Opinion

How I Terrified Teenagers About AIDS in the 90s—and Why I Stopped

Jonathan Kirkpatrick / Filter Mag Aug 28, 2023 Learning to do HIV peer education in the ’90s, by unlearning what to say: confessions of a former instructor. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Education

Many States Don’t Require Schools to Teach Sex Ed. A New Bill Hopes to Change That

Nadra Nittle / The 19th Aug 25, 2023 REAHYA would provide $100 million in funding from 2024 to 2029 for both K-12 schools and higher education institutions to teach comprehensive sex ed. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Planned Parenthood, Youth Groups Sue U.S. Over Teen Pregnancy Prevention Cuts

Jane Kay / Reveal Feb 17, 2018 Last summer, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cut off $213.6 million in federal funds for about 80 institutions developing scientifically valid programs. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Teens Say Pregnancy Prevention Programs Are Worth Keeping

Jane Kay / Reveal Oct 18, 2017 Educators and health researchers worry that youth pregnancies could climb again with the Trump administration's stance on prevention and sex ed programs. Dig deeper ( 10 Min. Read )

It’s Time to Free Students From Debt

By Jim Hightower Aug 21, 2015 Touted as a necessity but priced like a luxury, many degree programs are mediocre or worse -- predatory loan scams that hustle aspiring students into deep debt and poverty. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

VIDEO: John Oliver Makes the Star-Studded Sex Ed Video You’ll All Wish You’d Seen as Teens

Natasha Hakimi Zapata / Truthdig Aug 10, 2015 Sexual education is extremely important, and yet a lack of standardization means that schoolchildren all over the country receive very different information, some of which is false and a lot of which includes shaming kids (mainly girls) who have had or want to have sex. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

VIDEO: This Sexual Consent Instructional Video Is Everyone’s Cup of Tea

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig May 26, 2015 So, how do you like your tea (nudge nudge, wink wink)? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Abstinence Only

Nick Anderson / Truthdig May 11, 2015 Dig deeper

‘Sesame Street’ Songs Used to Torture Inmates

Staff / Truthdig Jun 5, 2012 To make inmates in Guantanamo Bay divulge information, guards play "Sesame Street" songs; studies are attempting to show that people can suffer from a clinical addiction to Facebook; meanwhile, the Catholic Church is looking into the Girl Scouts for their ties to organizations that promote safe sex. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Not Everyone’s Doing It and That’s a Good Thing, Health Department Says

Staff / Truthdig May 2, 2012 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists the Heritage Keepers Abstinence Education, a pro-abstinence program aimed at middle and high schoolers, as one of almost three dozen "evidenced-based" sex education programs that qualify as effective in preventing teenage pregnancy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Abstinence Only Sex Ed

Pat Bagley, Cagle Cartoons, Salt Lake Tribune Feb 29, 2012 Dig deeper

Condoms, Not Laws, Help Cut Abortions

Staff / Truthdig Oct 14, 2009 This isn't going to sound all that shocking, but remember that this country is still wrapping its head around evolution: Criminalizing abortion does not reduce the number of abortions; it reduces the number of safe abortions. Contraception, however, does reduce abortions, according to an epic study of 197 countries. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )