CATEGORIES: Abstinence Only Book Tour Books Current Affairs Sexuality Education Television
November 27, 2007
News for November
Sorry I have been out of touch, so to speak. Between work and the holidays, I have been running a bit behind. Not that there hasn’t been a wealth of items to talk about:
1. Prude: How the Sex Obsessed Culture Damages Girls - the frightening book by Carol Platt Liebau which was brought to my attention by Rachel Kramer Bussel
2. Another scathing review of abstinence only programs in this country; This time, brought to you by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
3. New hypocrisy related gossip: What does Trent Lott’s retirement have to do with Hustler magazine?
And for fun, some new Third Base Ain’t What it Used to Be press:
Check out VickyandJen for their podcast with me - chock full of parenting tips!
and The Chicago Tribune’s feature 5 Things I Learned From....
For some fun videos, check out the Relationship 101 segments from The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet : Relationship Survival Durings the Holidays and Secrets Your Shouldn’t Keep (though if you ask my co-contributor, he thought that the title should me "Why Men Should Keep Secrets").
What do you think? Comments: (0)
CATEGORIES: Abstinence Only Bloggers Book Tour Sexual Language Sexuality Education
November 12, 2007
Say it Ain’t So
Hmmm...looks like abstinence only programs don’t work. Oh, have I said that before? Sounds familiar, but now there is a new study that is saying the same thing. Last week, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy released a study confirming that ab-only programs don’t delay sex. Even more exciting, the review of teenage sexual behavior also concluded that comprehensive sexuality education does delay the initiation of sex, reduces a teen’s number of sex partners, and increases condom and contraceptive usage. Hurray!
Needless to say, this is terrific news. So I ask you all this: Why have we spent over $1.5 billion in the last ten years on abstinence only? And why is Congress even considering a bill to spend another $141 million on it?
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CATEGORIES: Abstinence Only Bloggers Sexuality Education Television
October 21, 2007
Portland, Maine, Birth Control, & Me
So by now you’ve probably heard that the King County school district in Portland, Maine has decided to allow its student health center to provide reproductive health services (including contraceptives, exams, and condoms) to its middle school students. I say, if middle schoolers are having sex, at least someone is taking care of the sexual health of our youth.
Now, this is by no means an endorsement for middle school sexual activity. If this isn’t clear enough, let me make it clear to the numerous bloggers who have incorrectly quoted me recently - I do NOT believe that 11 year olds should be having sex. And at no point during my appearance on Good Morning America last Wednesday did I suggest otherwise. However, I do believe that if there are middle schoolers having sex, they desperately need to be protected. I for one would rather schools provide those reproductive and sexual health services than sacrifice our youth because we are too squeamish to deal with issues pertaining to sex.
Let us not forget that the King County school health center is NOT passing around birth control like candy. For those students who may be sexually active, the health center will conduct a gynecological exam, counsel, and educate them about the responsibilities of sex. It is not a free for all. Nor it is encouragement for kids to have sex. If you’ve ever worked with children (which I do all the time), you know that the idea of sex is inconceivable (and sometimes “gross") for many their age; just because condoms and contraceptives are available hardly makes it more appealing. When are we going to realize that demonizing sex only makes it more titillating? It’s education (specifically, comprehensive sexuality education) that ensures we raise sexually healthy individuals (and by sexually healthy, I don’t mean that they are simply having protected sex - I mean that they feel good about themselves, feel empowered by information, know how and when to make decisions about sex, and of course, know how to protect themselves both emotionally and physically, when they are ready).
In the end, if we were all better sexuality educators, then we wouldn’t be in this position. It is evident that the current means of handling sexuality (abstinence only education and scare tactics) has not worked. Let’s do better for our future generations! The time is now.
What do you think? Comments: (0)
CATEGORIES: Abstinence Only Bloggers Book Tour Books Sexuality Education Weblogs
October 11, 2007
And then there was another…
I have to say, I am so delighted by the wonderful feedback about the book. In fact, another review (and a wonderful at-home sex ed story) was posted today at The Dana Files. But while my book commentary has been super thus far, the comprehensive sexuality education movement has been faced with a new challenge - a new government sponsored PSA - which basically has children saying "Mom, Dad, talk to me and tell me to wait to have sex." Let me just say, I work with kids and teens, and that’s definitely not what they are saying (nor is it what they need). Click here to view the horror that is the abstinence only campaign.
