August 27, 2020

Bring up pornography in any conversation, and you may just get an awkward silence…bring it up with sex educators, and you never know what you’re going to get. It’s complicated, to say the least.

We know young people are watching porn, and technology makes it easier than ever with fast connections and ubiquitous smartphones. It’s a typical part of adolescent development for young people to seek out more information about sex and relationships, and they may look to porn for sexual arousal, out of curiosity, or to find answers to their questions about sex.

Join us for one of our #HealthyTeen20 featured conference sessions, What’s the Deal with Porn?, Wednesday, November 18.

And well, it’s not all bad. For some of us, that may be hard to understand, but research shows, for example, that for people of diverse sexual identities, porn consumption can serve as an important and positive space for sexual exploration. And contrary to what many may believe, young people may not be learning risk-taking behaviors from porn.

So, what do we know about young people’s porn consumption? What are they learning from it? What do we want them to know about porn? And what does this all mean for sex ed?

Well, for starters, to be relevant, sex ed should equip young people with the skills necessary to be informed consumers when they inevitably watch porn. One of the ways we can do this is by helping young people learn to “read,” to “unpack,” porn using media literacy skills. This is how young people can break down the messages they see in porn to understand it as an entertainment industry…that it is very different from “real sex.”

Piqued your interest? Join us for one of our #HealthyTeen20 featured conference sessions, What’s the Deal with Porn?, Wednesdsay, November 18. In this session, we’ll dive into the research we do have and what we know about young people and porn—why they watch it, how they feel about it, and more. You’ll be encouraged to reflect on how your values shape perceptions about adolescent porn use. We’ll wrap it up with concrete tips and opportunities to practice strategies to use a media literacy lens to have effective conversations with youth about porn.

And about that conference…

Back in 2019 (was that only last year?), knowing technology and sexuality have become so intertwined, we wanted to explore the theme of sexuality in this “connected age.”

Today (thanks, COVID-19), our theme is more relevant than ever. Just about everything is virtual for most of us these days. And we know that is making a difference for the youth we serve.

What can you expect from #HealthyTeen20?

No, we can’t gather in-person, but you’ll still get the chance to expand your skills and knowledge while also connecting with other professionals. Much has changed, but much will be the same, including a pre-conference institute, inspiring keynotes, a thought-provoking plenary, and of course, workshops, posters, and panel sessions.

Register today!

At Healthy Teen Network, we believe that every young person has a right to live their authentic sexuality. And we see you, the professionals and caring adults, helping them do this. We know you do your best when you’re connected to great opportunities and resources. That’s why we’re here…to help make those connections and support you. Read more about us.

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July 24, 2020

W e are delighted to announce the latest addition to the Healthy Teen Network team, Ella Dorval Hall.

She has served as an intern and consultant with us for the past year and proved to be so valuable that we begged her to join us. Ella will serve as a Capacity Building Specialist, working on instructional designs, producing virtual events, training, technical assistance, and general support. Ella brings a wide range of experience to her work, from communications, to firefighting, project management, working with young people, and much more.

Ella barreled at full speed into the question, “Why don’t we learn about sexual pleasure?”

Ella Dorval Hall dove headfirst into her career in sexuality when she barreled at full speed into the question, “Why don’t we learn about sexual pleasure?” Soon came other questions, like, “How has this impacted me, and other people?” and in the absence of learning about pleasure, “What ARE we learning about sex?” Ella’s collision into these questions gave birth to a sexual health website, where she used storytelling to share essential, honest information and cultivate a healthier relationship with sexuality.

Ella’s approach has always been rooted in understanding how systemic, cultural, and personal factors impact a person’s sexual health, and she strongly believes in putting the experiences of young people at the center of her work.

At Healthy Teen Network, we believe that every young person has a right to live their authentic sexuality. And we see you, the professionals and caring adults, helping them do this. We know you do your best when you’re connected to great opportunities and resources. That’s why we’re here…to help make those connections and support you. Read more about us.

The post Welcome (again!) , Ella appeared first on Healthy Teen Network.

W ell, here we are. It’s almost August and we’re still battling the COVID-19 pandemic. That short, sigh of relief we had when things began to reopen is over.

In fact, cases in the US have surpassed FOUR MILLION. Let that sink in for a minute.

