% of youth, representing around 165,000 adolescents, did not have an adult to talk to for sexual health information.

Sources of sexual health information

When youth were asked where they typically get their sexual health information, more than half identified school (56%) or a parent or caregiver (51%) as a source. The Internet (46%), friends (36%) and health care professionals (21%) were also common, while books or pamphlets (7%) were less frequently cited. About 3% of youth reported having no source to turn to for sexual health information.

While males and females reported using many of the same sources, there were some differences between the sexes. A higher proportion of males (59%) reported school as a source of sexual health information than females (53%). In contrast, a higher proportion of females reported a parent or caregiver (females, 56%; males, 47%), friends (females, 41%; males, 32%), health care professionals (females, 25%; males, 17%) and books or pamphlets (females, 8%; males, 6%) as sources of sexual health information.

Sources of sexual health information differ for sexually and/or gender diverse adolescents

Nearly one in five youth aged 15 to 17 years (18%) are sexually and gender diverse, which includes those who are transgender, non-binary and/or have same-gender attraction. Adolescents who are sexually and/or gender diverse may face different challenges trying to access sexual health information and resources than cisgender youth who are exclusively attracted to a different gender.

Compared with cisgender youth with exclusive attraction to a different gender (87%), a lower proportion of sexually and/or gender diverse youth (82%) said they had an adult to talk to for sexual health information. A higher proportion of sexually and/or gender diverse youth consulted sources such as the Internet (diverse, 58%; cisgender, 44%), health care professionals (diverse, 26%; cisgender, 20%) and books or pamphlets (diverse, 10%; cisgender, 6%) compared with cisgender youth with exclusive attraction to a different gender. These sources can enable youth to seek sexual health information privately and confidentially, which may encourage sexually and/or gender diverse youth to ask questions and express concerns that they might not be comfortable sharing otherwise.

Experiences related to sexual health differ based on sociocultural and sociodemographic factors

How youth access sexual health information differs by sociocultural and sociodemographic factors. For instance, compared with non-racialized and non-Indigenous youth (89%), a lower proportion of youth identifying as Chinese (74%), South Asian (77%), Black (79%) and all other racialized groups (78%) reported having an adult to talk to regarding sexual health information. 

Youth accessed different sources of sexual health information depending on where they lived. Compared with youth living in rural settings, a higher proportion of youth in urban centers typically got their information from school (urban, 57%; rural, 50%) and the Internet (urban, 47%; rural, 41%). A higher proportion of youth in rural communities (58%) reported getting information from a parent or caregiver, compared with adolescents in urban areas (50%).

Differences across sex, sexual and gender diversity, racialized groups and geography highlight that views and experiences related to sexual health are shaped by many different sociocultural factors.

A new study on where 15-to-17-year-olds in Canada get their sexual health information explores factors associated with access to sexual health information.

To learn more, read the full study here: Where do 15- to -17-year-olds in Canada get their sexual health information?

Highlights from this study are available in the infographic entitled, "Where do youth aged 15 to 17 get their sexual health information?".