Adam stands silently in the corridor of his high school with a cardboard sign draped around his neck. "I am unhygienic and put my peers at risk." His boyfriend, Eric, looks on in horror. "It's my shame sign," Adam reveals.

"You shouldn't ever give someone the power to humiliate you," another pupil later explains. "You're great, just the way you are."

This is a scene from the third season of the teen drama Sex EducationThe British show first aired in January 2019. Its exact location and timing are deliberately ambiguous to appeal to an international audience. , released today on Netflix. The show has become a huge hit for the streaming service, reaching an astonishing 40 million households.

For many, the appeal is in the name: Sex Education. Previous seasons at the fictional Moordale High in South Wales have included frank discussions of sexuality, abortionTrump has changed his position on this over the years. But in 2011 he came out as pro-life, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's health is in danger. and internalised homophobiaWhen an LGBTQ+ person has feelings of self-disgust or self-hatred due to hearing or seeing negative portrayals of same-sex relationships in society. . This year gender fluidityWhen a person's gender expression or gender identity changes over time. , body image, trauma and the pros and cons of an emotional support goat are all on the agenda.

The comedy's creator, Laurie Nunn, believes Sex Education is succeeding where schools are falling down. One 2017 report found that half of young people in the UK rated their schools' relationship and sex education as either poor or terrible. For some students, what lessons they do have are awkward, uninformative and full of "horror stories".

"I'm in my thirties now and I still have a lot of questions," says Nunn. "I think it's important for teenage shows to look at sex in a way that is honest and human rather than being this sort of unattainable perfect thing."

Asa Butterfield, who stars as lead character Otis, agrees. "It's not judgemental. It shows how normal it is that everyone is weird and different in their own way." 

Of course, Sex Education is not the first series to feature frank depictions of sex and relationships. It will not be the last either. The sets of Bridgerton and Normal People, which reached a combined audience of 144 million in 2020, both featured intimacy coordinatorsA person who ensures the well-being of actors who participate in intimate scenes. The directors of Netflix's Sex Education regularly speak to professional "sex educators" to make sure they get the message right..

But others point out that not every program sends out a positive message about relationships for viewers. Many believe schools still have a vital role to play.

In 2019, Welsh headteacher Aled Rees made headlines when he sent a letter warning parents that children as young as eight were copying contestants on Love Island by pairing up and commenting on each others' appearance. 

Love Island is hugely popular. In 2018, more people applied to enter the reality dating show than to attend Oxford or Cambridge universities. 

But the programme has faced criticism for excluding LGBTQ+ relationships and featuring only a few body types. One episode even prompted a warning from a domestic abuse charity about "controlling behaviour".

Now some education advocatesSomeone who publicly supports or recommends a particular policy. The word originates from the Latin vocare, meaning to call. worry that reality television is warping ideas of love and sex. "No one enters a relationship and then has to spend all day every day with them in swimwear for weeks," declares one journalist. 

"Perhaps as a social experiment it makes interesting viewing, but it certainly can't replace sex-ed."

Is TV doing more for sex education than schools?

Absolutely, say some. Sex and relationship lessons in schools are often too little, too late. They take place in clinical, gender-segregated classrooms. In comparison, Sex Education has started an open conversation amongst teenagers about sex by showing frank and funny discussions between friends. 

Of course not, say others. Television shows have a role to play in normalising taboo topics, but they cannot replace formal sex education. Comedic dramas and reality shows may appeal to many, but real life discussions with knowledgeable teachers are a key part of learning about sex and relationships.