Get the Facts (teens, parents)

Concerned about the quality or content of sex education in your school? Want to support sex education in your school? Wondering what “sexuality education” even means? Here are some resources that can help. { Read more … }

When should sex ed start? For parents, talking with your child about sexuality should be an ongoing conversation from the earliest years.  { Read more … }

Comprehensive sexuality education is critical to young people’s ability to make healthy and informed sexual decisions. It provides accurate information about human sexuality, reproduction and sexual health; presents opportunities to explore and understand one’s own values regarding sexuality; develops skills to communicate and relate to others in healthy, satisfying, meaningful ways; and supports the ability to make sexual decisions with integrity to one’s self and respect for others. { Read more … }

A variety of survey formats have been used to collect data on the sexual practices of teens. Not only does this information help to track trends, but it also informs the interventions based on relevant risk and protective factors and the teen behaviors. For example, the 2007 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a survey administered in a random selection of high schools across the state, found that approximately 45% of high school students in Massachusetts reported having had sexual intercourse.  { Read more … }

If  you are GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning), you may be facing significant challenges and barriers to being yourself in our society. The good news is, you are not alone. A state survey of high school students found that almost 18,000 Massachusetts high school students identify as GLB or have had a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex as them. { Read more … }

For more resources on teen pregnancy prevention and teen parenting, check out the links below: { Read more … }

Have you ever heard that you can’t get pregnant after having unprotected sex if you drink a gallon of Kool-Aid, if you drink Hot Malta, or if you do 200 jumping jacks? There are lots of myths about sex, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like these. Some of them may seem very logical, but don’t take your chances. Get the facts from reliable sources like parents, teachers, and health professionals.

Here are some reliable resources on the web for information about sex, teen pregnancy, and STIs: { Read more … }