Traditionally, sex education was thought to be exclusively the responsibility of family and religion. While this view is no longer universally held in the US, there continues to be two divergent views on sex education: 1) medically-accurate and comprehensive information about sexual...
Myths surrounding what sex education is and isn’t abound throughout both the US and abroad. Words that come to mind as people reflect on their own sex education experiences often include “awkward†and “scary.†As a result, teaching in this field requires both the basic...
As it stands now, the average age of first sex is around 17, a number that indicates teens are waiting longer to have sex. Puberty begins much earlier, on average at 10.5 for girls and between 11.5 and 12 for boys, while sexual development begins at birth. When it comes to sex...
As a sex educator, you can probably cite facts about the state of the US’ sexual health without thinking twice. For example, you know that: Half of all births are unplanned. Adolescents receive half of the new STI diagnoses each year despite the fact that they only make up a...
Condoms  are known to help greatly reduce the transmission of STIs. Yet condom use among adolescents continues to be inconsistent and use decreases with age. When it comes to teaching about using condoms, the following learning objectives have been adapted from the  National...
One thing is for certain: teens are curious about sex. I can still remember my own experiences reading Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, asking my mom about boners, and giggling with my best friend as we discussed the sex scene in our favorite sci-if novel. Despite the fact...
The average age of first menstruation in the US is 12, though it is healthy to start menstruating between ages 8 and 15. Therefore, it is ideal to discuss this aspect of puberty before this time. The good news it that by the time girls get their period, most have heard something about...