Amplify Issues - Abstinence-Only

Target Card Calls Pregnant Girls Whores

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:20:00 -0500

At a Target store in California, a shopper browsing the greeting card aisle was intrigued by a card that read, “Heard you’re pregnant,” but was shocked when inside the card all it said was, “Whore.”

In the handful of articles I found on this story, I couldn’t believe that the consensus was that either the card was funny or that it didn’t matter and anyone who was offended should chill out and get a sense of humor. Really? Shaming and bullying young, sexually active girls and young women about an unplanned pregnancy is funny? It’s no big deal that a girl was called a whore? Do you think she deserves it because she dared to make a choice of having sex without your approval?

Because let’s be clear here: this is targeting young, unmarried women and girls. Who would even think to call a married woman a whore for getting pregnant? Who assumes that a married woman getting pregnant is automatically a bad thing that she should be called names for? And who would call an older, single woman a whore for getting pregnant? Married women and older, single women are socially allowed to have sex. The fact that they have sexual desires and act upon those desires is understood and accepted. The same respect for female sexuality is unfortunately not nearly as common for young women.

When a young woman becomes pregnant, it’s as if she has done something horribly wrong. Calling her a whore signifies the stereotypes that she has slept with several men (which is also seen as something horribly wrong for a young woman) and that she must have low self-esteem because it is presumed that she lets men use her (which, though it hardly stops anyone from slinging this insult, also unfairly makes men out to be animals who only want instant-gratification sex and then discard the girl without further thought).

Calling a girl a whore for the fact that she had sex and accidentally got pregnant devalues the choice that girl made to have sex and devalues her ability to make a positive sexual decision. When someone is called a whore, they are being told that the way they have chosen to express and practice their sexuality is wrong. Teenage sexuality is not inherently wrong. But when we have a culture that believes that it is, then the girls who get outed for having sex by becoming pregnant face much harsher torment and ridicule than all the other sexually active girls. They somehow get more blame and are more publicly shunned.
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Santorum is not giving up that abstinence lie

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:22:00 -0500

Even though Rick Santorum's recent comments about abstinence lessons in education have been roundly denounced as false, even by the head of one of the programs he was referring to, he's still sticking to that whole "Obama hates abstinence" line.

As ThinkProgress and Jezebel report, last night Santorum upped the ante, observing that Obama hates abstinence because he hates poor people.

I've addressed before how profoundly untrue it is the claim that comprehensive sex education doesn't teach abstinence. (The new National Sexuality Education Standards name it as an necessary component of the lesson at 17 different points of a child's education!).

I don't particularly understand the comment that not having abstinence-only programs leads people into poverty, not just because I don't think sex automatically leads to poverty, but because abstinence-only programs don't work, not even at helping teens remain abstinent. As to the President hating poor people, well, I'm not in his head, but it seems unlikely.

I'm still not sure where Santorum is trying to go with all these claims, but rest assured that it comes down to a deep fear of sexuality. Some people on the far right would simply rather have teens receive programs that don't help them at all, than have them receive programs that do work and also empower them to control their own sexuality.

Artful Dodgers and Lying Liars

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:30:00 -0500

Thanks to Rick Santorum's comments about contraception, and his subsequent attempts to dial back those comments, one of the weekend's two Republican presidential debates contained a lengthy interlude about contraception. As soon as Romney was done minimizing the importance of something which over 98% of sexually active women have used, he managed to force out "Contraception, it’s working just fine, just leave it alone.”

That would be an adequate contraception philosophy if it truly reflected Republican, or even Romney's philosophy, but we know it doesn't. In the last year we have seen many attacks on contraception -- from the Mississippi personhood bill, which Romney wouldn't say whether he supported or opposed, to attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of birth control to young and low income women, which attempts Romney supports.

An even sillier lie in the weekend's debates came when Rick Santorum made this claim:

"In fact, he (Obama) has required programs not to talk about marriage, not to talk about abstinence, if -- in order to get federal funds."

