by Natalie Fung, Saad Ahmed, Michelle Au don’t, Ripudaman Singh Minhas
At a recent youth sexual and reproductive health conference in Toronto, we asked attendees a simple question via an anonymous live poll: “What makes talking about sexual health difficult?”
Answers came quickly.
“Stain.”
“Fear of judgment.”
“Discomfort.”
“Culture and the Family.”
“Embarrassed.”
“Don’t know what’s true online.”
Another question asked where young people often get information about sexual health. Social media and Google searches dominated the responses, surpassing family conversations or healthcare providers.
While many adults may find these findings alarming, for young people they simply reflect the reality of how information is accessed in this age of social media.
The bottom line is, young people aren’t avoiding conversations about sexual health. They are avoiding shame, silence and judgement.
Often, parents assume that their children are not interested in sexual health or are too young to engage in meaningful discussions about it. Yet our experience at the summit suggested otherwise. Young people are curious, thoughtful and eager to learn. They are actively seeking information, asking important questions, and trying to understand a complex world of relationships, identity, and health. What many struggle to find is a place where they can do so safely. And in the absence of safe, trusted and inclusive spaces, social media fills the void.
Adolescents are growing up in an environment where information about sex, relationships, gender identity, and reproductive health is instantly and constantly available. TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and YouTube have become the default sources of information, not necessarily because young people trust them the most, but also because they are accessible, anonymous and responsive. They can explore sensitive questions privately without fear of embarrassment or dismissal.
However, the Internet is a complicated place to learn about sexual and reproductive health. In addition to credible resources, influencers spread misinformation, toxic relationship advice, unrealistic portrayals of sexuality, and harmful stereotypes about gender and sexuality. Young people are expected to navigate these messages while simultaneously developing their own identities, values, and relationships. It’s no wonder that many feel confused, overwhelmed and unsure of what information to trust.
At our summit, young participants shared that they wanted more honest and inclusive conversations about topics like consent, pleasure, pornography, fertility, queer relationships, sexually transmitted infections, vaginas and body image. Many have expressed frustration that sexual health education often focuses narrowly on risk prevention for White, cis, heterosexual individuals while failing to address the psychological, relational, and emotional health dimensions of intimacy and identity.
This gap is important. Sexual and reproductive health misinformation doesn’t just create confusion—it can shape mental health, relationships, and self-worth. Misinformation about the body, masculinity, contraception, sexually transmitted infections and LGBTQ2S+ identity – or the complete absence of inclusive information – can increase anxiety, shame and isolation, while increasing vulnerability to risky behaviors and unsafe situations. As a result, many are forced to navigate online spaces where harmful and fear-based messages spread quickly and often without context.
Misinformation does not affect all young people equally.
Importantly, misinformation does not affect all young people equally. Youth from ethnic, immigrant, and marginalized communities may face additional barriers to accessing culturally safe and inclusive sexual health information. Some participants described growing up in an environment where sexual health conversations were considered taboo, where discussing sexuality was associated with shame, or where certain identities and experiences were completely ignored. In this context, social media can become both a lifeline and a risk: a place where young people find themselves and answers but encounter misinformation and harmful narratives.
This lack of trust and comfort within traditional systems was the underlying theme that emerged most clearly from our conversations. Young people are actively seeking information and support, yet many do not feel safe accessing it within conventional systems.
For clinicians, this requires a change in approach. Young people are highly attracted to judgmental, judgmental and exclusionary language. Creating psychologically safe conversations about sexual health means regularly normalizing these discussions and approaching them with openness, curiosity, and humility. Clinicians should use inclusive language that reflects the diversity of identities and relationships of young people, including LGBTQ2S+, Indigenous, disabled and HIV-positive communities. Confidentiality should be clearly explained; Most importantly, young people should feel empowered to ask questions without fear of shame or dismissal.
At the same time, clinicians cannot assume that simply providing accurate information will be sufficient to combat misinformation online. Young people are constantly navigating an emotionally and algorithmically augmented content ecosystem. Trusted health information must therefore be culturally relevant, accessible and engaging. Meeting young people “where they are” means understanding the digital realities they navigate every day.
Policymakers and health systems also have important roles to play. Investing in youth co-designed and community-informed approaches to health communication is essential. One-size-fits-all public health messages often fail to resonate with diverse communities. Youth from marginalized backgrounds should not only be recipients of health information but active participants in its creation.
Young people understand the online environment their peers live in, the language they use and the barriers they face. Their insights are critical to building health systems and educational systems that are responsive, trustworthy, and inclusive.
The reality is that young people are already talking about sexual health online every day. The question is whether trusted institutions are willing to meet them there – not with judgment, but with honesty, compassion and respect.
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Previously published with on healthdebate.ca Creative Commons License
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