Group Agreements for Good Colleagues2021This is a working document that was crafted by the Healthy Teen Network staff and was inspired by our former Board Chair Nadine Finigan-Carr in the midst of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like any good group...
Are You Ready to ROCK? 4 Ways to Revive Your Sex EdSex Education CollaborativeAs a member of the Sex Education Collaborative (SEC), Healthy Teen Network is pleased to share expert advice from LeKara Simmons, one of the Sex Education Collaborative members, on how to...
TIP SHEETHPV Answering the FAQs You Hear from Young PeopleHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STI in the United States but perhaps one of the most misunderstood. To prepare you to talk with young people about HPV, we’ve got the answers to their most...
Gender, Sexuality, & Inclusive Sex Education November 2016 Assuming someone’s gender identity or sexual orientation based on how they look, assuming that all young people are only attracted to the “opposite” gender, teaching that there are only opposite genders...
ConsentU Choose to Know Digest, 2018Consent is an important topic for kids of all ages. We start by teaching young children about basic personal and physical boundaries, but by the time the teen years roll around, they need detailed information about consent in terms...
Why All-Gender Classrooms Work U Choose to Know Digest, 2020Discussing gender in the classroom can be a difficult task for some teachers and staff. Challenging situations can come up, like students having different perspectives on the subject matter or dealing with...
When Sex Education Meets Mandatory Reporting U Choose to Know Digest, 2020As a teacher, you know that if you suspect that a student has been abused, or a student tells you about a situation that sounds like abuse, you must report it to the authorities. Although you...
When Is the Right Time to Engage in Sexual Activity?U Choose to Know Digest, 2020In the classroom, students may ask questions like, “How do I know when it is the right time to have sex?” or “How do I know if a certain person is the right one to have sex with?” While...
What's Law Got to Do with It? U Choose to Know Digest, 2020Although you don’t need to be a legal expert to teach sex education, it helps to be up to date on federal and state laws that relate to topics that often come up, like sexting, statutory rape, access to...
What Is Dual Protection & Why Is It Important? U Choose to Know Digest, 2020Although birth rates among young people have declined over the years, STI rates are soaring. According to the CDC, adolescents ages 15-24 account for nearly half of the 20 million new...
Talking to Partners about STI Status: Building Skills & Confidence in Youth U Choose to Know Digest, 2020Having conversations about sex with a partner can be difficult, but talking to partners about STI status can feel particularly tricky, especially to young...
Talking about Values in Sexuality Education U Choose to Know Digest, 2020A lot of us have been told that we should stay away from any discussions about values during sex education. But the truth is that high-quality sex education is NOT values-free. We actually should...
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): Is Your Knowledge Up to Date? U Choose to Know Digest, 2020When you teach about STIs, your students will usually have lots of questions, and it can be hard to keep up with evolving knowledge about risks, treatment, and methods...
Sex Education and Abusive Relationships: What You Need to Know U Choose to Know Digest, 2020When you teach sex education (and maybe even when you teach other topics), the subject of abuse within relationships is likely to come up. Abuse is also sometimes called...
Regrouping, Refocusing, and Reengaging Your StudentsU Choose to Know Digest, 2020We get it! Managing a classroom of middle and high school students can present its challenges, especially when the topic is sex education. Students are bound to have a wide range of...
Positively Rock Answering Questions! U Choose to Know Digest, 2020This U Choose to Know resource gives you tips on how to positively answer questions that students might have and gives some practice questions to review. Contributing StaffRelatedDiscover the magic of...
Making Role-Plays Work for You and Your Students U Choose to Know Digest, 2020 Some teachers say that role-plays are one of the hardest activities to manage during sex education. Students can feel awkward or get out of hand, and teachers sometimes feel they just want...
How to Discuss Sex and Social MediaU Choose to Know Digest, 2018We know that youth spend a lot of time online engaging with social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Although exposure to sex-related content is not always negative,...
Eliminating Stigma from STIs and Testing U Choose to Know Digest, 2020You probably already know how important it is to talk to your students about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and ways to prevent them, and the data helps make the case. We all know that once...
Does Humor Belong in Sex Education? U Choose to Know Digest, 2019Humor and laughter are probably going to happen in your classroom during sex education whether you plan for it or not. While teaching about sexuality is serious business, there can be moments when humor...
Connecting with Youth Who Are LGBTQ+U Choose to Know Digest, 2020 Gender and Sexuality Alliances or Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) have been around since the 1980s providing youth who identify as LGBTQ+ and their allies a safe space to support and connect with one...
Are You a Trauma-Informed Sex Educator? U Choose to Know Digest, 2020 As a teacher, you undoubtedly strive to be inclusive of all your students, including those who have experienced trauma. You are also probably aware that sex education requires navigating many...
Sex Education and Abusive Relationships: What You Need to KnowU Choose to Know Digest, 2018When you teach sex education (and maybe even when you teach other topics), the subject of abuse within relationships is likely to come up. Abuse is also sometimes called...
Best Practices in Sexuality EducationU Choose to Know Digest, 2018Check out this U Choose to Know tip sheet for some best practices for teaching sex education and some resources that may help you if you get stuck on a student's question. Contributing...
Fidelity is a Delicious PieU Choose to Know Digest, 2018Consider this: fidelity is like a delicious pie. Say your favorite pie is your grandmother’s special apple pie. Her recipe uses frozen pie crust, Gala apples, and brown sugar. You decide to make it one day, but...
Working with Youth Who Are Transgender and/or Gender Nonconforming U Choose to Know Digest, 2018Transgender youth don’t feel safe at school. They experience bullying based on their gender often and report that school personnel rarely intervene. Almost all transgender...
Send Shame Walking! Applying a Sex Positive Lens to Health Class Facilitation U Choose to Know Digest, 2018Sex positivity is the idea that all sex (as long as it’s healthy and consensual) is a good and normal thing. Sex positivity means teaching sex education without...
Being an Ally to Youth Who Identify as LGBTQ+U Choose to Know Digest, 2018Young people consume more media than ever before. The images they see and messages they receive impact not just how they view the world, but how they view themselves. The messages young people...
Know Your Audience2017This tip sheet gives ways to find common ground with stakeholders and elected officials. The goal is to have better communication and educate others on your cause. It's important to know your audience, so you can... Identify common ground with...
B-Healthy Cheat Sheet 2016 It's no secret that some people find it difficult and/or uncomfortable to teach sex ed. We often get requests for tips to make it easier, so we put together eight key strategies you can share with educators, organized in an acronym to help...
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