This is laughably untrue. First of all, no federally-funded sex education program leaves abstinence out of the discussion. Funds from the President's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative must go to medically accurate and scientifically proven programs - all of which discuss abstinence as a 100% effective method of birth control and as a great choice for teens. Funds from the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (health care reform) must teach about both abstinence and contraception. No one wants to leave abstinence out of a discussion of sexual health, and certainly not the President.

But even if Santorum were referring to abstinence-only programs, which discuss contraception only in terms of failure rates (if at all) and have repeatedly been proven ineffective, he'd still be wrong, because as CNN notes, "the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced $110 million in grants in September 2010 for a range of groups, including more than $33 million for abstinence-focused programs in 29 states and Puerto Rico." That's right, another $33 million added to the well over $1.5 billion spent on drink-the-spit style programs.

Ah, but who expects Santorum not to be muddled. This is the same man who literally said that gay couples only live in certain states. It is going to be a long year.

Weekly Round-Up: 12/25- 12/31

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:02:00 -0500

December 25- December 31

Stats this week: 9 posts by 8 writers

Being An Activist- by abril_flowers

Inside this post:

An activist with the Texas Freedom Network at the University of Texas at Brownsville talks about her work educating her fellow students about the state’s current sex ed policies and what they can do to make sure their peers have the information they need to stay safe.

Mobilizing 4,000 for LGBT Rights- by AFY_Nikki

Inside this post:

Ernesto shares his experience organizing a solidarity event after an LGBT hate crime in his city with the skills he learned from training sessions with Advocates for Youth.

Trans* People in Philly Hold Clothing Bank- by Jordan

Inside this post:

Jordan talks about donating old clothes to a transgender-focused clothing drive.

807,615 Voter Signatures- by rikkiyouthresource

Inside this post:

Rikki talks about an initiative in California to gather signatures around the state to get a proposition on the 2012 ballot to repeal Prop 8.

Thank you to everyone who posted a blog this week! You are part of what makes this community great!

~ Samantha
Community Editor

In the World of Abstinence-Only, Girls' Brains Are Like "Spaghetti Noodles"

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:22:00 -0500

A good reminder from Andy Kopsa on the Ms. Magazine blog on why we should worry about Congress' newest attempt to revive abstinence-only-until-marriage funding (read our recent press release for more info):

...This should worry Americans. In addition to their ineffectiveness, abstinence-only programs have also come under fire for questionable instructional methods and regressive curricula. Periodic in-depth reviews of abstinence-only programs by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) regularly find that the programs often rely on messages of fear and shame—directed almost entirely toward girls—and promote biased views of gender, marriage and pregnancy options.
Take the Denver, Colo.-based WAIT (Why Am I Tempted?) Training, now known as The Center for Relationship Education, an abstinence-only group that has received over $8 million in federal funds since 2005. During an assembly in a Colorado high school, a WAIT/CRE motivational speaker told her audience:

"This (holding up a waffle) is (like) a high school boy's brain…we use waffles because waffles have all these little compartments…You guys have very cool brains. You can stick stuff away in your thinking…Guys can tuck stuff away. Girls aren't like that."

"Girls' brains are like spaghetti noodles. If I pull these noodles up, what do the noodles touch? Everything. So girls, when you have sex with a guy what does it affect? Everything."

"As soon as a guy gets an erection you have viable sperm at the end of your penis. You do not have to have intercourse to get her pregnant, you just have to get that viable sperm close to her vagina and she turns on the little Hoover vacuum, because girls are very, very fertile."

This is what you get when you don't have science and common sense on your side: horrible metaphors (brains = noodles and waffles?) and dangerous mistruths.

My 1st year as an activist!

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:50:00 -0500

In 2011 I was honored to become an intern with the Texas Freedom Network as part of the Cultural Advocacy Mobilization Initiative (CAMI)and was able to attend the Urban Retreat in Washington, DC with Advocates for Youth. Over a few months I was able to bcome part of grassroots organizing and was made aware and a part of issues that deal with young people and their well-being. I feel liberated to be able to work on many issues such as supporting comprehensive sex ed, fighting for a HIV/AIDS free generation, and LGBTQ rights.

