A Girl's Guide to 21st Century Sex
2006
Original language: English
- documentary
The story
A Girl's Guide to 21st Century Sex is a documentary TV series about sex, which ran in eight episodes on Channel 5 and was presented by Dr Catherine Hood. The 45-minute long episodes were broadcast on Monday nights. The series started on 30 October 2006, with the final programme broadcast on 18 December 2006. Each episode explained a sex position and covered a sexually transmitted disease. Additionally, the following topics were discussed: sex among handicapped and overweight people, penis enlargement devices, penis enlargement surgery, sexual violence against men and penis removal, tantric sex, the g-spot, erectile dysfunction, sex reassignment surgery, cosmetic surgery of the vagina, swinging, lichen sclerosus, the use of recreational drugs during sex, male homosexual sex in public toilets, full body plastic wrap bondage, and sex dolls.
What it’s like
Bright, clinical studio-style presentation with a presenter speaking directly to camera, the kind of daytime-adjacent factual TV that feels brisk and matter-of-fact rather than cinematic. Its mood is curious, chatty and unshockable, with a wry, informal energy that keeps uncomfortable subjects at a manageable distance. Each 45-minute episode moves quickly from one topic to the next, so the rhythm is segmented and busy, with expert interviews, demonstrations and short illustrative segments in place of slow, lingering shots. The emotional register stays light and reassuring, though some segments turn serious when they reach illness, surgery, or sexual violence. Intensity is high on sexual frankness: nudity-adjacent imagery, explicit anatomical detail, and graphic talk about sexual acts, medical conditions and procedures, along with discussion of bondage, recreational drug use and sexual violence against men. There is no gore for its own sake, but this is not gentle viewing and does not fit anyone seeking something soft or non-sexual. It suits a curious viewer who wants frank, informative, slightly jokey sex education and can tolerate candid detail, watched alone or with an open-minded partner, perhaps as a late-night watch rather than family viewing.
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