10 Lessons That Hit Netflix Series Sex Education Teaches Us

Within no time, the British Netflix series Sex Education has become the most loved and watched series in the world. Even though the series is set in a school and deals with teenagers, even adults in 30s can relate with the characters. The series which has been set in beautiful locales across England, talks about relationships and sex in a way no other series has done. It dwells deeper in the human psyche and shows how people though flawed can still be looking out for love, intimacy and acceptance. The show has a diverse cast and every season they try to break the stereotypes surrounding sex and relationships. We list down 10 lessons that the show teaches us.

1- Be Yourself, The World Will Adjust
One of the main reasons why Sex Education is so loved and watched by people is because how they have shown that the characters are unapologetically owning up to who they truly are. This season we saw how Adam struggled with letting go of his toxic masculine traits and accepting his homosexuality and Lily dealing with her obsession with aliens. Both these characters have been remarkably written and tell us how it is important to accept for who you are and no matter what your beliefs are. So you believe in aliens and chase crop circles! Doesn't matter, the people around you will surely have other esoteric dreams to chase.

2 - It is never too late to find love
Jean Millburn, played by Gillian Anderson is a strong woman who is in her late forties and is still seeking casual relationships and even manages to find a man to love her. This is inspirational to women all over the world who believe that they are being written off after the ages of 35. This character tells us that there is simply no age for finding the right partner or even falling in love.

3- There is no age for motherhood
This season we also saw Jean Millburn deal with pregnancy in her late forties. True, she did have some complications, but it in no way deterred her from having the child and dealing with all pregnancy related problems. It could encourage more women to consider having babies in their later years now that science has advanced, and that infertility is no longer considered a matter of shame.

4- Sex is not a bad word
Well, like the title of the show suggests, the series does have a lot of scenes involving sexual relations with the characters. The series since the start has advocated premarital sex, but they have also put across a case for safe sex and consent. They have discussed sexual harassment, abortions, STIs, hate-crimes, etc. The series puts forth a case that the more prude we become, the more problems arise in sexual wellness. They have shown how STDs and STIs spread, because people are too scared to discuss it or visit the health professionals fearing shaming and stigma.

5- And neither is therapy
The series has put a lot of focus on mental health and well-being. They make an excellent case for mental health professionals to not be biased and judgmental towards people seeking their help. It also stresses on the importance of seeking help of a mental health professional, the moment you realise that things aren't working out a certain way with no fault of your own. Not just that but the series also talks about mental health professionals creating safe places for their patients to talk about their problems openly and discuss them.

6- Nor is Abortion
Right now world over women's groups are fighting for abortion to be legalized and while in some places it is still outlawed, some countries do have abortions legal. It is a human right for every woman to have complete autonomy over her body and decide if she wants to keep the fetus or not. In the very first season of the show, they have shown Maeve going to an abortion clinic and getting the procedure done. We admired how they showed it with so much sensitivity and nuance. It put forth a case that women shouldn't be burdened with unwanted pregnancies and forced motherhood. Just like motherhood is a choice, so is abortion.

7- Women need pleasure as much as men
If it hasn't been stressed enough, then this series emphasizes it. Women need sexual pleasure as much as men. A lot of the characters are shown in funny and serious situations arising out of pleasing the women in 'bed'. They do put across a serious message that women shouldn't be ashamed of asking for sexual pleasure and satisfaction and that it is not just a man's right but a woman's as well.

8- Size isn't important
If you have grown up watching Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller and American Pie movies, this is a time to unlearn all that you know about sex and the male appendages. This season of Sex Education opened to a guy being bothered about the 'size' and our hero Otis quite well explains it to him that size doesn't really matter and that there are multiple ways in pleasing a woman and that everything can't be centered around an orgasm. It is also important that the couple connect emotionally and find ways to please each other than just jump into bed.

9- You don't have to always respect the authority
This season of Sex Education was especially iconic, because it introduced us to deeply flawed characters yet those who are relatable. We are introduced to a new Head Teacher, Hope, who probably reminds us of Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter, with her autocratic ways of running Moordale High. She tries to police students and asks them to practice abstinence. She introduces uniforms as well and is met with a lot of resistance, especially when she fails to understand how uniforms could not just stifle students physically but also emotionally. She pushes students like Lily and Layla in a corner for whom their clothes and makeup are a way of expressing to the world who they really are and what they stand for. It makes us realise that not always are rules and discipline meant for the betterment of people and society. And yes, at times if necessary, some rules are meant to be broken.

10- Relationships are complicated
Well, if you think Sex Education was all about sex, well then you couldn't be more wrong. It deals with a lot of relationships as well. We see multiple relationships this season and how some end - Be it Otis and Ruby or Lily and Ola or Jean and Yacob or Adam and Eric or Maeve and Isaac. The show does focus a lot of problems arising in relationships of our times. Be it Maeve's unwillingness to trust people or Ola's unwillingness to be as quirky as Lily or Jean's refusal to be in a serious relationship, this season we get an insight as to how love can never be what they showed in rom-coms of the '90s. As much as we would like for Otis and Maeve to be together, we liked how Maeve chose her education and career over her love for Otis. We liked how they are practical about romantic relationships and do not show us sugar-coated or fairy-tale romances. They like it keep it as real as it gets!