UU Sex Ed FTW

Iz is just finishing up her OWL (Our Whole Lives) sex ed class at our Unitarian church. She's been going for three hours every Sunday evening for several months. They've covered a wide range of topics, from dating to gender identity to STDs to reproduction to sexual identity (including a PFLAG presentation), and plenty of frank, frank talk. 

I very much wish I'd had access to this kind of clear, non-judgmental information sharing when I was thirteen, and then spent time in an open and accepting Q&A arena. Wasn't going to happen in a Catholic RE class in 1983, no sir. But how many of us could have benefited from last week's exercise & discussion, I wonder? From the charming Derby, our UUFRC Director of Religious Education:

Tonight was all about sexually transmitted infections (STIs).  We started with a condom obstacle course, which is designed to counter myths about condom use.  The teens try condoms on their hands and see what they can feel through the condom (e.g., a feather) to counter the "I can't feel anything" myth.  They stretch and measure (and in some cases, blow up like balloons) condoms to counter the "I'm too big" myth.  Using wooden penis models, they practice putting on a condom correctly and see how quickly they can do so to counter the "it's too complicated" and "it will take too long" myths.  This is widely regarded as the most popular activity of the entire OWL class.

 

We followed the obstacle course with an activity that demonstrated transmission of STIs by exchanging M&Ms with various partners (different colors representing different STIs or no consequence).  Next was a summary of several STIs (symptoms, permanent harm caused, cure, vaccine, transmission, and prevalence in the U.S. population).  We followed that with a myth or fact game.  Last, we had an activity in which the youth were asked to give advice to teens who had had sexual intercourse and were going to date someone new.

IKR?

One of the joys of last weekend was witnessing my godson's First Communion at a local Catholic church. I hadn't been face-to-face with a crucifix since my dad's funeral almost exactly five years ago, I realized. And while I still respect Jesus and his messages mightily, and found the routine of the Mass comforting, I have no regrets about my chosen UU spirituality -- especially regarding its guidelines and supports for our children.

Too Sexy for Can I Sit With You Too?

Here is the final, absolutely gorgeous cover of Can I Sit With You Too? Our thanks, once more, to Amy Freels and Lea Hernandez for donating their time, talents, and skills to a very fine cause.

The interior of the book is almost, almost done. Jennyalice and I have a few final tweaks to instate today and tomorrow, but if everything goes as planned, come Wednesday you will be able to order your own copy and tell everyone else you know to buy one, too.

I am hyperventilating just a bit about sending this book out into the world. Not because of the hard work -- that is mostly its own reward (my tired husband may disagree) -- but because the essay I wrote for this collection is a very frank description of how completely obsessed with sex my fifth-grade friends and I were, even though we were dorky, sheltered children with few actual facts on hand. The essay was easy to write but difficult to post and is a story I had to force myself to share, because I think it is important information. Fifth graders need to know, will be relieved to know that no, they're not nasty perverts just because they talk about sex all of the time.

I am sick to my stomach just thinking about this story being read by my mother, or mother-in-law -- or third grade teacher, who recently sent me a nice letter saying how wonderful Can I Sit With You? is.

But I think I'm ready to let my own fifth-grader read it.