Evidence-based programs like The Gist are designed to give young people practical tools for navigating sex, relationships and wellbeing and are helping young people understand what healthy, respectful connection looks like in real life.

The Gist was produced by sex education researchers at the Burnett Institute and University of Melbourne, who worked closely with designers, artists, teachers, and young people.

“So much sex education focuses on what not to do,” Associate Professor Megan Lim, Head of Young People’s Health at Burnet, says.

“Through programs like The Gist, we try to flip that and show the positive side of sex and relationships – what healthy, respectful connection can look like in real life.

“At the heart of this is helping young people build relationships that actually align with their own values and ethics.”

Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to broaden public conversations about love beyond romance and grand gestures, and instead centre respect and communication, Lim suggests.

“Consent and connection are a part of everything we do, not just for sex,” she says.

Associate Professor Lim says porn and social media don’t show the conversations that make relationships healthy, things like boundaries, consent and checking in with each other. 

The latest findings from Burnet’s annual Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll Survey show many young Australians are navigating intimacy in a world heavily shaped by online pornography and social media – often without clear, practical guidance on healthy relationships.

It found:

  • 77 per cent of young people said sexual pleasure was not covered at school,
  • 84 per cent said types of sex were not covered at school, and
  • only 42 per cent said consent education was covered well.

While young people are exposed to more sexual content than ever before, this content rarely reflects real-life intimacy, Lim says.

“Porn and social media don’t show the conversations that make relationships healthy, things like boundaries, consent and checking in with each other,” she says.

In November, EducationHQ reported on a new research project giving teenagers a voice in designing porn literacy education that helps them critically interrogate online pornography and any unwanted impacts.

Produced by Edith Cowan University (ECU), and building on years of its own research exploring teens’ experiences with online sexual content, researchers are working with teens to co-design strategies that support their sexual wellbeing and recognise them as experts in their own experiences.

eSafety research from early 2025 of 3454 children aged 10 to 17 years-old, found 32 per cent of kids have been exposed to sexual images or videos online.

ECU researcher and sexologist Dr Giselle Woodley said last year that her team’s research clearly shows teens are already critical thinkers, able to discern fantasy from reality.

“We want to design strategies alongside teens that respond to their existing wisdom and that they will be responsive to.” 

She said ignoring the topic only increases the risks.

“While we are moving towards age verification, social media bans and restrictions, we need to consider bolstering education, too,” she said in November.

Lim’s work highlights a gap between the expectations young people absorb online and the skills they need to build positive, respectful relationships offline.

This gap can contribute to pressure, confusion and difficulty communicating needs and boundaries.