The book reviews for Welcome to Sex are polarised. Readers who bought from Amazon or Mighty Ape either love it or hate it but regardless, it's hit New Zealand shores with a bang.
The book, released in May, is aimed at children aged 10+ and is authored by Sydney-based Dr Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes who describe it as "the only guide you need to navigate consent for tweens and teens of all genders".
Kang is an adolescent health doctor and researcher and Stynes is a podcaster and radio host.
The 304-page book covers a range of topics such as consent, orgasms, sexual and gender identity, as well as sexual positions.
The Guardian reports the book was pulled from Australian department store Big W after staff members were abused. Online backlash over the book's release has been swift. United Australia Party Senator Ralph Babet said the book is the latest "woke trend".
Across the ditch, chief executive of Family First Bob McCoskrie said it's "a grubby little book".
Family First is a Christian organisation that advocates against abortion and seeks to promote and strengthen the family unit.
McCoskrie called the material in the book "offensive" and said the authors had a "warped world view".
"It's not the facts in the book that are the issue but the age appropriateness and the moral innocence of children. Which is why we have age restrictions in the first place," McCoskrie said.
He said readers should judge for themselves and warns parents the book is "aimed at your children".
"Parents beware. There are authors and books and curriculums that want to sexualise your children, want to pollute your child's mind, remove their moral innocence and in some cases want to groom your children."
But a University of Canterbury sexuality educator could not disagree more.
Tracy Clelland is a lecturer in health education and has been a sexuality educator for 30 years and a parent for 20.
Next week she will be gaining her doctorate in education after years of researching how parents understand and experience sexual education with their children.
She believes silence around sex and bodies has created a culture of shame and secrecy.
"Children learn about sex and their bodies from a wide range of sources including silence. Research tells us that when children have access to reliable information and opportunities to discuss this with the adults in their lives, it improves healthy relationships, dating and intimate partner violence prevention, and increased media literacy.
"In my research with parents in Aotearoa, shame around sex and bodies had long-term implications for health and well-being, especially for women," Clelland said.
She said she doesn't believe children's exposure to the book will encourage early sexual activity.
"National and international research identifies the opposite effect. It strengthens young people's sense of identity, decreases the shame around sex and bodies, and opens up communication about consent, (un)healthy relationships, decisions making, and so on."
Clelland said porn should not be the "default sexuality educator".
"Young people do look at online porn to learn about sex because they are curious and tell us it's still awkward to talk with parents.
"In my research, parents who created open spaces for communication had children as young as nine asking them questions about sex. Their children knew their parents were a safe, non-judgemental space. This often led to further questions.
"It's also important to say that parents know their children best so parents need to make decisions about what they want to use to educate their kids."
It comes as Clelland and her team have just released a new app called Beyond the Birds & Bees, aimed at children aged 12 and above. She said it came about as "young people told us in our research they wanted a safe, online, reliable platform to access information about sexual health, relationships, gender and sexuality".
"We also created a website for parents because young people said parents need it more than them.
"Our platform is designed to be a living space where young people, parents and educators give us constructive feedback about what they want covered across relationships and sex education (RSE).
"We hope we can start conversations between everybody," Clelland said.
"My research shows that parents are finding it less awkward and are trying to start conversations with their children and young people. They realise that quality RSE from a young age is actually fostering healthy young people who navigate the complexities of relationships."
A spokesperson for Whitcoulls told 1News it's not planning to stock the book. A Paper Plus spokesperson said nine of its stores have it and only two libraries around the country currently hold it.
"Individual libraries will make independent decisions on which items to add to their collections, based on their own collection development policies and Public Libraries of New Zealand has no involvement or oversight of these local collection decisions," Public Libraries of New Zealand executive director Bernie Hawke said.
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