During my first semester as co-president of the Texas Freedom Network student chapter at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) my fellow members and I have been part of many events that have raised awareness of health wellness and supporting the fight against HIV/AIDS. In October El Paso held its annual AIDS WALK event which is an event to raise awareness and funds for medications, food pantries, doctors, transportation and everyday items needed for patients and their families. The experience was warming and had very positive energy within the park. The TFN student chapter tabled at this event and handed out our condoms from the Great American Condom Campaign and those were a big hit! It was being a part of this event that made me feel responsible for raising the awareness of community that wants to see an AIDS free generation.

We also tabled during “Love Your Body” week at my university and this was a great event to promote safe sex as a way of loving your body. TFN handed out condoms and gave statistics on teen pregnancy and STI rates in Texas. These events are very good for us because the TFN Student Chapter gets to hear actual voices from students who agree that abstinence-only programs don’t work. Young people need to hear about ways to protect themselves and have access to health clinics and accessories like condoms and birth control.

Our TFN student chapter tabled on a weekly basis and informed students of the current statistics from the effects of abstinence-only programs that are being thought in Texas. We have heard many students agree with us and this is possible through tabling and signing petitions, (and of course handing out our Trojan condoms!) We now can see that a majority of people who have came up to our table agree with teaching young people comprehensive sex-ed because it befits their well-being and promotes health along with a start to a bright and fulfilling life.

Starting in the spring semester, TFN plans on being part of many more events that have to deal with youth’s issues and defending civil liberties like LGBTQ equality. I feel blessed to be part of such a wonderful opportunity and feel part of the solution. Even though there is much work needed still, I am willing to devote my time and positive energy to help raise awareness of the dangers of abstinence-only programs, advocate for the separation of church and state and proudly defend civil liberties!

Please become a fan of our TFN University of Texas at El Paso Student Chapter Facebook Page!

Champion Spotlight: Rep. Barbara Lee

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:59:00 -0500

Today the House passed an appropriations bill that brought back abstinence-only-until-marriage funding that study after study has shown just doesn't work! (Pissed? Take action and tell us what YOU would spend $5 million on #InsteadOfAbOnly) Check out sex education champion Rep. Barbara Lee speaking about why she voted against this bill.

Please take a minute to call her office and say THANK YOU for being a sex education champion! Her office number is: 202.225.2661.

And here's another great video from today where she speaks more in depth about the other problematic issues in the bill including a federal funding ban for needle exchange programs and a ban on DC using its OWN money to provide abortion care to low-income women in the District.

Join the Conversation: What Would You Do With $5 Million?

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:02:00 -0500

So, Congress introduced its appropriations bill late last night to fund the federal government through the end of the 2012 fiscal year. There's good news and bad news.

GOOD: Your calls to Congress made a difference! Even though new abstinence-only-until-marriage funding was reintroduced, they will only receive $5 million. That's a step in the right direction.

BAD: We've seen this before. The Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) fund was launched with only $20 million, but its annual funding was scaled up to more than $110 million in just a few years. $5 million is just the beginning.

By now we all know that the majority of Americans oppose an abstinence-only approach to sex education. What makes this worse is that Congress has been raging for months about slashing unnecessary spending and cutting the deficit. $5 million for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs is like taking a match to taxpayers' money and simply lighting it on fire. (Actually, it's even worse than that. Research has shown that these programs have no impact on teen behavior – and they also forbid students from learning about contraception and condoms.)

Our elected officials are fond of saying that "the people" know how to spend their own tax dollars better than politicians in Washington do, and for once we couldn't agree more. So let's turn it over to you.

TELL US: WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $5 MILLION?

Click here to join the conversation on Facebook.

"Like" us on Facebook, and post comments, photos, or videos on the Amplify Facebook Page explaining how you'd help people with $5 million — rather than fund failed abstinence-only programs. Download a template HERE!

Click here to join the conversation on Twitter.

Let us know by tweeting @AmplifyTweets and using the #InsteadOfAbOnly and #5mil hashtags.

