Welcome to Sex, a book described as "the only guide you need to navigate consent for tweens and teens of all genders", has been given an "unrestricted" classification by The Classification Office - Te Mana Whakaatu.
The Classification Office is an independent Crown entity which classifies films and other content so Kiwis can make informed choices about content they consume.
The children's book divided people when it was released earlier this year, with chief executive of Family First Bob McCoskrie describing it as "a grubby little book".
The 304-page book covers a range of topics such as consent, orgasms, sexual and gender identity, as well as sexual positions.
Today, Chief Censor Caroline Flora said the Office decided that the book, written by Dr Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes, is an educational book for teenagers.
“For young people seeking information about sex, resources like this provide an alternative to pornography or other material online that could be harmful. The classification allows parents to determine if its right for their teens.
“Restricting this publication would take away the ability of parents and whānau to use this publication as an educational tool in discussions around sex.
"It would also make this educational resource less accessible than online pornography, which we know from our previous research is often the ‘go-to’ for young people curious to find out more about sex.”
She said it was a straight forward decision, the Office instead found the publication to be an educational resource written in plain language combined with simple, but colourful (non-erotic), illustrations.
“The book is clearly about sex. It is written in very large letters on the front cover so is unlikely to be mistaken for a book on another subject.”
She said the Office will still be advising libraries and booksellers to consider how they display the book.
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