Attention teen girls: you are required to take pregnancy tests in school if at any time you are suspected of being pregnant. Should you refuse to take this mandatory test, or turn out to actually be pregnant you will be forced to leave school. Actually, don’t worry. This will only apply to Delhi Charter School in Louisiana!

   Well now that all just sounds a little ridiculous (and illegal?) so it can’t really be true, right? But in fact, shockingly enough this really happening, and this Louisiana K-8 school has been receiving major heat in the media about their “student pregnancy policy. You can read a little more about here.

   Also, as another article points out here, Delhi Charter School’s “student pregnancy policy states that the school seeks to ensure that students ‘exhibit acceptable character traits’—and in order to do so, allows the school to force any ‘suspected student’ to take a pregnancy test.” The article also explains how, “The ACLU notes that this policy is a clear violation of Title IX–which, among many other wonderful things, explicitly protects pregnant and parenting teens’ right to education–and the equal protection clause of the constitution.” To me, this whole situation called to mind the Hurst, Brown, and L’Engle (2008) article we read on how “Boys Will Be Boys and Girls Better Be Prepared…”. The school’s tactics to promote an “acceptable” learning environment for their students evidently “ambiguously and/or inaccurately reinforce traditional gender stereotypes that males seek sex and females are responsible for protection against pregnancy.” (Hurst et al., 2008). Further, the boys in this school are plainly unaffected by this school policy. If they’re truly trying to justly promote an ideal learning environment for all students, shouldn’t they be equally subjecting boys to some kind of spontaneous DNA testing do determine in the words of Maury Povitch, “You Are/Are Not The Father!”? I guess not.

   But apparently this school thinks that blatantly imposing old school shaming tactics against pregnant/potentially pregnant/virtually any girl in the school is an appropriate and effective way to address sexually active teenagers (which by the way, obviously not all of these K-8 girls even are). Through their actions, this school seems to be perpetuating the notion that teen sexual activity is something incredibly taboo. But if some of them are sexually active, is this really anything new? As Hurst et al. (2008) points out, “The media are important sources of sexual information for adolescents…”. Hurst et al., (2008)’s explanation that, “Many parents, however, still find it difficult to talk with their children about sex, and schools are increasingly limited in what they may say about sex, as many have turned to abstinence-only education.” also sounds a lot like the Dehli Charter School’s position on things. But “…the media are important sources of sexual information as well as norms about inappropriate and appropriate behavior and what other teens are doing sexually (Brown, Halpern, & L’Engle, 2005; Brown, Steele, & Walsh-Childers, 2012).” (Hurst et al., 2008). 

Everyone's Favorite
Pregnant Cheerleader:
Glee's Quin Fabray

   By 2012 we have been able to watch plenty of popular shows and films that focus on teen pregnancy. Some of these examples include but are not limited to: MTV’s shows Teen Mom, Teen Mom 2, 16 and Pregnant, Fox’s show Glee and the popular movie Juno. All of these feature teenage mothers/mom’s-to-be as lead characters. Even if Delhi Charter School wants to sweep teenage pregnancy under the rug, the fact of the matter is that teen sexual activity and pregnancy have been and will continue to have multimedia coverage. While it is apparent that not all media coverage is realistic in their glamorized portrayals, this should serve as motivation to implement more primary prevention sexual health education among adolescents. The “media plays a major educational role” as Delgado and Austin (2007) point out in their research article, but “parents can play an important role in their children’s sex education” too (Delgado & Austin, 2007). It would be more advantageous for schools like Delhi to work with media resources to promote better sexual health for their students (therein promoting a healthier educational environment for girls and boys alike). We’ll just have to stay tuned to see if their recent negative media attention will promote change in a positive direction or not. Here’s to hoping!

