Written by Angie, RSEI Educator | Published April 8th, 2024 With so much technology at our fingertips, we can search for information that we need in an instant. Gone are the days of flipping through massive encyclopedias that might already be outdated by the time publication rolls around. With instant access, we should be at the top of our intellectual prowess, but are we? Even though we have easy access to infinite sources of information, it doesn’t mean that those sources are always accurate, whether well intended or not. Information is shared so easily and readily between folks around the w ..read more

Written by Sam, RSEI Educator | Published February 27th, 2024 This blog is meant to act as a supplemental resource to the December RSEI webinar entitled “Body Items* for Body Liberation.” RSEI Members can access the recording on the Members’ Home Page. For non-members, please email: Professional.Development@pprm.org  Pre-Reading Written Reflection:  Take 3-5 minutes to yourself and answer the following questions:  What comes to mind when you think of “Body Items*”? When did you first learn about “Body Items*” and from where/who? Why might some people choose to use and/or n ..read more

Written by Jessica, RSEI Educator | Published January 3rd, 2024 Book bans targeting sexual content are bad news   It could be nude illustrations about puberty like in Robie Harris’s 1994 landmark sexual health book for kids ages 10 and up, It’s Perfectly Normal, or the tension-filled first kiss between two queer teens in Kacen Callendar’s 2020 young adult novel Felix Ever After.  A striking 61% of U.S. book challenges during the 2021-2022 school year listed “sexual” content as part of the rationale for the challenge, according to a recent analysis from the Washington Post. Anoth ..read more

Written by Victoria, RSEI Educator | Published September 27th, 2023 If you’re reading this, you probably already know how important sex education is in supporting young people to live happy and fulfilling lives. But given the impacts of COVID-19, it is more important than ever that we support young people’s mental health. In this blog, we are going to explore some of the latest research on youth mental health and share how sex education supports better mental health outcomes. Expanding access to sexual health information and creating more inclusive sex ed spaces could help improve, or even sav ..read more

Written by Sam, RSEI Educator | Published August 3rd, 2023 What is OPill? On Thursday, July 13, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved OPill, the first non-prescription birth control pill for use in the United States–potentially allowing millions of people access to a safe, effective oral contraceptive during a pivotal time when many states across the U.S. have continued to restrict access to birth control, abortion services and other forms of reproductive health care. OPill, sold in boxes containing a 28-day supply, may be available as soon as 2024 and will be sold over the co ..read more

Written by Liza, RSEI Educator | Published July 5th, 2023 As we all know, sex education can be a real snooze for students. Just kidding! Even though sex education is already an exciting topic, there is always space to add some fun. Below is a list of games, crafts, and other activities that can be facilitated with participants from elementary school aged to adults. There are recommended ages for each, but you know your group best! Try them with coworkers, at a crafternoon with friends, or even by yourself to unwind.  Mini Zines all ages First order of business, you got to learn how to mak ..read more

Written by Sam, RSEI Educator | Published May 8th, 2023 Please note: This blog is meant to be supplemental to the April webinar entitled “Centering Black Bodies, Black History, and Black Wellness within Sex Ed.” RSEI Members can access the recording on the Members’ Home Page. For non-members, please email: Professional.Development@pprm.org  “Let [them] be born and handled warmly.” – “Anarcha, Betsey, Lucy” website To handle our Black youth with warmth, means to center Choice, Information, Consent and Compassion in our learning spaces and classrooms. This is a necessary act because histori ..read more

National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness day is observed each year on March 20th, the first day of Spring. The day is held to honor and bring awareness to Indigenous people affected by and living with HIV/AIDS. The event was started in 2007 and continues to promote HIV testing and continued education about HIV/AIDS in Native communities. NNHAAD was established by three agencies that were funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide resources to develop and strengthen the HIV programs within the tribes they were serving. Since establishment, nine additional health programs have ..read more

When Roe v Wade was overturned in June of this year, people across the country felt a wave of fear, anxiety, and sadness for this giant step backwards in the fight for reproductive justice. The consequences have been devastating and swift: 30 days after Roe fell, 11 states either banned abortion completely (Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas) or implemented a ban on abortion starting at six weeks of pregnancy (Georgia, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee) (Guttmacher 2022). Abortion was becoming increasingly difficult to access even before the Supreme Cou ..read more

There has been a lot of conversation in the media and political sphere about the supposed dangers of medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive sex education. This is why the idea of adding – or even centering – pleasure in our sexual health classes feels even more controversial or challenging for some youth-serving adults. We hope this blog helps folks consider focusing on pleasure in sex ed and the way it can help foster healthy, happy sexual relationships for young people throughout their lives. There are many reasons to champion pleasure-based sex ed, and we are excited to explore ..read more