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Porn Vs. Reality: Teaching Teens the Difference
March 24, 2011
I just came across a terrific column about how to talk to teens about porn. Or rather, how to educate them about the difference between pornographic imagery (still or video) and how real people look, respond and behave sexually. The writer is Lanae St. John, a sex educator Good Vibrations Magazine. You can read the column here.
“Glee” Teaches How to Talk With Kids about Sex
March 10, 2011
This week’s Glee episode focused on the fact that both adults and teens need sexuality education. Of course, the examples were over the top: a student who thought she was pregnant because a stork built a nest near her bedroom; another watched a condom-on-a-cucumber lesson and thought her lunch salad was risky; and a counselor thought the 80s song “Afternoon Delight” was about dessert, rather than sex.
I enjoyed the episode overall — any promotion of sex education is helpful — but I was not pleased that the substitude sex education teacher (played by Gwynneth Paltrow) was completely unprofessional. She crossed boundaries, broke confidences, and made belittling comments about students and adults who chose to abstain from sex. However, I was extremely pleased with the “sex talk” undertaken by Kurt’s father after a gay classmate of his son’s explained that very few parents discuss sexual values and behavior with their gay children. Kurt’s dad has been a hero throughout the show, as he has evolved from being upset by his son’s sexual orientation to being protective of Kurt’s heart and health.
This particular clip from the show, which focuses on that conversation, is a good lesson for parents of kids of any sexual orientation. It illustrates that while both parent and child may be uncomfortable at first, these conversations are essential. And, they get easier in time. Please watch the clip. Then, call your kids in and start some conversations of your own. If you want another spin, visit the Centers for Disease Control’s new website about LGBT youth.
My Book is Underway!
March 9, 2011
I’m very excited to share the news that I am now under contract to write a book of sex advice for couples over 50. The book will be on shelves in spring 2012, through Quiver. I’ll keep you posted!
Report Out on US Sexual Behavior, Attraction & Identity
March 3, 2011
This just in from the U.S. Centers from Disease Control: The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics is issuing a new report, “Sexual Behavior, Sexual Attraction, and Sexual Identity in the United States: Data from the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth.”
With the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, a great public health concern, part of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) is dedicated to providing timely, credible information to public health researchers for developing prevention strategies targeting high risk populations. The NSFG is based on approximately 13,500 interviews with men and women aged 15 to 44 (Read More).
Some of the findings in the study include:
- A higher percentage of young males and females reported never having any sexual contact with another person. In 2002, an estimated 22% of males and females aged 15-24 had never had any sexual contact with another person. In 2006-08, this percentage increased to 27% for males and 29% for females.
- More than half of young persons aged 15-24 who have had oral sex reportedly engaged in this behavior prior to ever having vaginal intercourse. White persons aged 15-24 (57%) were more likely than black or Hispanic persons of the same age (39%) to have had oral sex before intercourse.
- Women aged 15-44 years are more than twice as likely to have had a same-sex experience as men of the same age group. In 2006-08, approximately 12.5% of women reported a same-sex experience compared with 5.2% of men.
- Women who have had 4 or more male sexual partners in their lifetime are also more likely to have had a female sexual partner, compared with women who have had no male partners or women who have had only 1 male partner. Among men, the percentage who have engaged in same-sex behavior did not vary by the number of female partners.
- While the percentage of women and men aged 18-44 years who reported they were either heterosexual or homosexual was similar (94% of women and 96% of men said they were heterosexual or straight while 1.1% of women and 1.7% of men said they were homosexual or gay), the percentage of women who reported they were bisexual was more than 3 times as high as men (3.5% of women vs. 1.1% of men).