It is a doctor-directed sex education sub-site of Pornhub.
But with 70 million daily users -- including kids with inquiring minds -- Pornhub’s success presented a major educational opportunity.
Our goal is to provide our visitors with a site that has credible and insightful information, rather than have them scouring the internet,” Corey Price, vice president, told Mashable.
Searching Sex on the Web
As unsettling as it may sound, kids as young as 10 are searching for sex information on the Web.
Researchers at the Crimes Against Children Research Center University of New Hampshire spent two years acquiring and studying data from a national telephone survey of 1,500 youth Internet users aged 10 to 17 years. At the time, 2007, they found 42 percent of youth Internet users had been exposed to online pornography. More than half -- 66 percent reported unwanted exposure. It’s wasn’t the majority of 10-17 year olds then, but many of those kids were curious enough or had questions they went online with.
What is the Site All About?
The Sexual Wellness Center sub-site has articles on the basics of the birds and the bees, sexual safety, diseases like Hepatitis B & C, relationships and other topics that will develop over time.
The images are graphics-based.
Users can also send questions to Dr. Laurie Betito, the sub-site’s director.
The content also features therapists and other contributors.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 24 U.S. states and the District of Columbia currently mandate sex education.
That means many school districts can choose not to teach sex education in their schools -- but the students that go to those schools may have Internet access.
Hear Dr. Laurie’s welcome message:
Additional Resources
The UNH researchers do not just track trends, they also look at programs designed to increase children’s safety and foster responsible online behavior.
Resources from bullying to violence are available on the Crimes Against Children Research Center homepage.