I can't wait to see all of your amazing ideas – and don't worry, we'll make sure to pass them along leaders on Capitol Hill!

Lone Star Update: Sex Ed in Texas

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:44:00 -0500

Garrett Mize is the Youth Advocacy Coordinator at the Texas Freedom Network and heads up the Texas Student Leadership Council, a part of Advocates for Youth's Cultural Advocacy and Mobilization Initiative.

In just the past few months, comprehensive sex ed has made huge strides in Texas. With the announcement of Texas Freedom Network’s latest report, our Houston Leadership Development Institute and World AIDS Day there is plenty of good news to go around.

Texas Freedom Network Education Fund Report

TFNEF’s latest report on sex ed in Texas is much different than our original 2009 report Just Say Don’t Know. In the first report, we asked each public school district in Texas to tell us what type of sex ed they taught. Of the 1,031 independent school districts in Texas, 990 responded. We found that 94 percent of school districts taught abstinence-only, 3.6 percent taught abstinence-plus and 2.3 percent taught nothing at all. The numbers were startling to say the least.

Our newest report, Sex Education in Texas Public Schools: Progress in the Lone Star State, found that abstinence-only is now taught in 74.6 percent of school districts, and abstinence-plus is taught in 25.4 percent of school districts. This major improvement in the quality of sex ed taught in Texas is thanks in large part to grassroots activists who have served on a local School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) and to organizations like the Texas Freedom Network and Advocates for Youth. While abstinence-only remains the clear majority, it is losing its grip in Texas. The latest report’s findings were featured in The Dallas Morning News.

University of Houston Leadership Development Institute

Recently, the Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter at UH hosted its first-ever Leadership Development Institute. This grassroots training focused on civic engagement and skills to organize students on campus to support comprehensive sex ed in a non-partisan manner during the election cycle. With 50 people in attendance, this training was a popular Saturday event.

James Lee, president of the TFN student chapter at UH, organized the event and introduced the presenters, which included Dr. Susan Tortolero, director of the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research at the University of Texas Health Science Center; Meryl Cohen, vice president of Education at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast; Resha Thomas, campaign coordinator for the Texas Organizing Project; and Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network.

I’m expecting a lot of great work to come out of this student chapter next semester!

World AIDS Day 2011

Despite the fact that it was finals week, our youth activists managed to put on great events to highlight World AIDS Day on their campuses. In particular, Mackenzie Massey, president of the TFN student chapter at UT, organized the entire World AIDS Day fair at her school. She created a coalition of 13 student organizations, led by the TFN student chapter, to put on this day of action. The coalition had free HIV testing, a T-shirt awareness campaign with 250 t-shirts, an expert discussion panel, a student organization tabling fair, a banner signing campaign and a petition signing effort to support comprehensive sex ed in Texas. Mackenzie worked closely with Ana Laura Rivera, another fantastic Advocates for Youth activist, to put this event on.

Their efforts were featured in numerous media outlets, including Spanish-language Univision, The Daily Texan, Austin NPR affiliate KUT 90.5 FM and other student news sources. Other youth activists also took action by tabling on their campuses to mark World AIDS Day, including Spencer Allers at UT San Antonio and April Flores at UT Brownsville.

There has been a lot of progress in Texas this past semester, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have much to look forward to in 2012!

Take Action NOW! Congress to bring back funding for abstinence-only programs!

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:31:00 -0500

In these economic times when all we hear from Congress is budget woes, we have received word that Congress is trying to bring back dedicated funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that Congress' own studies show just don’t work. We need to take action NOW to ensure that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs do not receive dedicated federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget.

Please take a couple of minutes to CALL the White House and the House and Senate Leadership:

Senate Majority Leader Reid - 202-224-3542

House Minority Leader Pelosi – 202-225-0100

President Obama - 202-456-1111

Script you can use for calls:

“My name is _______ and I’m from ______, __ (city, state). I’m calling to make sure there is no dedicated funding for abstinence-only programs in the final Labor-HHS bill. These ineffective programs have no place in a bill that should focus our limited dollars on evidence-based and cost-effective programs. Please do not provide any dedicated funding to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in the Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations negotiations. Thank you.”