Man, gonorrhea can be a bummer

Earlier today the Center for Disease Control held a press briefing to announce that the United States could soon face a gonorrhea epidemic.  The STI, which can cause damage to reproductive systems in both women and men and lead to infertility, has long been overshadowed by more difficult to treat sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS and herpes.  Every year, 64 million people contract gonorrhea, 700,000 of those in the United States.  However, over the past few decades, the bacteria causing gonorrhea have become more drug resistant, and now there is only a single antibiotic that effectively treats the disease.  Problematically, this antibiotic (ceftriaxone) is only effective when injected, meaning those infected must go to a doctor and get a shot rather than the easier oral treatments.

The CDC announced today it is only "a matter of time" before the disease becomes resistant to ceftriaxone as well.  And when gonorrhea remains untreated and enters the bloodstream, it becomes deadly.

It is difficult to say what impact this seriously concerning announcement will have on sexual attitudes in America.  The AIDS epidemic and ignorance about how HIV spread caused a moral panic in the 1980s that in some ways still persists today. (For example, sexually active gay men are still turned away from blood donations—even if they do not have HIV/AIDS.)  Though HPV is so common that half the sexually active population in America will contract a strain of it at least once in their lives, people still have qualms about the cancer-preventing vaccines.  Last year, Sen. Michele Bachmann baselessly made the claim that these vaccines cause mental retardation.  Clearly, sexually transmitted diseases present a unique public health dilemma because privacy and morality issues come into play.  Even if doctors could cure every disease, a large number of of sexually transmitted diseases would likely still go untreated because of ignorance or shame.

As essentially every study we've read this semester shows, the media does have a profound effect on a variety of sexual attitudes.  As Pinkleton et al. (2012) point out, the media can be an important and helpful educator on sexual health and can influence adolescents to make responsible sexual decisions.  Delgado and Austin (2007) found that sexual health messages were effective in a variety of mediums.  However, Hust, Brown, and L'Engle (2008) showed that so far, the media isn't doing as effective of a job as it could in this realms, choosing to mostly ignore sexual health messages despite the impact they could have.  There is no reasonable or ethical way to stop people from having sex, and there will always be people engaging in risky sexual behaviors that will cause these diseases to persist.  Healthy, educated attitudes about sex are more important than any vaccine when it comes to protecting sexual health.  In the coming years, the media should prioritize and normalize sexual health messages so that we don't have to worry about gonorrhea epidemics and other horrors.

Benjamin Taylor - "Wicked Way"

I happened across the video for the song "Wicked Way" by Ben Taylor last week and I was really taken aback by the lyrics. The song is basically from the perspective of a horny and mildly predatory, albeit very honest, stereotypical male figure who laments about just wanting to have no-strings-attached sex with a beautiful woman who won't pester him the hassle of commitment, emotions, or conversation. The lyrics are listed below, read on and you'll see what I mean:

I just want to take you out and get you drunk

So I can have my wicked way with you

I'm just being honest 'cause I know the other guys

Are thinking just the same way too

And I'm not gonna lie and say

That I will take you out to dance, there's just no chance

'Cause I don't even like the same music you do

I just want to have my wicked way with you

Girl, don't you fight it

Don't knock it till you tried it

Just show me some skin, I might bite it

I want to have my wicked way with you

I'm not gonna come over and meet your mom and dad

They know that I was bad

I don't want to meet your friends

Oh, just pretend I like you

I don't want to talk about what happened

On your favorite TV show

I just want to get you close enough

So I can take off all your clothes

I don't want to make you cry or break your heart

Girl, we don't have the time

I'm just thinking of three hours or more

So I can have my wicked way with you

Now, don't you fight it

'Cause I know you're gonna like it

Show me some skin, I might bite it

I want to have my wicked way with you

I was definitely surprised upon hearing this the first time, and I initially thought that Ben was writing from his own perspective, because he prefaces the video by saying that he started writing this as a way to "express his freaky sexuality," whatever that means. He does say that the resulting song ended up becoming a joke, but in any case, there are some really interesting contradictions at work here. First of all, if you were to read the lyrics without hearing the song, you would probably assume that it's a really beat-heavy, overly-produced song that you might expect to hear in a seedy club. Surprisingly enough, it's actually a very simple, acoustic guitar-driven, folksy sort of song that seems to contradict the dirty lyrics with how sweet it sounds. And I think that's the point. 

