For over eight years, I didn’t menstruate. First, because I was pregnant. And then, because I got an IUD. Lemme tell you, I loved having that IUD. Suddenly, I no longer had to deal with heavy flows, heavy cramps, and poop problems. Period? What period? Sure, I was completely disconnected from the inner workings of my body, but that was a small price to pay for a period-less … [Read more...] about Our Red Book and the Power in Our Period Stories
We Want Our Kids to be Safe; Comprehensive Sex Ed Is the Answer
This past summer, as students were released into the heat of summer, into weeks at art and soccer camp, into weekends down the shore, school districts began a mad scramble. You see, back in 2020, my home state of New Jersey had adopted the updated Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. Those new standards are due for implementation this … [Read more...] about We Want Our Kids to be Safe; Comprehensive Sex Ed Is the Answer
Sex Educators Are Not ‘Grooming’ Your Kids—But That’s What Conservatives Would Have You Believe
As a sexual health educator, Kerri Isham is no stranger to pushback from parents and administrators. Sex education had always attracted controversy, and there had always existed a fear of what children might learn in sex ed, and what it might inspire them to do. But when one angry parent shared an out-of-context page from Isham’s Body Smart workbook on … [Read more...] about Sex Educators Are Not ‘Grooming’ Your Kids—But That’s What Conservatives Would Have You Believe
These Frequently Banned Sex Ed Books Are Required Reading in My House
The other month, my local comic shop posted that they’d received copies of the updated, deluxe hardcover edition of Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer. I raced over to the shop to pick up a copy, even though I’d just re-read the book in egalley form the week prior. The new cover was gorgeous, the new intro from Nate Stevenson made me a little … [Read more...] about These Frequently Banned Sex Ed Books Are Required Reading in My House
Sex Educator Spotlight: Deborah Roffman
When I learned I was finally pregnant nearly a decade ago, my priorities shifted quickly from fertility treatments to parenting prep. As a long-time sex writer who had recently become passionate about sex education, I was particularly concerned with how to be a sex-positive, askable parent who raised a sex-positive, healthy child. Deborah Roffman's books were essential to my … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Deborah Roffman
How the Anti-LGBTQ+ Movement Co-opts the Language of Anti-Violence Advocates
Just last month, I hopped onto a meeting of the Sex Education Alliance (SEA) to talk about the most recent onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation sweeping across the U.S. The Alliance is a membership organization for sex educators who are focused on family and child education and we spend a lot of time supporting each other in various ways. But we also look for ways to push the … [Read more...] about How the Anti-LGBTQ+ Movement Co-opts the Language of Anti-Violence Advocates
Signs That Puberty Is for Real Happening
How do you know your pre-teen is going through puberty? I chatted with health educator Lori Reichel of the Puberty Prof podcast for her 44th episode! Tune in below to hear us talk about some of the basic physical changes pre-teens experience as they enter puberty, and to learn what you can do to support them. … [Read more...] about Signs That Puberty Is for Real Happening
Why It’s Never Too Early to Start Sex Ed With Your Kids
You’ve likely seen the headlines: Adolescents Receiving Less Sex Ed Than 25 Years Ago. Teens Not Receiving Enough Sex Education. Adolescents Doomed Because Sex Ed Is So Darn Underwhelming. (That last one is mine. It represents the thoughts screaming through my head.) Just this past November, researchers published a paper in the Journal of Adolescent Health that compared … [Read more...] about Why It’s Never Too Early to Start Sex Ed With Your Kids
Sex Educator Spotlight: Saleema Noon
I probably "met" Saleema Noon for the first time on one of the very first Sex Education Alliance (SEA) Zoom chats. From the beginning, she showed herself to be a levelheaded and articulate educator who was all the things like it was NBD, and who knew her shit. Basically, the type of person who wouldn't have a panic attack while teaching a room of high schoolers … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Saleema Noon
Sex Educator Spotlight: Shafia Zaloom
Those of you who have perused my site or who know me outside of Guerrilla Sex Ed likely know that I'm a bit bookish. So it should come as no surprise that I reached out to Shafia Zaloom after reading her 2019 book Sex, Teens, and Everything in Between. What follows is a good chunk of our conversation about everything from how good sex ed takes a village, to how she meets … [Read more...] about Sex Educator Spotlight: Shafia Zaloom