by Alethea Thompson Planned Parenthood of Central and Greater Northern New Jersey Alethea Thompson Some days I feel like I have the best job in the world — it’s so educational! Whether I am learning from a conference, a mandatory state training, or a Planned Parenthood in-service training, I always have something new to take… Read more »
by Julie Halpin Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Julie Halpin I feel like a curious child stumbling through the world of the unknown, mesmerized by anything new and easily distracted by something shiny. As I fumble through the stages of crawling, walking, and talking I am easily frustrated but excited and anxious to keep… Read more »
Daniela Vallez by Daniela Vallez Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains When I tell people what I do, people usually are quick to tell me their story about how they never had a class on sex education, or they explain how awkward it was. When I ask them why it was so awkward, they usually… Read more »
Somebody Has To Do It! by Niala Terrell-Mason Planned Parenthood of thePacific Southwest Niala Terrell-Mason I teach sex ed because someone has to. I work for a large Planned Parenthood affiliate that covers three counties in Southern California. My particular area, Western Riverside County, has some of the highest teen pregnancy and STIs rates in… Read more »
by Courtney Peters Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma “I teach people about sex.” This is how I used to approach the situation when asked about my profession. I quickly realized that this statement elicited some very strange looks and many unwanted replies. Over the last 16 months, I have learned to elaborate, and now my… Read more »
Darrien Howze by Darrien Howze, M.EdPlanned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan A funny thing happened on the way to looking for a new job. I found a career that I could be proud of: sex education. I get paid to discuss the most common but the most uncomfortable topic in this nation. This career choice… Read more »
Jessi Ensenberger “You Can’t Get Pregnant Standing Up”:Why America Should Beef Up on Peer Education by Jessi Ensenberger, Planned Parenthood of Indiana Last year I became a peer educator with Planned Parenthood of Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana. I am extremely passionate about spreading comprehensive, medically accurate knowledge about sexuality; but this isn’t the only reason… Read more »
by Kirsten deFur Kirsten deFur wrote these lessons for the forthcoming 3rd ed. of Teaching Safer Sex: “Defining Sexual Health” and “I Feel Good!” (vol. 1) and “Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid” (vol. 2) Contributing author to Teaching Safer Sex I had just started 8th grade at Byrd middle school in Richmond, VA. It was the beginning… Read more »
by Bill Taverner Both volumes of the preliminary draft of Teaching Safer Sex, 3rd ed. are now in the hands of our editorial advisory board, as well as other experts in sexuality education, and our copyeditor. So for the first time since I dove into this project full-force a year ago, I am finding myself trying… Read more »
By Matthew Lowe Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts Matthew Lowe I teach Sex Ed because the Sex Ed classroom is the only secular educational space in which a student’s development as a whole person is directly addressed. If human sexuality were purely scientific, the biology teacher could cover it, right after mitosis and meiosis. But… Read more »