If you were to listen to the song without paying attention to the lyrics, you might assume that it's a sincere love song that would likely follow the formula in the "Love Will Steer the Stars" Bader article. (Ben Taylor is, after all, the offspring of 1970s folk-rock icons James Taylor and Carly Simon.) However, the lyrics contrast the genre by flying in the face of the all of the characteristics of an idealized love song. Instead, lyrically, the song sounds more like a frank confessional by the type of guy we discussed before and after viewing Spin the Bottle: Sex, lies, and alcohol. That is, men who use alcohol as as strategy to lower women's inhibitions and make them more sexually permissive. Whether this is Ben's critique of that idea, an attempt to say "Hey, I'll be blunt if no one else will," or just a joke remains to be seen. But I'd encourage you to listen to at least part of the song, if for no other reason than because it's weird and because it's such a stark contradiction between words and music. 

"How 'Hottest Olympian' Did in London"

I really wish I was making that headline up, but unfortunately I'm not. That is one of the headlines on Yahoo. From time to time I'll go on Yahoo and read some of the stupid and pointless articles which they seem to call "news." They obviously have a much broader definition of news than I do. This is one of the headlines for one of their top stories, and I must say, this has to be a low point in journalism, even for Yahoo.

The 'Hottest Olympian' they're referring to is javelin thrower Leryn Franco of Paraguay and she didn't do very well in these Olympic games. In fact, she finished 18th in qualifying and didn't even make the finals in her respective event. I'll repeat that again... 18TH!!!!! Why on earth are we giving coverage to someone who didn't even do well in the qualifying event and who isn't American!? This feeds into the idea that women are valued for their physical appearance (Kim et al., 2007). This woman is very attractive, but she's competing in an environment based on athletic ability, not on physical attractiveness. I have no problem with a journalist mentioning that she's pretty, but I do have a problem with an article being written about her performance only because she is beautiful. Have you ever read an article about someone from another country coming in 18th place in a qualifying event? I know I haven't.

This sends the message to young girls that all that matters is your looks. It doesn't matter if you fail or succeed in what you do, as long as you look good doing it then you have value. The Olympics are supposed to be a time when the world joins together to watch athletes from all countries compete athletically. It's not about where you come from or what you look like. It's about striving to be the best athlete you can be and showing the world what you have trained your whole life for. To write stories based solely on the attractiveness of a female athlete isn't just sexist, it's lazy journalism.

The Intimacy of Masturbation

You watch Misfits right? You don't? Well you definitely should. Misfits is a British television show that centers around a group of delinquents. During some weird freaky storm they all get super powers along with a few other people. Only, not all these powers can be used to save the world. Here's a clip from the show below. ( I wish Youtube had better clips that tell you more about the show, but you can definitely check it out on Hulu)

Alicia is attractive ad portrayed as permiscuous. After the storm, she learns that any person that touches her will want to have sex with her and can't control themselves, let alone even remember it. IT may seem great that she can get any guy she wants but her story is a tragic one. This ruins her self-esteem. Her boyfriend can't even touch her without suddenly feeling the aggressive need to have sex with her and not even remember it happened. What do you do when you really care about someone but you can't touch each other, kiss each other or have sex with each other? Masturbation of course!

The show poses masturbation as an alternative to sex, something we discussed in class. Masturbating is definitely shown as a preventative measure here, although the circumstances are vary unusual. Wouldn't masturbation get boring after a while though? What if you want companionship. The show has the answer for that too. Alicia and her boyfriend Curtis masturbate in front of each other, sharing an intimate moment. Masturbation between the two characters is much more intimate than sex. If the two were to have sex, Alicia would be thought of nothing more than a sexual object, quickly forgotten about afterward.