Here in Baltimore, indoor dining has been suspended again, and a public health order has been issued requiring that all people age 2 or older must wear a mask in any indoor public space. In the last week, debates have been raging across America about what the start of the 2020-2021 school year is going to look like for students. For most, it seems virtual or some kind of hybrid learning will continue.

The National Coalition for Sexual Health and GLSEN have partnered to create this fact sheet to help LGBTQ+ youth navigate COVID-19.

As we all continue to adjust to the uncertainty of the pandemic, it’s important to keep sharing resources that will help youth, especially those who might be disproportionally affected. Here are a few:

The National Coalition for Sexual Health and GLSEN have partnered to create this fact sheet to help LGBTQ+ youth navigate COVID-19. This resource answers questions on maintaining relationships, having safer sex, staying mentally healthy, and accessing sexual and gender-affirming health care services.

True Colors United has put together a COVID-19 Action & Resource Center which is frequently updated with resources and action items for professionals and advocates who work with youth, as well as young people looking for help.

Generation NYC has also put together an extensive resource page that can be filtered by the type of information you are seeking. Categories include mental health, physical health and wellness, peer and community support, food assistance, legal help, housing and shelter, and financial help.

The Gender Spectrum Lounge offers a global online community for gender-expansive teens, their families, and support professionals to connect, collaborate, and find resources specific to their needs.

APA Division 44: Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity has compiled these resources to assist LGBTQ+ youth who may be sheltering in place in non-affirming environments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Human Rights Campaign has curated a list of resources that LGBTQ+ you and their parents can access both online and by phone.

Allison Tomai Felsen is a Communications Manager for Healthy Teen Network who provides design and communications expertise for projects and manages our website. Allison and her husband are proud parents of two pups and three cats. Read more from Allison.

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S isterSong defines Reproductive Justice as “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.”

The term Reproductive Justice was coined in 1994 when a group of Black women called the Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice met on the matter of the individual choice to plan your own family, and “recognized that the women’s rights movement, led by and representing middle class and wealthy white women, could not defend the needs of women of color and other marginalized women and trans* people” (SisterSong).

“There can be no Reproductive Justice when Black womxn are criminalized, Black trans and non-binary people are marginalized, and Black parents cannot see their children grow in peace.”

On June 5th, amidst our current civil uprising, leaders of the Reproductive Justice movement and Movement for Black Lives brought hundreds of people together for “Defending Black Bodies: A Reproductive Justice Townhall” that I was grateful to listen in on.

At the end, Monica Rae Simpson of Sister Song asked us to reflect on the question “What am I willing to do differently to support Black lives?” and to post our answer to social media.

I share my personal response in the hopes of responding to these leaders’ call “for reproductive health, rights, and justice activists to get in formation” because “there can be no Reproductive Justice when Black womxn are criminalized, Black trans and non-binary people are marginalized, and Black parents cannot see their children grow in peace.”

What am I willing to do differently to support Black lives?

Ella Dorval Hall was previously employed with Healthy Teen Network as a Capacity Building Specialist.

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D iscrimination against pregnant and parenting students is alive and well…and could be getting worse! In February, attorney generals from 19 states and the District of Columbia sent Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, a letter expressing their “strong opposition” to proposed changes to Title IX. It’s a juicy one, too!  They make the case that the changes would decrease protections against students who are pregnant and parenting—as well as LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive students. They even include statements like “The consequences of the Department’s proposed rule for the States’ students and residents are potentially dire and long-lasting,” and use lawyer-lingo like “arbitrary and capricious” and “evidentiary support.”

We created an infographic that explains Title IX and Maryland’s law regarding excused absences for pregnant and parenting students in simple language for students and staff.

The problem, as I see it, is that the rights of students who are pregnant or parenting are being chipped away, few people notice, and the news doesn’t cover it. Honestly, unless I had been writing this post and doing a Google search for examples of Title IX violations, I may still be “in the dark” about it, too. Yikes, right?

Guess what? I was angry and frustrated before I started writing this post because even without the proposed changes to Title IX, young parents’ rights are still being violated. I really would have thought that the 2017 report by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Let Her Learn: Stopping School Pushout for Girls Who Are Pregnant or Parenting, would have been a wake-up call for anyone who is bound by Title IX. I guess some people just didn’t get the message.

