Denmark’s annual Uge Sex sexual education campaign reaches hundreds of thousands of students, but young people with disabilities are being left behind. A grassroots organization is filling the gap with specialized materials, as educators and parents push for equal access to this essential learning.
Specialized Materials Address Growing Need
Every year, week 6 in Denmark is synonymous with mandatory sexual education in public schools and, since 2023, in upper secondary institutions. It’s a week filled with films, discussions about hormones, and age-appropriate lessons about bodies and relationships. But for young people with disabilities, this crucial education often remains out of reach.
Sammenslutningen for Unge Med Handicap (SUMH), the Youth with Disabilities Association, has taken matters into its own hands. Since 2021, the organization has been creating customized sexual education packages specifically designed for young people with disabilities. The demand has been striking. In 2021, they distributed fewer than 100 packages. This year, they’ve capped distribution at 400 packages to manage the overwhelming demand, with an estimated 8,000 students expected to receive instruction using their materials.
A Mother’s Perspective on Equal Rights
Mette Munkholm Bisbo is the mother of a 16-year-old boy who attends a special program for children with autism at Låsby School, located between Silkeborg and Aarhus. For her, ensuring her son receives sexual education is not optional. It’s a fundamental right.
Her son may not have the same cognitive starting point as his peers and is at a different developmental stage. However, his physical age is 16, and he experiences the same bodily changes as any teenager. He needs help interpreting what’s happening in his body, just like everyone else his age.
As a parent of a child with special needs, navigating these conversations isn’t straightforward. Parents must constantly assess where their child is in their development. The typical teenage talk doesn’t always translate, requiring a more tailored approach that considers both cognitive and emotional readiness.
Communication Barriers Complicate Learning
Sabine Høstrup Jønsson works as an educator at the special program in Låsby. This week, she’s using SUMH’s teaching materials with her students. She explains that many of her students face challenges beyond understanding their own bodily development, which adds layers of complexity to sexual education.
Many students struggle to decode non-verbal communication such as facial expressions and body language. Understanding irony, metaphors, and engaging in reciprocal dialogue and activities with others can be difficult. Some students also have trouble grasping concepts like sexual orientation, sexual fantasies, and what constitutes an intimate situation.
In fact, Sabine emphasizes the importance of being as direct as possible with her students. For them, euphemisms and indirect language don’t make sense. Concrete, straightforward explanations are essential. Instead of wrapping concepts in vague terms, she and her colleagues focus on clear, explicit communication that leaves no room for misinterpretation.
Bridging the Education Gap
SUMH’s Uge Sex package includes a photo exhibition featuring young people with disabilities, various cards, and games designed to facilitate conversations during instruction. The materials are intentionally diverse, ensuring that a wide range of young people with disabilities can see themselves represented.
William Korte, chairperson of SUMH, is pleased with the growing demand for their Uge Sex package. The materials draw from the personal lives and stories of young people with disabilities, making the content relatable and relevant. This representation matters deeply for students who rarely see themselves reflected in standard educational materials.
For William, sexual education is not a luxury. It’s a basic requirement. He finds it incomprehensible that young people with disabilities don’t have the same access as their peers. After all, sexual education has been mandatory in public schools for years, and in 2023, it became mandatory for gymnasiums and youth education programs as well.
A Glaring Oversight in Policy
Despite progress in expanding sexual education requirements, special schools, residential facilities, and STU programs (special youth education) have been overlooked. These institutions also serve young people who need knowledge about their bodies and sexuality. The omission appears to be an oversight rather than a deliberate exclusion, but the impact on students is significant nonetheless.
Interestingly, the fact that hundreds of schools and institutions are choosing to implement sexual education despite it not being mandatory suggests a recognition of its importance. William views this as a major step in the right direction. He hopes that in the near future, sexual education will become obligatory in all special programs and special schools, ensuring that no young person is left without this essential knowledge.
Why Specialized Education Matters
The need for specialized support for children with disabilities extends beyond academics into every aspect of development, including understanding sexuality and relationships. Standard sexual education materials often assume a certain level of cognitive ability and social understanding that may not align with the needs of students with autism, intellectual disabilities, or other conditions.
Obviously, this creates a gap that can have serious consequences. Without appropriate education, young people with disabilities may struggle to understand their own bodies, recognize inappropriate behavior, or develop healthy relationships. They may also be more vulnerable to exploitation or abuse due to lack of knowledge about boundaries and consent.
The materials developed by SUMH address these specific needs by providing concrete, accessible information that can be adapted to different cognitive levels. The use of visual aids, games, and structured activities helps make abstract concepts more tangible. Meanwhile, the inclusion of stories and images of young people with disabilities helps students see that their experiences are valid and shared by others.
Shared Responsibility Between Schools and Families
Mette Munkholm Bisbo believes that schools and parents share responsibility for helping children and young people understand what’s happening to them. However, this collaboration becomes more challenging when children have special needs. Parents must coordinate with educators to ensure consistent messaging that matches the child’s developmental level.
Schools that use specialized materials like SUMH’s packages can provide a framework that parents can reinforce at home. This continuity helps students internalize the information more effectively. At the same time, parents can offer insights about their child’s specific communication style, triggers, and learning preferences that help educators tailor their approach.
Eventually, the goal is for all young people to have access to age-appropriate, developmentally suitable sexual education that respects their individual needs and abilities. The growing demand for SUMH’s materials demonstrates that many educators and parents are committed to achieving this goal, even without a legal mandate.
Looking Toward Systemic Change
The success of SUMH’s initiative highlights both progress and gaps in Denmark’s approach to sexual education for young people with disabilities. While grassroots efforts are making a difference, advocates argue that specialized sexual education should not depend on voluntary adoption or nonprofit organizations filling gaps.
Making sexual education mandatory across all educational settings, including special schools and programs, would ensure equitable access for all young people. It would also provide resources and training for educators who may not have specialized knowledge in teaching students with diverse learning needs. Naturally, this would require investment in curriculum development, teacher training, and ongoing support.
Given that approximately 8,000 students are expected to benefit from SUMH’s materials this year alone, the scope of unmet need is clear. These students deserve the same fundamental knowledge about their bodies, relationships, and boundaries as their peers in mainstream schools. As William Korte points out, politicians have already recognized the importance of sexual education by making it mandatory in most educational settings. Extending that requirement to include all young people is simply a matter of closing an oversight.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Childcare in Denmark – A Guide for Expats
The Danish Dream: Best Child Care in Denmark for Foreigners
