More about Sexuality Education; Teen Sexuality
 

Ignorance Is Bliss, And Then You Get an STD

For today's teens, the instinctual quest for sex carries the risk of unspeakable pain. In the age of AIDS, the very act that gives life could end up being a death sentence...|MORE

The Healthy Teens Act is making its way once more through the NYS legislature. It has passed the Assembly and awaits action by the Senate. |MORE about the legislative progress

What is the Healthy Teens Act? For brief description and legislative history, go here.

  • A report published late May 2007 in the American Journal of Sociology suggests having sex doesn't harm the mental health of teens, except for those ages 15 or younger whose relationships tend to be less committed. See: Report: Sex doesn't harm older teens
  • According to a biennial study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, "the number of sexual scenes on television has nearly doubled since 1998..." -->>Read further:"Sex on TV 4"
  • "Raising a child is probably the most gratifying job any of us will ever have -- and one of the toughest. We live in an increasingly complex world that challenges us every day with a wide range of disturbing issues that are difficult for children to understand and for adults to explain. We believe this Web site can help by offering practical, concrete tips and techniques for talking easily and openly with young children ages 8 to 12 about some very tough issues..." -->>Read further "Talking with Kids About Tough Issues" covering sex, HIV/AIDS, violence, drugs and alcohol.
  • "With strong support from President Bush and millions of dollars in funding, abstinence-only sex ed has become the government's preferred strategy in the war on teenage pregnancy" -->>Read further in a report from the Dallas Morning News.
  • "In fall 1997, the Franklin County, North Carolina, school board ordered chapters on sexual behavior, contraception and AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) cut out of its health textbook for ninth graders. The deleted material, the board said, did not comply with a new state law requiring public schools to teach abstinence until marriage in their comprehensive health education program for students in kindergarten through ninth grade..." Read further a thought-provoking report from the Alan Guttmacher Institute about compromised sex education programs in our schools: School-Based Sexuality Education: The Issues and Challenges.
  • Human Sexuality — What Children Need to Know and When They Need to Know It -->>Read further in a Planned Parenthood educational piece.
  • Books by Debra W. Haffner available at your favorite book store:
    • From Diapers to Dating: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Sexually Health Children
    • From Diapers to Dating: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Sexually Health Children – From Infancy to Middle School
    • Beyond the Big Talk: Every Parent’s Guide to Raising Sexually Health Teens from Middle School to High School and Beyond
  • New CDC Data on Sexual Behavior Reinforces Need for Comprehensive and Medically Accurate Information and Education for All People Throughout Their Lifetime. -->>Read further in a special SIECUS report.
  • "Driven by new concerns over teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other STDs, sexuality education enjoys an unprecedented level of support, according to a [1999] survey..." -->>Read further.