Teens learning to have sex

When it comes to sex, there is so much to learn. You might be wondering what sex even is, how dating and relationships work, what consent means, or how to have safe sex. Maybe you want to know more about sexual identity or gender. But whatever your sex-related question is, it can sometimes feel awkward or uncomfortable to go to a parent, friend, or teacher for answers. Thankfully, there are plenty of scientifically-accurate, affirming resources you can turn to.

Liz Chen is a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, pursuing a degree in health behavior. But before entering her PhD program, she joined Teach For America in and taught high school biology and chemistry in Northhampton County, a rural county along the Virginia border with a population of about 20, During her time teaching, Chen discovered that one of her students, a 10th grader, already had a kid of his own entering school. It manifested itself in a lot of frustration in my class. That student's situation really stuck with Chen. Because of him and others she witnessed having to forego their plans for college because of an unplanned pregnancy, she realized just how important it was to make comprehensive sex education more accessible. In , she co-founded the nonprofit MyHealthEd, Inc.

The uproar that followed a November episode of Fox's "Glee" in which two teen couples had sex for the first time may have some scientific legs. New research shows sex during the adolescent years could affect mood and brain development into adulthood. The study, which was carried out on hamsters, reveals how social experiences during adolescence when the brain is still developing can have broad consequences, say the researchers from Ohio State University College of Medicine. Specifically, the animals that mated earlier in life had higher levels of depressive behaviors, changes to the brain and smaller reproductive tissues compared to those that had intercourse later or not at all. Morris and his colleagues cautioned, however, that the study should not be used to promote teenage abstinence , as they noted the research was carried out on hamsters and it isn't certain the same conclusion will hold for humans.

The issue of sexual assault prevention remains controversial, given the stigma attached to teaching young people about sex. For example, while Virginia managed to pass a bill just this year mandating teaching consent to high school students, many were disappointed that the state Senate killed the part of the bill requiring sex education classes to cover sexual assault and domestic abuse. Sullivan has served as a sexual health educator at UVA and in area schools for over 30 years.