HuffPo’s Best and Worst in Sex List
A
nother New Year, another “Best and Worst” list. But this is one we can get behind! Huffington Post ranked Louisiana State Rep. Patricia Smith’s quote, that “lack of sex education is ‘really a form of child abuse’” as the best Sex Ed moment of 2014. They argue that a lack of sexuality education focusing on the psychological and relational components of sexuality allows children’s sexual identities to develop largely through exposure to sexually explicit media and sex-negative themes in greater society. This, they say, ultimately leads children to grow into adults with “seriously flawed” understandings of their own sexuality and others.
Do you agree with HuffPo’s picks? (You can see their full Best and Worst list, here.) What’s your favorite Sex Ed moment of 2014? Tell us in the comments!
MN Teens Take the Initiative
Meanwhile, Minnesota Public Radio reported that three high school seniors in St. Louis Park, MN, are taking it upon themselves to create their “Best” list of 2015. Students Shoshi Fischman, Dave Herrera, and Brita Hunegs have succeeded in establishing a “sexual health education club” in their local high school that will be open to 9th-12th graders to discuss topics ranging from “birth control and abstinence, to sexually transmitted infections and how to foster healthy relationships.” According to MPR’s story, the teens weren’t satisfied with the level of education about sexuality they were getting from their health class and embarked on a six-month conversation with school officials about exactly what topics would be covered and how the three driven group leaders would be trained to discuss them. That training is coming from myHealth for Teens and Young Adults, a sexual health clinic in Hopkins, MN, that develops sex ed curricula for local school districts.
A Visit to the National Sex Ed Conference!
Image from: The New Yorker
And now back to our favorite Sex Ed moment of the year, the National Sex Ed Conference! If you attended the 2014 conference in early December, you may have seen Larissa Macfarquhar of The New Yorker in attendance at some of your sessions. Her fantastic review of the conference was published in the January 5th issue and features nods to our good friends Brian Flaherty, Megara Bell, and Al Vernacchio—not to mention the ever fabulous Dr. Ruth Westheimer!
And, after reliving some of your favorite moments of #NSEC14, make sure to register for #NSEC15 today at www.sexedconference.com. We can’t wait to see you in December!
