<p>There are many health risks to consider as young adults explore sexual relationships. While sexual communication encourages healthy sexual behaviors, little is known about how sex education plays out in sexual discussions between young adult partners. The objectives of this study were to examine the motives and content of those sexual conversations and how sources of sex education informed communication. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults aged 18–20 (N = 18). Participants were asked about their sex education experiences and sexual communication with partners. Participants most frequently discussed contraceptives, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and sexual boundaries with partners. Fostering a comfortable sexual environment and preventing STIs and pregnancy were the most endorsed motivations for communicating about sexual health. Participants identified several opportunities for improvement in learning about sexual health and communication. While there is motivation to communicate with partners about sensitive topics, young adults sought additional information to have more effective and productive conversations. Findings suggest that more comprehensive and inclusive sex education partnered with improved communication skills could promote young adults’ self-efficacy to communicate as illuminated in this exploratory study of 18 individuals. Effective sexual dialogue should be further explored as a strategy for the prevention of STIs, unintended pregnancy, unwanted sexual contact and dating violence.</p>