Puberty triggers a surge in hormones (estrogen and testosterone) that directly affect brain development, particularly in the limbic system, which governs emotions and reward [1, 2]. Consequently, teenagers experience heightened emotions, increased intensity in feelings, and a profound desire for social connection and acceptance [2].

The feminist gains of the 1970s and 1980s had transformed European societies, including Belgium. Access to contraception had improved, abortion laws were being debated, and women's autonomy over their bodies was increasingly recognized. Sex education was seen as essential to empowering young women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and to prevent unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.

Before 1991, sexual education in Belgium was a patchwork of inconsistent practices, largely shaped by the country's complex political and religious landscape. Instruction was often optional, with a heavy emphasis on the purely biological aspects of reproduction and heavily influenced by the moral views of Catholic institutions. Many schools offered no formal sex education at all, and in cases where they did, it was frequently limited to discussions of abstinence, with sexual activity outside of marriage being discouraged or condemned. The Belgian curriculum's sensitivity to controversy meant provision was far from standardised, leaving many young people to navigate the tumultuous transition of puberty with inadequate and sometimes harmful information.