Once you've made these calls, please also click here to sign our petition. We don’t have a lot of time on this, so please act now!

We have worked hard to eliminate two-thirds of federal abstinence-only funding. We have to fight hard to keep from backsliding. Over $1.5 billion dollars have already been wasted on these ineffective programs. Young people deserve better.

In solidarity,

Sarah Audelo
Senior Domestic Policy Manager
Advocates for Youth

P.S. Please call now – share this with your friends. We absolutely need President Obama and the Senate and House Leadership to hear from you that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are a waste of taxpayer dollars and have no place in the appropriations bill.

BCSSH Sex Files #16: The Busy Woman's Guide to Health Care Reform

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:44:00 -0500

Boston College Students for Sexual Health is an unofficial student organization that was formed in response to the lack of sexual health education and resources at Boston College. Among other activities, we blog regularly on Her Campus BC in an effort to reach out to the student body and promote thinking about sex-related issues. This particular entry provides a brief overview of the Affordable Care Act, addresses possible changes to the act, and applies these situations to the average woman, specifically at Boston College. Please note that this blog entry was originally posted on Her Campus BC.

Free birth control coverage? Not so fast...

Regardless of your political interest or stance, it’s becoming increasingly hard to ignore the splash caused by the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress this past March. The much debated act has finally gotten the ball rolling on health care reform in the US and has shone a crucial light on the current state of women’s health, which has been in desperate need of some TLC.

Overall, the Affordable Care Act seeks to reform health insurance companies in favor of patients. It would ban lifetime limits that affect people with long-term or chronic illnesses, cover young adults on their parent’s plan until the age of 26 (this provision has recently been put into place), and prohibit discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions – basically, get rid of all the jerky things that insurance companies have been able to get away with. Yeah, we’ve had enough of that, too. The more controversial aspects of the plan are included under the umbrella of women’s preventative care – like covering contraception without co-pays, which we’re pretty excited about. Since all of this legal jargon can be tricky even for the Pre-Law students among us, we’ve broken down the things we think every woman should know about the Affordable Care Act, and possible threats to it.

1. The Facts
The current plan regarding women's preventative care would:

Allow for annual “Well-Woman” visits, covering all age and developmentally appropriate
services
Provide testing for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Gestational Diabetes
Provide testing and counseling for HIV and other STIs
Provide screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence
Cover all FDA approved forms of contraception, sterilization procedures, and reproductive education and counseling without co-pay, deductible, or other charges

2. Supporting the Bill
Supporters of the new preventative care measures base their reinforcement of the bill on the following facts:

A 2001 study found that half of all pregnancies in the US were unintended. The largest roadblock to contraception for many women is cost (averaging $10 to $50 per month, which isn’t exactly pocket change). Free access to birth control would allow for family planning and place greater emphasis on healthy families.
The plan would support the status quo on abortion policy (no federal money will be used to fund abortions and health plans cannot be required to fund abortion). All contraceptive measures covered will prevent pregnancy, but will not terminate an existing pregnancy.
Allowing personal beliefs to determine what will or will not be covered by health plans undermines the purpose of health insurance. According to Adam Sconfield of the Guttmacher Institute, “You would have people questioning treating lung cancer for smokers or accident victims of a motorcycle wreck, or objecting to people having too many kids." Well said.

3. The Opposition
Of course, a change as momentous as this is likely to draw a few adversaries. This is especially pronounced in cases where religious institutions provide health insurance to their employees. Major arguments against contraceptive coverage include:

Contraception should not be included under preventative care because pregnancy is not a disease.
People against abortion shouldn’t be asked to subsidize methods they believe can cause abortions (which, they claim, happens through their insurance premiums).
More contraception doesn’t necessarily lead to fewer unplanned pregnancies and abortions.

