在一些文化中，性行為的圖表公佈的統計資料是無可爭辯的和有用的，但是在其他的文化中，性行為的統計資料可能恰好相反，這讓許多人反感不已。於是，研究者把這些統計資料視同垃圾，只使用自己設法調查的資訊。許多國家的衛生官員因此常常設法尋求妥協：公共衛生問題急迫的時候，他們被迫採取緊急措施；但是公眾對公共衛生問題反應敏感時，則又會約束衛生官員們的措施不過於激烈。

本教程也欲設法避免冒犯可能想使用本課程的全世界的學生和教師。在本節的課程裏，我們因而盡可能依據管理嚴格和被廣泛認可的政府資訊資源來展開我們的討論。

In some cultures graphic depictions of sexual behaviors are uncontroversial and helpful, but in other cultures they may be counterproductive.They may scandalize too many people, who then reject them together with the useful message they are trying to convey. Health officials in many countries therefore often try to find some middle ground: The urgency of the problem forces them to be explicit enough to make a difference, but public sensitivities prevent them from becoming too drastic.

The present course also tries to avoid offending the students and teachers around the world who may wish to use it. In the following sections we are therefore relying - as far as possible - on well-established and widely accepted governmental sources.