Book advises young teens to try porn and on how to send naked selfies

A graphic book about sex that advises young readers on how to look up porn and send naked selfies has sparked outrage in Australia.

The book ‘Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships and Being a Human’ by US cartoonists and comic book creators Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan says it is aimed at teens from 14 to 17 or ‘whoever needs it, whatever your age’.

While it contains a disclaimer there are serious ‘serious legal consequences’ of sharing naked photographs of children younger than 18, the book goes onto to give its young readers advice on how to take them. 

‘Before you start sending your naughty masterpieces around the world, take some time to get friendly with photo-editing software or apps,’ the book says.

The book has sparked outrage in the US with several schools having already banned it – but it is currently available to be borrowed from several libraries in Australia. 

The book also encourages its readers to experience pornography, calling it a ‘fun, sugary treat’ and it also suggests experimenting with sex toys, including butt plugs.

‘Just make sure any objects you put up there have a flared base; otherwise, your hungry heinie can gobble it up and the only way to get it back out is a trip to the hospital,’ the authors say.

The book contains graphic images of sexual intercourse and genitals, as well as chapters on masturbation and kinks. 

While the book has largely flown under the radar in Australia, it has been banned by several US schools.

In Florida the administration of Governor Ron DeSantis, who is a Republican presidential candidate, classed the work as ‘pornographic’.

Teacher and children’s author Amelia Donnelly argued that along with ‘Welcome to Sex’, the US book threatens to ‘traumatise’ children.

‘There seems to be a group or a trend around sexualisation of children at a younger age,’ she said. 

‘If we expose our children and encourage children to be engaging in these explicitly adult sexual practices, then we open our children up to situations that are going to traumatise them.

‘There’s a cartoon there where they actually talk about inserting objects up bottoms.For a practice like this to be promoted at teens is just completely developmentally inappropriate.’ 

When mother-of-three Angela Rojas raised her objections about the book at a Playford Council meeting in Adelaide’s northern suburbs in February, the images had to be blurred for video streaming.

‘This book should be in a restricted area and treated like a restricted adult publication,’ Ms Rojas told Sky News. 

‘If it’s too sensitive for YouTube, too sensitive even to film and put on the news, because I’m sure you’d have to censor these images, why should it be unrestricted?’ 

Ms Rojas first saw the book being displayed at a public library in the young readers’ section.

On the advise of her council she complained about this to the Public Libraries Association of South Australia.

Association’s president Damian Garcia replied in April that the body does not have the power to mandate which items each public library chooses to include in its collection.

Ms Rojas also paid $790 to submit to the National Classification Scheme, which normally deals with films and video games guides rather than books, asking they give a book a restricted rating. 

The Board handed down its decision on July 11, classifying the book ‘unrestricted’. 

The board noted there had not been ‘noteworthy Australian media articles about the publication’ and that complaints addressed to Communications] Minister Michelle Rowland or themselves had been very ‘limited’.

‘It is the Board’s view that this work has clear educational merit and is unlikely to cause offence or harm to the person or class of persons to whom it is intended or likely to be published,’ the report said.

Liberal National Senator Alex Antic has also called for more action by authorities.

‘I don’t think there would be too many people comfortable with this being available to minors,’ he said.

The work is being left to private citizens and concerned parents and that doesn’t seem right.’

Sky News Australia found the book is available in 36 public libraries across Australia, some holding multiple copies, and can be found at major booksellers such as Dymocks, Angus & Roberts and QBD Books.

A spokeswoman for MS Rowland said the Classification Board is ‘independent of government and the Minister cannot direct its decision-making processes’. 

However, the spokesperson said updating publication guidelines would be considered as part of reforms to the classification scheme announced in March.

Welcome to Sex, by teen magazine advice columnist Dr Melissa Kang and ABC personality Yumi Stynes was pulled off Big W bookshelves in July with the retailer claiming their staff had been threatened over displaying the book.

 It remains on sale online for Big W as well as other major retailers and booksellers.

Penguin, the Australian publishers of Let’s Talk About It, have been contacted for comment.