The plan currently offers a narrow religious refusal clause (often called a conscience clause), which allows certain religious institutions to exclude contraception from the insurance plans that they offer to their employees. This clause would apply to an institution that “has inculcation of religious values as its purpose” and primarily serves and employs people that share its religious beliefs. Basically, it exempts institutions such as churches, but not religiously affiliated hospitals, schools, or universities (such as, ahem, Boston College). The Obama administration is currently under pressure to add a wider refusal clause that would exempt these institutions from having to provide this benefit to their employees and students.

4. So what would change at BC, exactly?
Well, not as much as we may hope, but it’s a start. Massachusetts state law already requires all MA medical insurance plans (including student plans) to offer prescription drug coverage, including contraceptive drug consultations and prescriptions. For the average BC woman, this means that contraception would at least be partially covered under BC’s health insurance either way and the student is charged a co-pay. But the exciting part would come in at the register, when we can put our already-scarce college student funds towards more worthwhile means than co-pays on birth control. These changes would be even more drastic to women in states without state laws that mandate these provisions – say, our friends over at Notre Dame. While BC can still refuse to prescribe or distribute birth control pills in Health Services (boo), their student insurance plans would have to completely cover the entire cost of contraception if a student seeks these services elsewhere (yay!).

But don’t put your wallet away just yet. If the opposition’s refusal clause succeeds, plans like Boston College insurance would no longer be obligated to cover the full cost of contraception. To fight the pending broader refusal clause, and to stand up for the rights the federal government is announcing that all women should have, sign Amplify Your Voice’s “Obama, Don’t Cave” Petition.

Regardless of your personal stance on the issue, we applaud the Obama administration for striving towards loophole-free protection of women’s health, and for finally taking a firm federal stance on women’s reproductive rights. Our health (...and our rights...and our wallets) is thankful.

Peace, love, and lube
BC Students for Sexual Health

Comprehensive Sex Ed Lecture

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:06:00 -0500

I am member of Youth First Texas, a GLBT youth center in Dallas and Thursday we had a presentation by a manager from Aids Arms. It's one of the few times I've had a comprehensive sex education lecture.

Darriane started with statistics and in Dallas county the largest age group with newly reported infections was 15 -24. Without fail and for every infection, this age group, my age group had the largest number of documented infections. This isn't just my age group but almost everyone I know is in this age group, most of my best friends, one of my sisters, both of my gaybies.

www.dallascounty.org/department/hhs/documents/DCHHSSTD2010Final.pdf

She then asked us why are condoms not always used. One answer was they don't feel the same. Another was putting on a condom kills the mood and another was condoms weren't always available.

She answered these responses by bringing out a huge box of condoms, lubes, and a prop penis and vagina. She told us that condoms had changed and there were actually fun condoms. She had ribbed condoms and condoms that glowed in the dark, flavored lube and numbing lube, female condoms and dental dams. She challenged us to try them and see if they weren't fun. She showed up condoms with looser plastic around the head that were called "the pleasure dome." She said see if a game of "hide and come get it" kills the mood.

She told us about waiting and how it too is an important aspect of sex. She talked about cases were the age difference was a huge factor and a legal issue. There was a lot of information and a lot of laughs and at the end of the presentation she let us have our picks of the condoms and lube. It was funny seeing parents and volunteers taking some of the equipment too.

We Want REAL Sex Ed!

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 20:46:00 -0500

For years, abstinence-only curriculums have been the norm in public schools. In recent years, however, the subject of sex ed in schools has been a hot debate. Abstinence-only puts a negative spin on sex, emphasizing the negative outcomes and only mentioning contraception in terms of its failure rate. This type of teaching stresses the idea that sex should only occur within the context of marriage for the purpose of reproduction. While this idea may be held by many individuals, and that’s OK, it’s obviously not working for our teens, as pregnancy and STI rates remain high among young people.

The abstinence-plus approach is a more comprehensive teaching method. While stressing the fact that abstinence is the only 100% way to avoid pregnancy and STIs, this approach also teaches teens about the various contraceptive methods and how to use them properly to better prepare them if sex is something they choose to engage in. In my South Carolina school system, we had one hour every month or so dedicated to “comprehensive health.” What’s wrong with saying “sex ed” or even “reproductive education”? The irony is that our curriculum was so far from a comprehensive approach!

