sex education for teens

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Teach Your Kids: LinkedIn | Website | X | Instagram | Substack | Facebook | TikTok

Manisha:  LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Facebook

Heather Corinna: Scarleteen | X | Instagram | Facebook

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Related Resources

• Wait, What?: A Comic Book Guide to Relationships, Bodies, and Growing Up - Heather Corinna
• S.E.X., second edition: The All-You-Need-To-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties - Heather Corinna

Time Codes

00:00:00 — Introduction to Heather Corinna, founder of Scarleteen.

00:01:50 — Heather discusses Scarleteen's evolution from an adult platform to a youth resource.

00:08:06 — Core values in sex education for adolescents: respect, inclusivity, and evidence-based info.

00:11:04 — Tailoring sex education to diverse backgrounds and cultural contexts.

00:16:20 — Discussion on age-appropriate introduction to sex education.

00:21:33 — Challenges in providing comprehensive sex education and societal barriers.

00:31:14 — Debunking myths about sex education promoting early sexual activity.

00:35:36 — Influential figures and resources shaping Scarleteen's approach.

00:40:37 — Adapting sex education for neurodivergent children.

00:46:45 — Heather's advice for parents/educators on sex education: open communication and trust.

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VELA Education Fund is catalyzing a vibrant alternative education ecosystem. VELA provides trust-based funding to entrepreneurs, fosters community-building and knowledge-sharing, and increases visibility through storytelling that promotes cultural awareness and acceptance of the out-of-system space. Today, VELA serves the largest community of out-of-system education entrepreneurs in the country, with over 2,000 community members. About half of VELA’s community members operate small learning environments, and the other half are ecosystem and community builders offering direct services and support across the out-of-system space. Learn more at velaedfund.org.

In this episode, Justine and Jenny talk about how to get into this potentially awkward topic with your teenager. Yes, it will likely be uncomfortable for all concerned -- even the most seasoned and open of us sex education people can find this difficult.

Some of the things touched on:

Why we put it off / asking them questions about their peer group / how to get started / the importance of cross-gender chats, so fathers talking to daughters, and mothers to sons (if that's your family set-up) / why saying nothing is meaningful (and not necessarily in a good way).

Initiating a chat, either deliberately or organically, is always the best way to show your child you are up to talk about anything they may be wondering or worried about. It also means you aren't leaving them alone with things that they may need support with.

Please visit our website sexeducationaustralia.com.au where you can listen to our other episodes and also browse our pages for resources, information and support.  (Secondary resources are listed here: https://sexeducationaustralia.com.au/resources-2/secondary-resources/)
 
Thanks for listening!
 
Jenny + Justine