Check out a clip here 

Delgado and Austin's (2007) study results on media intervention  suggests that popular television shows can promote recall of sexual health-related messages. Sexual health content in the media is rare; however, when present it is often humorous or humiliating (Hust, Brown, & Ladin L’engle, 2008). In this case of Misfits, the show's sexual content is definitely meant to be humorous. But this could be a method of attracting young viewers and interesting them. Rarely does a show present an alternative preventative aside from abstinence or condom use. Here is the rare case where masturbation is presented as a preventative measure for sex, rather than a precursor for sex.

I think the show also debunks the myth that sex equates to intimacy. In the show, being desirable is worthless because that comes relatively easy. Any person Alicia touches will find her desirable and irresistable, moreover, she has no control over it- she can't turn her powers on and off. This speaks to the stereotype that all men want to have sex with an attractive woman and sex is all consuming. The show highlights that emotions are the gateway to forming a worthwhile connection. Any form of physical interaction is rendered meaningless in Alicia's case.

There's No Such Thing As A Dumb Question

Here's the yahoo answer post I mentioned in class. If you click on the paragraph below it'll redirect you to the original post with comments and all. 

Will I get pregnant if he ejaculated in me?

Well me and my boyfriend decided to have sex at my house since my parents are away. We were doing foreplay on for a good 15 minutes.. I was giving him head while he was lying down with his eyes closed. Then all of sudden, my 6.5 ft tall, 290 lbs Great Dane came over and stuck his penis in my vagina from behind. It was the one of the worse experience ever. My Great Dane started humping me and I was just yelling. My BF was just sitting there shocked. He tried to move the dog but the dog would not bulge. Suddenly I felt a sticky warm fluid in my vagina. My Great Dane finally came off and I realized he just finished breeding with me. I sat there shocked, crying and my boyfriend just hugged me. I was so disgusted. I think I may be pregnant and Im so scared. What if my babies have dog heads and human bodies? How do i explain that to my parents? So can I still get pregnant even if my dog camed in it?

Now if this isn't the media acting as a super peer, I don’t know what is. I'm pretty sure there's no one you could ask this question to without them laughing in your face and thinking you're an idiot. I wouldn't dare ask my friends this, no matter how experienced or smart i thought they were. It seems heterosexual adolescents and adolescents in the LGBT community use the Internet in similar ways when seeking information regarding sex.For LBGT individuals the media is used more frequently than any face-to-face interpersonal relationships as a source of information during the coming-out process (Bond et al., 2009). The majority of the participants in the Bond et al. study (2009) use the Internet in their information gathering, the majority of Internet users being younger. Similarly, adolescents in both these groups are using the Internet to gather information related to sex and relationships. 


The internet is truly a priceless resource when it comes to seeking information about sex. There is a myriad of sexual situations or information that can not be put into magazines, movies or on television because it would result in an uproar from viewers and supporting advertisers. The internet can allow for questions to be answered anonymously, by those who have the answers. I'm pretty sure if you asked some adults the above Yahoo question they would tell the girl no but start to wonder themselves if it is truly possible. The first place they'd head to find the answer is the internet. It's surprising how common ridiculous questions such as this are asked on the internet. But I'm sure we'd rather have those who don't know the answer ask. The anonymity the internet allows makes it safe to ask questions and learn about sex. Who needs television to teach you when you can type in any question you have about sex and have it answered?


 Being older and college educated, we may think this is a dumb question. But aren't we glad they asked? Can you imagine being an adolescent girl thinking you're going to give birth to a litter of puppies? Every itch you get you'd think it was fleas and begin to freak out more. There are many sex myths that people come up with and there are those that are widely held. The internet allows for those to be dispelled if someone is truly curious. Check out the link below for more odd, ridiculously hilarious sex questions. Some crazy questions are from adults as old as 30!