An Infographic for Young People Who Are Pregnant or Parenting

Healthy Teen Network is a partner on Map 2 Success, a project of the Baltimore City Health Department and Maryland Department of Health, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services Pregnancy Assistance Fund. We created an infographic that explains Title IX and Maryland’s law regarding excused absences for pregnant and parenting students in simple language for students and staff.

Deborah Chilcoat, MEd, is a Senior Manager for our Capacity Building and Evaluation Department at Healthy Teen Network and is nationally recognized as a seasoned trainer and adolescent sexual and reproductive health expert. When home, she is savoring every moment with her incredibly fun family and their lovable dogs. Read more about Deb.

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L aurie Schwab Zabin, PhD, an internationally recognized expert on adolescent pregnancy, family planning, abortion, and sexual behavior, died May 11, 2020 at age 94. Dr. Zabin was a professor of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She dedicated over three decades of service with Planned Parenthood of Maryland, helped shape the national strategy of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and was among the founders of the Guttmacher Institute. Internationally, she traveled to more than a dozen countries, helping to establish women’s health clinics and bring contraceptive options to women across the globe. Read the full obituary published in The Washington Post.

Laurie Zabin is best known for her pioneering work to call attention to teen pregnancy and to help young people in Baltimore and around the world access reproductive health.

Dr. Zabin served on the Healthy Teen Network Board of Directors, was recognized as Researcher of the Year in 2007, and was a long-time donor and supporter, dating back to our early days as the National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting (NOAP). In this long list of awe-inspiring accomplishments, Healthy Teen Network Director of Capacity Building and Evaluation, Valerie Sedivy, shares some of her personal memories of Dr. Zabin and her tremendous support for her students:

Laurie Zabin is best known for her pioneering work to call attention to teen pregnancy and to help young people in Baltimore and around the world access reproductive health. What’s less known is how the way she worked, rather than what she did, was uniquely inspirational to many, including me.

I first met Laurie when I was a Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Master’s student. I didn’t fit the mold of the typical student, being the product of a working-class family in the Midwest with a mediocre state-school education in an unrelated field. While I didn’t have much confidence, I did have a few years of health education experience under my belt, and a lot of ambition to make a difference in the lives of young people. Before I made the commitment to enroll, I decided to try to meet with a faculty member or two to get a feeling for whether or not I could hack it.

Laurie enthusiastically agreed to meet with me, and she not only convinced me that I had the right to be there, but she took me under her wing and helped me navigate this new academic and social world. She invited me to gatherings at her house and took me to dinner. She hired me to house sit when she was out of town because she knew I was broke. She hired me to work for her upon graduation, and she encouraged me to pursue doctoral studies. And after serving as my advisor for my PhD, she recommended me to the National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy (now Healthy Teen Network) when they were looking for an evaluator to implement a nationwide effort to find promising programs.

While supporting me and so many other students, Laurie kept her own research agenda alive with a frenetic energy that led to us call her the “white tornado” (she had very white hair). She also managed to make connections most of us could only dream about. Most notably, she met Bill Gates’ father when he was running their foundation and sowed the seeds that led to their substantial commitment to funding students to advance reproductive health around the world (not to mention funding for Johns Hopkins) that continues to this day.

Despite her impressive accomplishments in applying research to real-world problems and finding the means to do it, I will most remember Laurie for the myriad of ways she found to help the next generation get a foothold in this field—particularly those who might have been left out otherwise. She will be missed.

Valerie Sedivy, our Director of Capacity Building and Evaluation, will be your first point of contact if you’re looking for training or support. Her passion is helping you figure out what you need (and what you don’t), and in finding creative and feasible ways to meet those needs. Read more from Valerie.

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June 2, 2020

I n recognition of #BlackoutTuesday and in support of #BlackLivesMatter, we are pausing our regular communications.

Today, we pause to grieve and join in the outrage for violence against Black lives. We join the call for justice following the most recent racially charged incidents and the nation’s protests in response specifically to the murder of George Floyd by four Minnesota police officers, the murder of Breonna Taylor by Louisville law enforcement offices, and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery by a small but racist lynch mob.

Each of us has a responsibility and a role to play in dismantling racism.

Racism is a persistent social toxin in our society. The ongoing and disparate impacts of racism demand our attention, now. To ensure equity for People of Color, the enduring burden of racism and systemic oppression must be acknowledged and remedied.

