CATEGORIES: Books Current Affairs Logan Levkoff Politics Sex Sexual Language Teen Pregnancy Television Weblogs
July 25, 2008
New Book Project for Females - Do You Want to Participate?
Thank you for your interest in this project. We are working on a book that explores how women experienced sex during their adolescence and whether historical and cultural perceptions of teen sexuality actually impact who we as women become as adults. Forgive us as the questions may seem fairly invasive, but we are looking to conduct a thorough and meaningful exploration of teen sexuality through the eyes of adult women. Please know that for publication, all personal identifiers will be removed; we are committed to keeping your identity anonymous.
Demographics
Date of Birth:
Ethnicity:
Religion:
Marital Status:
Marital Status of Parents:
Sexual Orientation:
Hometown:
Highest Academic Degree Achieved (location and date):
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CATEGORIES: Current Affairs Logan Levkoff Politics Religion Sex Sexuality Education Teen Pregnancy Television
June 23, 2008
Teen Sex - What are We Going to Do About It?
So did you know that some teens have sex? I know, it’s shocking, but there seems to be a lot of this going on. Take the 17 pregnant teens in Gloucester, MA. They had sex (one of them had sex with a homeless man). Jamie Lynn Spears had sex. And now, it seems that there is a JC Penney ad that uses teen sex to sell clothing. (Whether this is real or not remains to be seen.) There is no doubt that we as a society are not dealing with sexuality the right way. 1 in 4 teen girls in the U.S. has at least one major STI. (And a conservative media blogger misquoted me this week and said that I claimed 1 in 14 were infected. That’s a significant difference, don’t you think?) We have the worst sexual health of any developed nation, and for the first time in 15 years our teen birth rates are going up.
But I’m not a pessimist. This is an opportunity. This is the time to do better - to be better.
Here’s the thing: in my book (both literally and figuratively), if we started talking about the role that sexuality plays in our lives and discuss the importance of sexuality, we would be less likely to engage in unhealthy and premature sexual relationships. And we certainly wouldn’t be getting pregnant as a means of validating ourselves.
For the Gloucester girls, it’s not just about sex ed. It’s about a larger cultural change. That means parents, the school system, the sexuality education program, reproductive health services, and the community at large need to rethink their priorities. Girls (and boys for that matter) need to know that their potential for success isn’t wrapped up in their ability to reproduce at a young age. They need to know that seeking unconditional love from a newborn is just not the way to feel better about oneself. And for a 15 or 16 year old to be so desperate to conceive that she would have unprotected sex with a homeless man proves that this is a girl who doesn’t care about herself.
Sexuality isn’t a bad thing. It’s a innate thing. And it isn’t just about having sex. It’s about feeling good in your skin, feeling comfortable with your gender and your body, and about being able to speak up for yourself. (And part of a good sexuality education program also means that students learn that the best decisions are those that are well-thought out.)
As for teenagers, let’s be clear. Age has never been a determinant of whether someone makes a good decision about sex. There are plenty of adults that make poor decisions about sex. But no matter what your values are, now is the time to start talking to your children, your partners, and your friends about sexual health. We are given opportunities every day. Every story (positive or negative) that comes out in the news is a gift. If we don’t start using them to teach and to learn...well shame on us.
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CATEGORIES: Bloggers Book Tour Sexual Language Sexuality Education Television
February 07, 2008
Getting Prepped for Valentine’s Day
It’s been a long time since I have blogged. I have been writing everywhere else, but sadly my blog has been suffering due to my lack of time. No longer. I am committed to writing. And these days I am even more committed to speaking - about dating, sex, love, parenting, pregnancy, all of it. In fact, I have some pretty cool gigs coming up. I mean, it is the Valentine’s Day season, and that just seems to be a good time for those of us in the sex and relationship biz.
In fact, Valentine’s Day is going to be a bit crazy. I will be at Yale for their annual Sex Week. Yes, Yale has a Sex Week, and a pretty impressive one at that. On Tuesday I will be speaking about "The Female Orgasm" and Thursday evening (yes I will be there for Valentine’s night) the "Chemistry of Love". I will also be speaking at a special Mom’s Luncheon for Divalysscious Moms, and talking about Valentine’s Day Expectations on The Today Show that morning. But for now (at least for the end of this week), I will be diligently working on all of the things on my to-do list.
And last, if you want to see my tips for "Spicing Up Your Relationship", check out Woman’s Day. And in case you wanted to see another Third Base… book review, here it is by Tracee Sioux at So Sioux Me.
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CATEGORIES: Sex Television
January 13, 2008
Voyeurism at Its Best - or Sleaziest
Full disclosure - I love reality television. I do, I just can’t help myself. Perhaps it’s the voyeur in me; perhaps it’s just that I love seeing the absolutely absurb way people will humiliate themselves on camera. Which leads me to Rock of Love II. Did you catch it? (And no, I don’t mean an STD, though if it were possible to contract one through the television,we would all need some serious pharmaceuticals.) But that being said, it makes for a delightful cultural commentary. I loved Bret Michaels in Poison. I saw them live in the seventh grade. I wanted him - though it did lose its allure as my parents were in the stadium seats right next to me. So now, having grown up (a little), I can’t believe that grown women would forgo every ounce of integrity they have to screw a star. That and the fact that they seem to have no fear of germs. Nonetheless, what really bothers me about dating shows in general (and yes, I know that I watch them so I am guilty too),is that they perpetuate the idea that a woman is only as good as her partner (or her relationship status). And you know what? I don’t play that game!
