Psychiatric News September 20, 2002
Volume 37 Number 18
© 2002 American Psychiatric Association
p. 19
APA Among Promoters of Family Sexuality Education Month
APA is part of a 57-member coalition that is promoting October as National Family Sexuality Education Month. The goal of the outreach effort is to promote family discussions about sexuality.
Planned Parenthood, which organized the coalition and developed a number of projects for the October education effort, noted in a press release, "Many parents avoid talking openly about sex and health with their children because they’re embarrassed or don’t know how to start the conversation." The absence of such crucial discussions in our sex-obsessed culture, however, "leaves children vulnerable to the unrealistic sexual messages they get from advertising, music, and video every day."
The coalition also hopes that such discussions will reduce young people’s acceptance of harmful, stereotyped gender roles and, as a result, the common belief among teens that becoming a man or a woman depends on their becoming sexually active.
Planned Parenthood is offering brochures that will assist parents in opening up a discussion of sexuality with their adolescent and preteen children and kits that can aid health professionals, teachers, and parents in discussing and advocating "responsible sexuality education."
More information about National Family Sexuality Education Month and resources for teens and parents is available on the Web at www.plannedparenthood.org or by phone at (800) 669-0156. 
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