Thirty years of public health science clearly demonstrates that providing young people with information about the health benefits of both abstinence and contraception and condoms, does not cause young people to initiate sex earlier or have sex more often. Abstinence-only-until marriage programs leave young people unprepared. They are unethical.
It is easy to overlook seniors when we see the dire numbers around STIs and teens, yet we remain at risk for sexually transmitted infections as we age.
Sexual education and empowerment leads not only to responsible and respectful sexual behaviors and attitudes but also an increased access to effective preventative, screening, treatment, and support services that promote physical and sexual well-being. But we need integrated approaches and more connection to achieve our goals.
To confront the most often-repeated misrepresentations, I ask readers to consider these ten assertions about sexual health and education in the United States.
To ensure quality sexual and reproductive health and address economic burdens, continued efforts to educate, screen, test, and treat for STDs is critical to our nation’s public health and well-being.
One in two sexually active people will get an STD by age 25, but most won’t even know it. Just as abstinence is the only 100 percent effective way to prevent pregnancy, the only way to be sure of your STD status is to get tested. April is the time to do it—STD Awareness Month.
Abstinence-only programs, with their emphasis on purity, marriage, and heterosexuality, create hostile environments that perpetuate the growth of rule-enforcing bullies, one slut-shaming, homophobic class at a time.
![[img src]](http://rhrealitycheck.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/../../files/teaser-images/how-to-use-a-condom-187x125.jpg)
Want to do your part to help prevent the spread of HIV this World AIDS Day? One of the easiest ways we can all do that is to use condoms correctly and consistently, avoiding common mishaps which can result in rips or breaks.
What to do when what’s supposed to feel like a sexual milestone feels more like a raw deal, including sorting through feelings of upset about a partner’s sexual history.
For decades, students’ likelihood of receiving sex ed in NYC public schools has come down to the luck of the draw. New York City’s universal standard for sex education, announced in August, seeks to put an end to the loose patchwork of programs across the city. But the usual suspects are using fear-mongering and falsehoods to push their agenda of ignorance.
