abstinence
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Yes, it’s come to this
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3 min read
As reported last night by Rachel Maddow (see video below), at the urging of an anti-abortion religious group, the School Board in Gilbert, Arizona, is tearing out pages from a high school honors biology book. It is the first action taken after a law in Arizona passed two years ago that requires all textbooks “to…
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The Sexual Freedom Project: Birds and the Bees
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3 min read
[pexyoutube pex_attr_src=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngZzDo_NJUI” pex_attr_width=”500″][/pexyoutube] Meet Ying, who doesn’t really believe in the abstinence-only approach, and tells us why. She received much of her formal sexual education in Catholic school, and shares with us some of the topics they covered. She tells us about her traditional parents and their expectations for her. And she has some wisdom…
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The Sexual Freedom Project: Let’s Talk About Sex
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1 min read
[pexyoutube pex_attr_src=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJCcCAxK0hk” pex_attr_width=”500″][/pexyoutube] We are taking a second look at this video which asked a lot of basic questions. Many of you contacted us privately with your answers, and often with questions as well. So what do you think? Who taught you about sex? Were you able to talk with your parents about it? Do parents have…
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The Sexual Freedom Project: Birds and the Bees
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2 min read
[pexyoutube pex_attr_src=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngZzDo_NJUI” pex_attr_width=”500″][/pexyoutube] I’ve decided to offer my take on some of the media I have come across here. There are hundreds of Sexual Freedom Project videos to choose from, each with an important message. Everyone’s invited to join the cast by submitting your personal definition of or commentary on some aspect of sexual freedom. In…
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In the U.S., teens often feel that if they were to confide in their parents about having sex or thinking about it, their parents would be very disappointed. That is one of the reasons why teens don’t seek advice or guidance from their parents when it comes to sexual matters. But what about parents who don’t…
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Also in Spanish Amy Schalet, author of “Not Under My Roof: Parents, Teens, and the Culture of Sex” (University of Chicago Press, November 2011), states that denial is the real problem for American parents when it comes to teen sex. . . . But talking to teens about sex does curtail unwanted teenage pregnancy…
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(También en Español) News of Note: High School Students Need Someone to Talk to About Sex Without Shame The other day, as a reward for finishing their state tests, I was letting my students talk quietly in groups and do word games. I sat next to three of my ninth graders (three girls and a…
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Follow up: Adolescent Sexual Health: To Improve or Not to Improve? That is the Question…
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3 min read
También en español After initially postponing the decision to adopt either abstinence-only or abstinence-plus sex education curriculum, the Natchez-Adams School Board in Jackson, Mississippi chooses “both.” The Board voted to adopt the abstinence-only program, but also voted to require all 12 modules of the “Rise to Your Dreams” curriculum . . . the same curriculum…
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(También en Español) The Natchez-Adams School Board in Jackson, Mississippi, is currently deciding whether to adopt abstinence-only or abstinence-plus curriculum. This decision for Mississippi schools, to implement either abstinence-only or abstinence-plus curriculum, is the same as deciding whether or not to improve adolescent sexual health. The former, abstinence-only education, will be laden with religious ideologies, teach students about…
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(También en Español) In 1994, then Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, MD, proclaimed, “With regard to masturbation, I think that it is something that is a part of human sexuality and a part of something that should perhaps be taught.” Masturbation being taught in schools? This statement is not one of shock, confusion, and contempt (or…