Interestingly enough, some parents actually want their children to learn more about sex in schools. Be sure to check out the video below to see that even kids want to learn more about sex in schools. So what’s the hold up? Many legislators, often backed by religious and other conservative groups, hold the idea that arming teens with accurate information about sex will lead to a more sexually active population. Let’s take a “knowledge is power” stance, team up with these kids and schools across the country, and tell lawmakers and school boards what we really want!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXLptXpdWEw&feature=player_embedded

Sex Ed Gets GLEEked

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:45:00 -0500

HOORAY, Glee! To follow up my previous blog’s investigation of reality TV (www.amplifyyourvoice.org/u/JulesP/2011/3/14/STDs--A-Shore-Thing,) I’d like to give a big thumbs up to the writers and producers of the Fox series Glee. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the same population that watches Jersey Shore is also tuning in on Tuesday nights for Glee. In this episode, “Sexy”, Gwyneth Paltrow, comes back as a sexed-up substitute teacher named Holly Holiday, and brings it to everyone’s attention that our favorite kids at McKinley High are not quite clued in on topics of sexual health. Holly Holiday and the director, Mr. Schuester, sneak in a few sex ed lessons during Glee Club about “hooking up” and staying protected. I think the show deserves major kudos during the part of the episode in which gay character Blaine convinces his crush Kurt’s dad to talk with Kurt about sex – and he actually follows through. Young people these days aren’t receiving much sex ed at school, and more often than not, they definitely aren’t receiving it at home. The “sex talk” scene is an awesome portrayal of how parents should speak openly to their kids about the reality of sex and relationships.

I was so glad to see such an uplifting and educational TV episode after I was so disturbed by my favorite Jersey residents last week. The show stressed the importance of being ready for a physical and intimate relationship and being fully aware of the decisions you make when it comes to sex. If young adults are receiving little sex ed elsewhere, I sure hope they’re finding balance between reality TV trash and healthy portrayals of real high school life.
In case you missed it, catch the latest Glee episode here:

www.fox.com/glee/full-episodes

Sex Educating Teens for a Better World

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:01:00 -0500

Delsie-Ann Bailey unavoidably missed out on an important part of her teen life -- senior year. She was unable to celebrate like other teens her age. She missed her senior prom because at age seventeen she became pregnant.

When I leave College and return home to be a mother, “I stop to think how my life could have been different,” Delsie-Ann said to a group of young environmental and reproductive health activists at the One Voice Summit on October 28, 2011 in Washington DC. There were no sex education classes in her high school. Delsie-Ann like many other teens have suffered as a result of the absence of comprehensive sex education, which teaches children, adolescents and youth about abstinence, faithfulness and using condoms and other modern effective contraception.

Delsie-Ann was born in St Catherine, Jamaica. She moved to North Carolina in the United States at an early age. Many people in the developing countries would expect that sex education would be standard for American teens. Today, Delsie-Ann works part-time and attends college full-time. All this she manages while being a teen mom and she still finds time to volunteer with other teens in North Carolina to advocate for comprehensive sex education as well as train teachers how to teach sex ed to teens.

Comprehensive sex education is desperately needed to encourage adolescents to delay sexual debut, reduce sexual partners and teach young people to communicate and make safe decisions about sex.

“No one should have to go through the things I had to go through,” she said. “I advocate because I realize that not only does my work affect people now but also my daughter’s generation.”

Over $1.5b has been wasted on abstinence only until marriage programmes in the USA. Thanks in part to the work of many people, including Delsie-Ann and her colleagues; there is now a Teen Health Act so hundreds of thousands of young people in North Carolina can learn about and safeguard their sexual and reproductive health.

This is remarkable because two young people become infected with HIV every hour in the United States. The rates have stabilized over the years but it is increasing rapidly among young people, particularly among young men of colour who have sex with men, especially young black men.

There is also more good news. About 21 States and the District of Colombia mandate that schools teach sex education, 32 States teach HIV and STD education and 23 States request that abstinence be stressed.