The outrage is righteous. Each of us has a responsibility and a role to play in dismantling racism. For those of who looking for ways to learn and to do better, we’ve compiled an abbreviated list to support our members who may be looking for more guidance:

The 1619 Project, The New York Times Magazine

“The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.”

Talking About Race Web Portal, National Museum of African American History and Culture

This new online portal is “designed to help individuals, families, and communities talk about racism, racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of society, from the economy and politics to the broader American culture.”

“How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change” by Barack Obama

Former President Barack Obama notes that “Ultimately, it’s going to be up to a new generation of activists to shape the strategies that best fit the times. But I believe there are some basic lessons to draw from past efforts that are worth remembering.”

#Black Lives Matter

“#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.”

Black Lives Matter at School

“Black Lives Matter At School is a national coalition organizing for racial justice in education.” The site has resources for educators on structural racism, intersectional black identities, black history, and anti-racist movements.”

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

“Instead of working with the policies and system we have in place, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it.”

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo

“White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress…This book explicates the dynamics of White Fragility and how we might build our capacity in the on-going work towards racial justice.”

So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo

“Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to “model minorities” in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.”

The Danger of a Single Story
“Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. [In her TED Talk,] Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice–and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.”

This list is by no means exhaustive or representative of the resources available. We will continue to share more resources on social media, amplifying the voice of the organizations and individuals who have made it their mission to fight racism and promote social justice.

No matter our focus, whether we are sex educators or healthcare providers or policy advocates or trainers, we each can contribute to the fight to advance social change and dismantle racism.

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It’s #SexEdForAll month, yet most people still believe sex education is just about sex. But it’s so much more than that. As a young woman from rural Appalachia, I’m well aware that until people learn what sex education truly is, it won’t be widely accepted in our society. That’s why I created the Sexuality Education Legislation and Policy: A State-by-State Comparison of Health Indicators story map, in conjunction with the Robert Graham Center. The story map explores sexuality education legislation and policies by state, compared to each state’s respective health indicators, including teen birth rate, contraceptive prevalence rate, sexually transmitted infection (STI) rate, sexual violence, physical dating violence, bullying/harassment, and suicide. This story map can be used as a visually accessible advocacy tool to demonstrate the breadth of health indicators impacted by comprehensive sex education. In addition to the sexual and reproductive health benefits of comprehensive sex education, it is a powerful tool for violence prevention.

This story map can be used as a visually accessible advocacy tool to demonstrate the breadth of health indicators impacted by comprehensive sex education.

1. Sexual violence

Consent is a core topic taught in sex education, which is vitally important since our society has failed to teach people what consent actually means. Before we touch, hug, kiss, cuddle, or touch someone’s body in any way, we must ask consent. We can teach this from a young age… for example, when a 4-year-old kid says they don’t want a hug from their aunt, then we respect that. This shows children it’s their body, and they decide who touches them. The same goes for adolescents (and all people, really)…before hugging or kissing someone at the end of a romantic date, we must ask first, saying “Hey, is it okay if I hug you?” If they verbally say “yes,” then it’s time to hug! Teaching consent is key to preventing sexual violence.

2. Physical dating violence

Healthy relationships are another primary theme in sex education. Students learn positive ways to express intimacy and affection, communicate personal boundaries, and develop strategies to avoid or end unhealthy relationships. Just like consent, our society has failed to teach people what it means to be a healthy partner. Further, perpetrators of dating violence often have poor self-esteem, and importantly, sex education provides students with the tools needed to develop positive self-worth as well as ways to serve as a healthy partner. Sex education also teaches gender equality from a young age, thereby reducing risk for gender-based violence.

3. Bullying & harassment

Comprehensive sex education offers robust curricula on bullying prevention. People bully for many reasons, including low self-esteem, emotional neglect, and some bullies may be victims of violence themselves. Sex education teaches students that bullying is wrong as well as how to respond if they are being bullied. Further, sex education guides students in identity development, healthy self-esteem, and body confidence, all of which influence one’s sense of self, thereby decreasing risk for students to bully or be bullied.

4. Suicide

Though it may not seem readily apparent, comprehensive sex education is a powerful vehicle for addressing youth risk factors for depression and suicide. Sex education teaches students to build healthy self-esteem and body confidence, normalizes the full spectrum of gender identity and sexual orientation, encourages mutually respectful and equitable relationships based on empathy and open communication, teaches personal safety, including how to respond to bullying and harassment, and ultimately, promotes tolerance. These life skills act as protective factors against depression and suicide.

