Misinformation breeds fear, shame, guilt, and stigma - it also gives folks a false sense of security leaving them vulnerable. This has been born out over the last year with more than just STDs/HIV, but with how folks have handled COVID-19 safety precautions like masks and vaccinations. The danger for folks across the board is not just a lack of information but misinformation and disinformation. I am not going to overload you with numbers, but I am going to share a few really important fast facts:

The youth pastor’s wife invited all the girls to an unnamed event. We were told to show up in a formal dress and to bring our moms. So, I did. I thought it was maybe going to be some sort of cute dance thing for the other girls since many of them were homeschooled… however, it became quickly apparent that a dance was not what was happening. They led us away from our moms and made us watch a movie about purity, and then told us that we needed to make a commitment of purity with Jesus.

Consent is necessary, but also sexy! It doesn’t have to be awkward. It might feel awkward at first, but think of it like a muscle: the more you use it, the easier and stronger that muscle becomes until you get to a point where not checking in and asking consent will feel awkward. Check in to see if they are okay, and if they don’t seem to want to talk about it that’s okay too. If it’s not a “hell yes!” it should be a “hell no!”

Currently, the number of states that require sex education to be medically accurate is 17. You read that number right. Only 17 of the 39 states, plus DC, that mandate some form of sexual education and/or HIV education require it to be medically accurate. Furthermore, even though sex education is mandated in 39 states, abstinence-only is still considered sex education despite it being proven not to work.