The Yahoo Answers Guide To Sex: 14 Idiotic Questions About Sexuality

"Safe Sex is Great Sex"

"...so you better wear a latex, cause you don't want that late text, the 'uh-oh I think I'm late' text." Lil Wayne's poignant, emotionally complex song "Lollipop" here addresses issues of safe sexual activity, making mention of the fact that unprotected sex can, and perhaps will, lead to surprise pregnancies and encourages his audience to "wrap it up." While this is perhaps surprisingly progressive in the rap genre, my intent for this post is not to discuss rappers and their proclivities towards "effing b's and getting g's," if you know what I mean, and whether or not they "wrap it up." Instead, I'd like to talk about safe sex, and our very own glaring beacon of safe sexual practices, the Safe Sex Store (S3).

S3 is kind of infamous in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area because it so proudly parades its intents to provide correct, consistent sexual health information (see the entire background of the store here). Not only does S3 deliver upon this goal, but takes it above and beyond sexual health information with a wide array of sex toys, condoms, lubricants, sex practices books, and even novelty items like a cake mold shaped like a penis (a practical addition to any college student's kitchen). S3 is unique because they encourage young people (well, all people, but this is a college town) to enjoy sex by doing it in a safe, healthy way--a far cry from the government-mandated abstinence-only teachings we received in middle and high school. Upon my first trip into the store about a month ago, I was greeted with a dizzying amount of vibrators, dildos, sexual fetish items, and a wall of condoms; needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed and instinctively uncomfortable. As I browsed the condom wall and tried not to stare at the giant dildo inches from my face, I overheard the staff member (a former classmate of mine, actually), explaining to a customer the differences between the 50-or-so lubricants carried in the store. She was courteous, informed, and unabashed in her descriptions, and quite frankly, I was impressed. We chatted for a while, and she asked me if I needed help finding anything, etc etc--I won't go into it--but at first I found myself kind of embarrassed to talk to her. Then I thought, why? We're literally having a conversation in the middle of a sexual carnival and everyone else in that store wouldn't be there if they weren't seeking something as well.

I can't tell you the number of times I've walked past groups of freshman or high schoolers roaming South U and stopped in front of S3, peeking in the windows, giggling, and discussing in hushed tones how weird it is that Ann Arbor has a store devoted to sex. In light of the importance placed on sexual health education and its positive impacts on young people, as seen in the Delgado & Austin study, why are we so awkward and embarrassed when it comes to talking about sex? Isn't talking about sex, after all, the first step in sex ed? Delgado & Austin found that young people who had undergone a "media intervention" showed a "significant decrease in risk" and were more likely to use a condom than those who had no intervention (2007, p. 405-406). How are we supposed to get these results if we're too nervous or embarrassed to talk or to ask about it? Hust et al make perfectly clear that the media isn't taking responsibility for providing a healthy sexual education to young people, stating that a common theme throughout television programming is that "sexual health is humiliating and humorous" and citing Kunkel et al's finding that only about 10% of sexual scenes in popular television programs have a sexual precaution message (2008; 2005). If schools are teaching abstinence and media are teaching that sex is always risk-free as well as a humiliating subject, where are young people supposed to receive knowledge about the alternative?--that is, a healthy, precaution-driven sexual life. Organizations like S3 step up to the plate and provide a risk-free way to receive answers to questions about sex. There is an entire section of the website devoted to answering sexual health questions, how to use a condom, toy and vibrator information... it's the embarrassed college freshman's dream. S3 defies conventional attitudes towards sex and provides a safe, judgment-free place for people to learn about a natural part of human identity. While the role of the media is clearly extremely important in forming attitudes towards sex (see every article we've read for this class), I think that more credibility and attention needs to be given to organizations like S3 that attempt to change attitudes--perhaps S3 should be leading sexual health workshops in schools, though it would never happen. My point is that if we all regarded sex like S3, I honestly think our society would be much healthier, and much more satisfied, with their sexual lives. The next time you pass by S3, don't be shy to check it out--you might just learn something.