In addition to violence prevention, comprehensive sex education is a powerful vehicle for addressing reproductive justice, gender equity, LGBTQ+ equality, and power and oppression. Within the United States, sex education is not standardized across states, counties, or even school systems, and a large proportion of sex education programs are not evidence-based or medically accurate. #SexEdForAll month highlights that all young people deserve developmentally and culturally responsive, science-based, and medically accurate life skills education. Sexuality Education Legislation and Policy: A State-by-State Comparison of Health Indicators, presented as an interactive story map, can be used as a visually accessible advocacy tool to demonstrate that sex education is about more than just sex… instead, comprehensive sex education is a powerful vehicle for social change.

Rebekah L. Rollston, MD, MPH, is a Family Medicine Physician at Cambridge Health Alliance, Clinical Associate at Tufts University School of Medicine, and Resident Affiliate at the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care. Her professional interests focus on social determinants of health & health disparities, gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health. Rebekah is an East Tennessee native, now living in Boston. In her free time, she enjoys running, yoga, hiking, camping, and traveling with her fiancé.

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May 21, 2020

For Immediate Release

B altimore, MD — As remote learning continues for much of the country, members of the Sex Education Collaborative (SEC) have created a new online training hub with a wide variety of professional development offerings for sex educators and school administrators at SexEducationCollaborative.org.

The SEC envisions a world in which all young people’s right to comprehensive, high-quality sex education is recognized and fulfilled. This vision can only be realized if educators have the knowledge, training, and support to effectively deliver sex education. SexEducationCollaborative.org gathers trusted trainings and resources from national, regional, and state-based sex education experts for access at work, at home, or wherever educators and administrators need to work.

“Research tells us that when teachers and health educators have the training and support they need, they are better able to do their jobs…and when professionals are better prepared, we see more positive outcomes for young people.”

The SEC brings sex education experts together to develop streamlined resources for the field. In addition to this newest offering, members have jointly created the Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education released last year. Members of the SEC individually hold deep expertise on sex education, and with ongoing social distancing, the SEC believes that sharing this knowledge is crucial to ensuring high-quality sex education for all young people.

The SEC brings sex education experts together to develop streamlined resources for the field. In addition to this newest offering, members have jointly created the Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education released last year. Members of the SEC individually hold deep expertise on sex education, and with ongoing social distancing, the SEC believes that sharing this knowledge is crucial to ensuring high-quality sex education for all young people.

“Research tells us that when teachers and health educators have the training and support they need, they are better able to do their jobs…and when professionals are better prepared, we see more positive outcomes for young people. The Sex Education Collaborative brings together resources from national and local sexual health experts, and Healthy Teen Network is thrilled to be a part of this partnership. The training hub helps educators and administrators find the training they need, where they need it.”

– Janet Max, Interim President & CEO

Resources and training opportunities can be found at SexEducationCollaborative.org.

Facts about the Sex Education Collaborative

Comprised of 19 national, regional, and state-based organizations with extensive experience training educators to deliver school-based sex education
Provides K–12 educators and administrators access to trusted sex education resources, training, and technical assistance, aligned to the National Sex Education Standards.
Members include sex educators, curriculum designers, policy experts, and organizers on the local and national levels, ready to help you improve access to high-quality sex education in your community.
Working toward comprehensive, high-quality sex education that is grounded in equity and social justice and is culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate, inclusive, medically accurate, sex positive, and trauma-informed.

The SEC is comprised of the following organizations

Advocates for Youth
Answer
Cardea
ETR Associates
EyesOpenIowa
Fact Forward
Healthy Teen Network
Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential (GCAPP)
Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (IWES)
Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH)
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA)
Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Islands (PPGNHI)
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM)
Power to Decide
SHIFT NC
SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change
The Responsible Sex Education Institute of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains
Teen Health MS
WV Free

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Healthy Teen Network promotes better outcomes for adolescents and young adults by advancing social change, cultivating innovation, and strengthening youth-supporting professionals and organizations. Healthy Teen Network is a membership organization nationally recognized for its quality training and technical assistance, integration of evidence-informed and best practices with innovative strategies, and translation of complex research to accessible resources and tools to support professionals.

Follow @HealthyTeen on Twitter.

Contact: Gina Desiderio, Director of Communications

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