Who wants to lead the revolution?

In my last post I discussed television and its representation of teen parenting. For this post I was eager to look for progressive groups, people, and shows that are paving the way for teen sexuality. While there are many feminist sites obviously pro-sex education, I wanted to highlight some awesome groups working specifically in the area of sex education for teens.

Midwest Teen Sex Show- A hilarious comedy troop creating web-episodes that center on a theme. Past themes have been prom, vaginas, hook ups, and condoms. What I love about this show is how they make the information easy to understand and enjoyable. Sex information can sometimes come across as hard to grasp (often becoming a biology class) and sometimes leaves teens with questions they are too shy to ask. This show makes room for these questions and makes them accessible. This show has helped the sex-ed movement move on to the laptops of the curious teens who need it the most (the Midwest- where abstinence-only runs deep)

ScarletTeen- Ok I have to say that I am so down with this site. First of all the plethora of information they give is amazing. Their topics include: coming out of the closet, knowing what is best for yourself sexually at any age, how to shave your genitals, advice boards on sexual health, sexuality, and relationships, how to masturbate, consent and knowing your line, information on all types of birth control, and general info on sexual health questions. I love this site because they treat everyone as smart confident decision makers. They do not talk down to teens or adults who may not know this info and really need it. They cover the personal relationships that come with sex, and don’t treat it as just sex (because it’s not!) They allow you text questions, pose questions on their message boards, and contribute to their blog. In my opinion this site is revolutionary in the pro sex-ed movement.

The New York Times has also showcased a program in North Carolina where teens can anonymously text their sex questions, such as “If you take a shower before you have sex, are you less likely to get pregnant?” and “Does a normal penis have wrinkles?” What this article shows us is the need for sites like Scarleteen and The Midwest Teen Sex Show.

These are just a few of many people working to make sex education accessible for teens. Without groups like these teens would be left to understand their sexuality through health class taught by P.E. teachers. I am excited to see these programs above thriving. People, especially teens are very complex and we need programs that help them understand their feelings and desires in relation to their sexuality, and the groups above are at the forefront of creating that environment.