In Egypt, prospective couples are required to take premarital sex education classes before they can marry. This has recently gained particular prominence within Coptic Christians, as it helps equip them with proper tools for an effective marriage. This is an important initiative to help curb the staggering divorce rates in our great country. A 2024 federal study shows that these rates are only about 26%. Given Egypt’s large youth population—more than half are under age 25—sexual education is an important starting point in building acceptable and healthy relationships.
Nour Emam, founder of Motherbeing, is an Arabic-speaking children’s book author and online sex educator. She argues it’s the foundation for empowering young people and creating positive, culturally competent dialogue about sexuality. We’re really revealing what is actually going on, like through the act of intercourse, through ejaculate for instance and why pregnancy is even possible in the first place. These are all ideas that are really not known to many women at all,” she said. Emam’s platform provides insights into anatomy, reproduction, and intimacy—a much-needed resource in a society where sex education is almost non-existent, particularly among individuals with conservative religious beliefs.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has publicly lamented rising divorce rates. To keep more young people from postponing or foregoing marriage and family formation altogether, he says these rates need to come down. The societal pressure surrounding marriage is made worse by a lack of clarity. For most couples, the leap from betrothed bliss to marital maturity can be intimidating. Aya, a 31-year-old woman who lived through this herself, indeed received little to no sex ed in school. Though she had a degree in the subject, she was scared about sex on her wedding night.
Unlike her fiancée, Ahmed was going to make their wedding night memorable. Because he’d already experienced sexual intimacy before marriage, he was more self-assured and less nervous. He shared personal insight on the stigma and misconceptions of sexual education in Egypt. Sadly, both the gentleman and his spouse are clueless. For each of them, it surely feels like it very much.
Egyptian Muslims typically explore sexuality in a private world of folklore and jargon unintelligible to the untrained ear of the generations. For instance, Ahmed recalled a humorous yet confusing explanation from his mother about how he was born: “The story had to do with a cockroach. Mum told them they should have put cinna over the tortoise. Then we pulled the rug out, and you emerged! These stories illustrate just how little formal, accurate, direct sexual education young people have access to.
Before their wedding night, Aya and Ahmed had grabbed some fun and informative intimacy tips from the Motherbeing app. They desired robust information about sex, pleasure, and reproduction. This approach reflects a growing trend among young Egyptians who seek to educate themselves in a climate where formal education is scarce. Over 69% of Egyptians aged less than 35 years old receive insufficient sex education. This is why resources like Motherbeing are more essential than ever.
The required Coptic Christian premarital courses are designed to educate couples about intimacy and enhance communication within marriage. During these classes, future partners receive education on sexual health and wholesome ways to communicate. Nour Emam noted that many women express a lack of understanding about their own bodies: “I’ve never held a mirror to their parts to understand what’s going on down there.” This lack of self-awareness feeds into the anxiety that many experience around being physically intimate.
Aya’s thirst for knowledge came from a place of not wanting to be afraid of the unknown. “I don’t like the unknown … so the more I know about something, the more I’ll be able to predict or understand what I’m going for, which will reassure me more,” she explained. This desire is echoed by so many women in Egypt who are exploring ways to experience a more profound and pleasurable relationship with sex.
Champions of the movement such as sexuality educator Hanan Hosni Hanin emphasize that a large percentage of marital problems stem from lack of sexual fulfillment. “One of the main reasons for marital problems and separation is the lack of sexual satisfaction,” she stated. Hanin encourages conversations about intimacy to be open and honest. She further cautions that by ignoring sexual education we risk a generation of couples being unable to connect in this critical way.
Hanin’s cautioning against misconceptions spread by porn. “If you think pornography represents real sex, you are mistaken and will be disappointed after marriage,” she cautioned. Her counsel even goes as far as saying to stay away from pornographic influences since it warps expectations and greatly reduces pleasure inside of marriage.
Care and romance matters are important. Factors like care and romance shape partners’ legal status. “Women desire care, attention, and romance,” Hanin affirmed. Understanding these emotional needs is key to creating deep connections and strong bonds that lead to happy marriages that last a lifetime.
Like young people everywhere, Egypt’s youth are hungry for accurate information about intimacy and relationships. It’s programs like Motherbeing that begin to build these bridges, filling in the spaces that traditional education systems often leave behind. The shift towards open conversations about sex reflects a growing awareness among young Egyptians about the significance of informed intimacy.
