about Respect Rx

Hey all! I'm Courtney Macavinta, co-author of the best-selling book for teen girls RESPECT and founder of Respect Rx, which is devoted to empowering girls, women and their advocates to boost self-respect, sisterhood and social change in their lives—and our world.
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Sex

Risky Business

Hot Topic

Reports about teens' sexual activity are getting press as usual. Some healthy news, some unhealthy trends, and--surprise--not so much in the way of Rx for teens or their advocates.

The top headline: Teens are shying away from risky sex

Dish: The Center for Disease Control reports that in 2005, 47 percent of high school students said they'd had sexual intercourse (about the same as last year) and 63 percent said they used condoms. In 1991, 54 percent they'd had sex and, 46 percent used condoms. So this seems to be good news: More teens are using condoms, right?

Reality check: Half of all new HIV infections in the United States still occur in people who are under 25-years-old. And teenagers who take "virginity pledges" are almost as likely to be infected with a sexually transmitted disease as those who never made the pledge, according to an 8-year study by researchers from Yale and Columbia universities that tracked 20,000 youth. (Could it be that "vaginal virgins" are contracting these STDs through unprotected oral sex? 1/2 of teens are having oral sex according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.)

Oh, and British researchers found that teens might be using condoms but many don't know how to use them correctly (putting it on or taking it off while in the act, so to speak). And file this next one under, Cause for Concern. The same researchers who reported about virginity pledges, this week released another news alert: Some teens (3.5% out of 13,000--boys and girls) also say they have exchanged sex for money or drugs.

Rx: Teens (ALL OF US) need comprehensive information, support and services to make healthy choices about sex--period. And it needs to cover more than the ins and outs (sorry!) of birth control and STDs (though that's a must). Teens tell me they need help learning how to communicate about everything in the sex-hook-up-osphere with their partners (before, during and after). They also struggle what to do when sexual experiences don't feel right, they are let down or hurt, or they feel guilty--most of the time because they can't be honest with their parents about what's going down (sorry!).

BIG PICTURE: Sex without respect is always risky. Let's focus on helping young women (and men!) build more internal resources and self-respect from the get-go. Let's be honest with them about what we know, and how to find creditable information when they need to make important decisions. Let's show them how we make decisions that show how much we respect and care about ourselves. And let's believe in them that they can make healthy choices based on *their* values (not ours). And then let's be there--to listen--when they need us. Because most teens say they just really want to be able to be open about this stuff.

MORE INFO
Sex: The 7 Questions

Help!

Creating healthy teens and families by encouraging RESPECT

AUDIO
Helping girls and women reach their potential: Respect and Sex Ed (MP3)

Making healthy choices and teen trends (MP3)

Teens and sexual choices (Real Audio)

 

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<< Previous: All This and Brains Too | Next:Boys Dis Dissing Girls >>