Teenedu

Project 01

In what ways can we

address the lack of sexual knowledge

among Korean teenagers?

Teenager sex education service

Desk Research & Problem Discovery

How South Korea's Sex Education Misses the Real Needs of Teenagers

Outdated Standards

The 2015 national sex education standards aimed to be practical but ended up reinforcing outdated gender stereotypes.
Statements like "A proper outfit for women is a skirt" and "Avoid being alone with the opposite sex to prevent sexual violence" shift the responsibility of prevention to individuals—especially girls.

Lack of Real-World Relevance

Sex education in schools is typically taught through one-directional lectures. It focuses on biology and abstinence, not real-life skills. Topics like consent, relationships, and emotions are rarely addressed.

Inconsistent and Insufficient Education

sex education is limited to just 10–17 hours per year.
Schools often squeeze all sessions into one semester,
Important topics are rushed, and teaching lacks consistency across schools.

Growing Dissatisfaction

In surveys, 3 out of 10 middle school students stated that the school curriculum did not help them in real-life situations.
Both students and parents expressed concerns that the education was too formalized, lacked relatability to their actual experiences.

Rising Teen Sexual Crimes

Teen involvement in digital sex crimes and sexual violence is growing rapidly. More teens are both victims and perpetrators,
often due to a lack of proper understanding around consent, boundaries, and digital behavior.
This reflects the urgent need for sex education that is preventative, real-world focused, and emotionally intelligent—not just medically accurate, but socially aware.

Gap Between Perceived and Actual Knowledge

According to a 2023 study by the Korean Sexual Violence Research Institute, middle school students believe they have a good understanding of sex. However, objective assessments revealed their actual knowledge levels were significantly lower.

In fact, while 48.9% of students reported acquiring information from schools, a large proportion still depended on SNS, YouTube, and friends for information — sources that are often unreliable.

2023 한국여성정책연구원 자료.pdf

Problem Definition

Despite the growing importance of sex education in shaping safe, informed youth,
South Korea's current school-based sex education system fails to meet the needs of its students.

The curriculum is outdated, disconnected from the realities teenagers face today.

Rather than encouraging open dialogue and critical thinking,

it delivers rigid, one-way information that reinforces stereotypes and neglects emotional and social aspects of sexuality.

This false sense of confidence, fueled by unreliable sources like social media and peers, makes it even harder for them to recognize misinformation or risky behavior.

How might we create a sex education experience that equips teenagers

with accurate, relatable, and practical knowledge—

while closing the gap between perception and reality?

User Research

🎯 Research Goal

To understand how Korean teenagers and parents experience sex education, identify critical gaps, and uncover real needs that current systems fail to address.

Survey

👩‍👦 41 parents
🧑‍🎓 25 teenagers (ages 13–19)
Focus: Experience with school sex education, perceived effectiveness, unmet needs

In-depth Interviews

👩 3 young adults (ages 20–23)
Focus: How school sex ed shaped knowledge, emotions, and real-life situations

Analysis Tools

Affinity mapping
Thematic clustering

Affinity Diagram

: Key Insights

Affinity Diagram - Key Insights

Takeaway

Sex education today fails to meet the emotional, practical, and cultural needs of teenagers.
To be effective, it must be private, relatable, emotionally safe, and independent of parental involvement.

👨‍👩‍👦

Sex Education Has Left the Hands of Parents

"I don't know how to talk about this with my child." "I'm worried I might say something wrong."

Over 40% of parents had not provided any sex education at home.
This wasn't due to neglect, but rather discomfort, cultural taboos.

Parents and Teens Both Want Judgment-Free Tools

"I want to help, but I'm scared to say the wrong thing." – Parent
"My mom finding out would be the worst." – Teen

Both groups agreed: open conversations are important—but hard.
They want tools that facilitate safe, shame-free learning and dialogue, even if it's not face-to-face.

🏫

Content Is Repetitive and Outdated

"It was the same sperm-meets-egg video every year."

Most students said school sex ed lacked depth and memorability.
Important topics like contraception, relationships, and real-life decision-making were rarely addressed.

No Safe Space for Questions

"I wanted to ask but didn't know how—people would think I'm weird."

Teens didn't feel safe asking questions due to fear of judgment, embarrassment, or lack of trust in educators.

👦👧

Emotional Impact: Shame Over Empowerment

"After class, I just felt guilty."

Rather than feeling confident, students left sex ed classes feeling shame, confusion, or fear—especially regarding porn, masturbation, and first-time experiences.

Unofficial Sources Are More Trusted

"YouTube and my friends explained it better than school."

Due to the school system's limitations, teens heavily rely on SNS, blogs, and peers—sources that are relatable but inconsistent or inaccurate.

Teens Want Real Examples and Specifics

"Don't just say 'use protection'—show what that means."

Teens requested real scenarios: how to buy condoms, how to talk to a partner, what first-time experiences are like.

Teens Learn Best Through Peer-Like, Private Conversations

"If it's like a story or 썰, I'll actually listen." "I'd be honest only if my parents never find out."

Teens said the best format would feel like a chat with a trusted friend or older peer, not a formal lecture.
They asked for:

Anonymous and secure access
Relatable, experience-driven storytelling

Competitor Analysis

Analyzing Competitors to Find Opportunities for Differentiation

Big Sis (ZA)

닥터벨라 (Dr.Bella)

남다른 성교육 연구소

Target Audience

Information Delivery

Personalization

Interactivity

Platform Accdssibility

UX Writing

Cultural Relevance

Expert Support

Topic Coverage

Design Aesthetic

Teen girls
(mostly under 18)

Great
(fast, chatbot)

Great
(tailored answers)

Great
(quiz)

excellent
(Whatsapp,
FB messenger)

Fun, Casual

High
(African youth-centered)

Yes
(trained
team)

Wide
(sex,health,
realationship)

Playful

Women
(20s and older)

Good
(delayed replies)

Limited
(mostly static info)

Medium
(slow response)

App only

Neutral,
formal

Low
generic medical framing

Yes
(professional
medical team)

Focused
(pregnancy,
mental health)

Clean

Boys
(aged 11-19)

Poor
(offline workshops
only)

Limited

Low
(mostly lecture style)

Offline Only

Formal

High
tailored to Korean boys

Yes
(trained educators)

Focused
(boys' body
changes,
identity)

Simple

Persona

Is it okay to be physical with my boyfriend...?
And what if I want to have kids later—how does that work?

🧠 Situation

Dami recently started dating and became more curious about relationships and her own body.
After watching programs like High School Mom, she began to wonder about pregnancy, birth, and contraception.
However, her school's sex education felt vague and overly formal. She turned to the internet and her friends, but often felt guilty, confused, or unsure about what was accurate or safe.

🎯 Needs

Clear, realistic information on sex, contraception, and pregnancy
Stories and advice from peers or slightly older mentors
A private, safe space to ask questions without shame
Honest conversations about emotional and physical changes

💬 Pain Points

Has a good relationship with her parents, but avoids sex-related topics
Friends share things, but no one knows what's actually true
Search results online are overwhelming and contradictory
School sex ed avoids real-life scenarios and emotional support