Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     xi
The Importance of Sex Education     xi
What I Hope to Do in This Book     xiii
Who Is This Person Anyway?     xv
Female Basics     1
Reviewing Puberty     1
The Hymen     2
Menstrual Cycle-How It Really Works     4
Discharges: A Normal Part of Being a Woman     7
Irregular Periods     8
PMS     10
Going to the Gynecologist     11
The Clitoris and Sexual Response (Orgasms)     12
Breasts     14
Male Basics     17
Reviewing Puberty     17
Sperm     18
Penises     19
Testicular Cancer-Preying upon the Young     22
Orgasms     25
Pre-ejaculate     25
Pregnancy     27
Getting Pregnant     27
Think You Might Be Pregnant?     28
Your Options     31
Bringing Baby Home     43
Sexually Transmitted Diseases     45
Who Gets STDs?     45
First, the Basics     46
Specific STDs-Recognize and React     48
If IDon't See It, I Don't Have It, Right?     56
Getting Tested for STDs     57
Choose the Right Doctor for You     58
Recent Research: Chlamydia in Teens     59
Spread the News, Not the Disease     59
Sex: What It Is, Who Is Doing It, What It's Like, and Other Important Questions     61
Basic Stats on What Is Going on "Out There"     61
How Do You Feel about Sex?     62
What Is Sex?     64
Are You Ready?     67
The First Time     68
Safer Sex     75
What Is Safer Sex?     75
Choosing to Not Have Sex     75
What Is Sex? The Experts Answer the Question This Time     76
Intimacy: Don't Knock It 'til You've Tried It     79
Casual Sex     82
Being Safe through Testing and Monogamy     83
What Choice Are You Going to Make?     86
The Safest Sex of All: Masturbation     87
Birth Control Options     93
Controlling Your Behavior: It's All up to You     94
Barriers: Keeping the Sperm. Away     99
Hormonal Methods: Less "Fuss," Less Protection From STDs     111
Surgery: Once It's Done, It's Done     117
Emergency Contraception: The Morning-After Pill     120
I Know What to Do, So Why Is It So Hard to Do What I Know Is Right?     121
Peer Pressure-From the Inside     121
Partner Pressure-Doing It to Stay Together     124
Media Blitz-Don't the Movies or TV Talk about Anything Else?     125
Gender Pressure-Being a Boy or a Girl in a Sexual World     129
Gender and Culture-Adding Fuel to the Fire     133
How Believing in the Names Prevents Safer Sex     134
How the Heck Do I Think Differently from Everyone Else?     135
Communicating about Sex     139
Know What You Believe     139
Know What You Want to Say     139
Know When Is a Good Time to Say It     140
Know How to Say It     141
Negotiating Strategies     144
Talking with Adults     146
Great Relationships     149
Humans Need Relationships-But Not That Much     149
Reasons to Like Someone     150
Crushes     152
Now That We Are Together, How Do We Make It Last?     155
Thinking about Your Relationship     157
Things That Can Make a Good Relationship Bad     158
Abusive Relationships     163
Dating Violence and Abusive Relationships Are Everywhere     163
Anyone Can Be a Victim     163
There Are Different Kinds of Dating Violence     164
The Warning Signs     166
How to Get Out of an Abusive Relationship     167
Whereto Go     168
If the Abuse Is Taking Place in Your Family     168
Recovery Takes Time     169
Rape     171
What is Rape?     171
Rape Drugs     174
What to Do If You Are Raped     175
Preventing Rape     178
Other Important Topics     181
Body Image     181
Older Guys, Younger Girls     183
Alternative Sexual Behaviors     185
Online Flirting and Dating     189
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do     192
Sexual Orientation     195
Interracial Dating     199
Drinking and Drugs and Sex     201
Conclusion     205
Notes     207
For Further Information     217
Index     223
About the Author     227