The overturning of "Roe v. Wade" and the increasing assaults on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) rights in legislatures across the country have put our sexual and reproductive health in peril. They are likely also bellwethers of more to come. While a full reckoning of the repercussions from these attacks will not be…

Low health literacy poses many problems in the public health field and is linked to numerous negative health outcomes, including STIs and unplanned pregnancies. While many interventions focus on giving adolescents and young adults access to comprehensive sex education, these interventions do not necessarily improve sexual health literacy, which is…

Thinking sexuality education and religion together often results in antagonisms that pit religious and secular values against each other. Political theology provides new insights into this tendency by showing how modern concepts of political legitimacy are based on secularised Christian theology. Neoliberal schooling, public sexual health and…

In South Australia, sex education has been controversial since its inception. The Australasian White Cross league and the Family Planning Association of South Australia were the pioneers of sex education in South Australia. The framing of a national framework and the implementation of the SHARE (Sexual Health and Relationships Education) project…

Young people need to know that abstinence is a far more complex, difficult concept than it is often portrayed. Abstinence is a decision about sexual behaviors that a person may make throughout his or her life. It is a choice made at a specific time in a specific situation, for a specific period of time, whether one is in a partnered relationship…

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a significant threat to the health and well-being of populations worldwide, and to young people in particular. Despite empirical evidence that comprehensive sex education is an important tool for prevention, the legitimacy and content of sex education in schools continue to be challenged by conservative…

This article is based on the AAHPERD Research Consortium Scholar Lecture delivered at the 2010 AAHPERD National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr. Young's various projects are five-time winners of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Award for Outstanding Work in Community Health Promotion. His drug education program, Keep A Clear…

A wide range of behavioral prevention interventions have been demonstrated through longitudinal, randomized controlled trials to reduce sexual risk behaviors. Many of these interventions have been made available at little cost for implementation on a public health scale. However, efforts to utilize such programs typically have been met with a…

Young people ages 10-24 account for 25 percent of the world's population: a total of 1.8 billion, most of whom are living in low- and middle-income countries. They face significant challenges, including HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), adolescent pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and gender-based violence. Youth have the right to lead…

In this column, the author highlights how the current framing of teen sexuality obscures important connections between literacy and sexuality. She argues that we need to challenge two current assumptions: the assumption that teen sexuality is primarily about public health and the assumption that all efforts to address teen sexuality are…

This history of the U.S. Public Health Service's efforts to educate Americans about sex makes clear why federally funded sex education has been haphazard, ad hoc, and often ineffectual. Since launching its first sex ed program during World War I, the Public Health Service has dominated federal sex education efforts. Alexandra M. Lord draws on…

The problem of underage drinking on college campuses has been brewing for many years to the continued vexation of higher education administrators. In 2008, John McCardell, president emeritus of Middlebury College, began to circulate for signature a public statement among colleagues titled "The Amethyst Initiative," which calls for elected…

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus responsible for cervical cancer, is the most common viral sexually transmitted infection in the United States. A vaccine was approved in 2006 that is effective in preventing the types of HPV responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. Proposals for routine and mandatory HPV…

This report on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) offers information on: (1) the medical definition of AIDS; (2) signs and symptoms; (3) the present situtation regarding the number of cases of AIDS and how the disease is transmitted; (4) how to protect oneself from AIDS; (5) what behavior is safe; and (6) what is currently understood about…

This Surgeon General's Call to Action emphasizes the need to promote sexual health and responsible sexual behavior throughout the lifespan, discussing the public health approach to this issue, the current public health problem with sexually transmitted diseases, risk and protective factors for sexual health, evidence-based intervention models, the…