The Gray Box

The neurology and endocrinology underlying the sexual impulses in teenagers has been widely ignored in the debate regarding sexual education. All behaviors have some sort of biological or neurological basis, and understanding what underlies sexual behavior might lead to a more empirically supported—and ultimately better—way of addressing the problem with sexual education in schools. Hormones like estrogens and testosterone ensure that we have the appropriate physiology to reproduce, but also push us to engage in sexual intercourse (which is both risky and extenuating on the body) to ensure the survival of the human race.

The neurology and endocrinology underlying the sexual impulses in teenagers has been widely ignored in the debate regarding sexual education. All behaviors have some sort of biological or neurological basis, and understanding what underlies sexual behavior might lead to a more empirically supported—and ultimately better—way of addressing the problem with sexual education in schools. Hormones like estrogens and testosterone ensure that we have the appropriate physiology to reproduce, but also push us to engage in sexual intercourse (which is both risky and extenuating on the body) to ensure the survival of the human race.