Here’s a little quiz! Is an ectopic pregnancy:
When a fertilized egg fails to implant in the uterus and exits the body as menstrual blood?
When a fertilized egg implants and begins to develop somewhere other than the uterus?
When a single fertilized egg divides in the uterus to produce twins?
My partner and I lived in Rwanda awhile back, and there is one story that sticks in my mind above all others. A friend I got to know in Rwanda worked with an organization called Hope for Life, which provides housing and rehabilitation to children and youth living on the streets of Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. She told me the story of a 10- or 11-year-old boy who came to their center one day seeking help. He eventually shared with the center staff that he had been living on the streets for awhile with his younger brother after their parents had died. He and his brother struggled to find food and often had to steal food to get by. But there was a period of time when even stealing food wasn’t working, and every night the boys went to bed hungry. The boy at the center described the heartbreaking moment when he held his younger brother in his arms as he died from starvation. Traumatized, grieving, and starving himself, the boy eventually stumbled across the center, where he was given a place to stay and food.
Read MoreIt seems like the universe has been trying to tell me something recently. It just started coming at me from a ton of different directions all at once: hey girl, pay attention!!
And the message was about the importance of play.
Read MoreI got the idea to write this post from a friend who bartends. Alex is the nicest man you’ll ever meet and has a face everyone thinks they recognize, although he mostly just looks like Jesus. He has been in the service industry for many years and has had a first hand look at how people communicate their needs and wants in some of the most well-traveled places: bars and coffee shops.
Read More“Hey guys! Wanna grab some pizza?”
“You’re doing great, guys!”
“I love you guys!”
The amount of times we use “guys” on the daily to refer to a group we’re with is pretty much innumerable. We use the term “guys” for all types of groups: groups of males only, groups with mixed genders, groups of all women…. And we use it everywhere: in our speech, our writing, our media.
Read MoreWhen I hear the word “disabled,” my mind immediately conjures folks in wheelchairs, individuals with conditions like cerebral palsy or autism, and older folks with mobility limitations—in other words, only extremes. (Just to be clear, these are all disabilities, and these folks are wonderful and beautiful.)
Read MoreI’ve been writing posts for our youth empowerment blog with my job at the Compass Center. I wanted to share them here as well. Porn is pretty accessible today for young people and adults alike. However, porn has been made for entertainment, not for education. Check out this post for tips on understanding the dynamics within porn.
Read MoreI’ve been writing posts for our youth empowerment blog with my job at the Compass Center. I wanted to share them here as well. In our sex ed classrooms, we often learn a lot of about HIV prevention but not a lot about the history of HIV and how we get to where we are today. Check out this post to learn more about the start of HIV in the US.
Read MoreI’ve been writing posts for our youth empowerment blog with my job at the Compass Center. I wanted to share them here as well.
Ever wonder what sexuality issues are on the top of youths’ minds today? Check out these 12 common questions from teens and maybe learn something yourself!
Read MoreI’ve been writing posts for our youth empowerment blog with my job at the Compass Center. I wanted to share them here as well. This post explores an awesome holistic model of sexuality. Sex is not just about, well, sex! It’s also about identity, intimacy, sensuality, and power.
Read MoreI’ve been writing posts for our youth empowerment blog with my job at the Compass Center. I wanted to share them here as well. In this post, I explore trans sex education, which sadly is too often omitted from sex education spaces. Get some tips about sexual health considerations for trans folks.
Read MoreI’ve been writing posts for our youth empowerment blog with my job at the Compass Center. I wanted to share them here as well. In this post, I explore just how prevalent STIs are and how we need to totally rework how we think about STIs to effectively treat and prevent them.
Read MoreIn the US, talking about our sexual anatomy is pretty darn taboo. We teach our kids to use words like “cookie”, “ding-a-ling”, and “private parts” and tend to avoid providing our kids with the specific terms like vulva, penis, and genitals.
Read MoreThe topic of blue balls has recently come up for me in conversations—you know, as just a thing young adults talk about. What is it? Does it actually exist? What does the medical world say about it? Is it “real”? As a sex educator, of course I wanted to dig deeper and find out more.
Read MoreI’ve been writing posts for our youth empowerment blog with my job at the Compass Center. I wanted to share them here as well. In this post, I interviewed the cofounder of the Real Talk app, an app for teens to share stories about puberty, relationships, and bullying.
Read MoreI’ve been writing posts for our youth empowerment blog with my job at the Compass Center. I wanted to share them here as well. This post explores the difference between sex and gender—super important for understanding our transgender friends and how many folks are fluidly defining their identities.
Read MoreI’ve been writing posts for our youth empowerment blog with my job at the Compass Center. I wanted to share them here as well. This post explores how sex ed has racist roots and what local youth in North Carolina have to say about it.
Read MoreThis summer, as part of my Master’s of Education in Human Sexuality, I’m taking a grad school class on non-monogamy, and it got me thinking about healthy relationships. I teach about healthy relationships to young people all the time and never thought about the really important lessons that non-monogamy can offer about open communication, love, feelings, and trust. In this post, I want to explore non-monogamy a bit with you and share some lessons that can be helpful for all of us who strive for healthy, happy relationships.
Read MoreIn Feburary 2019, I went to the Dominican Republic with Canadian charity Rubens Shoes to launch my sexual and reproductive health program “BodyTalk”. I had a blast working with the amazing teachers of Centro Educativo Toribio and watching the kids giggle while they learn about their bodies. Read my trip report below, with lots of pictures!
Read MoreCW: sexual assault
In the wake of Dr. Ford’s testimony and the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court, a lot of women are still reeling. Shock, hurt, and anger over the decision have impacted many of the women in my life and I’m sure in yours, too. It’s difficult to feel that this decision is anything but a blatant hit to women everywhere, and it makes sense that we, as women, feel a certain sense of shared anger and frustration.
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