Recently I was with my sister and her two young grandsons.  Peggy needed to use the restroom and the boys joined her.  Two-year-old Jack said, “You don’t have a penis, right Grandma?” To which my sister replied, ”No, I don’t.“ Then Jack said, “You have a vulva because...

According to a 2020 study, half of 11- to- 13 year-olds reported having seen pornography in some way. Of the children who admitted intentionally searching for pornography, nearly two-thirds of them said they had done so for one or more of the following reasons: 1)...

Sexual health education is typically thought of as a class taught in middle school or high school with information on preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, the reality is that it's so much more. One area that has recently garnered...

According to The World Bank, on any given day nearly 800 million people are menstruating, yet many people lack the necessary sanitation products needed to manage their periods.  This lack of supplies is known as “period poverty” and affects millions of people in the...

During my years at Illinois State, I have been building my knowledge on various topics related to health, wellness, and sex education. My passion for these topics drew me into joining ISU’s Student Wellness Ambassador Team (SWAT), which is comprised of student...

There are many common myths associated with sexuality and disability such as people with disabilities are asexual, have more important things to do than sex, and people with physical disabilities are unable to have sex.1 However, people with disabilities are sexual...

The year 2020 was one that brought a number of lasting memories.  Although many of them seemed to be negative, there was a shining light of hope for the future.  For the first time since 2016, data showed that vape (e-cigarette) use among teenagers had declined. The...

INTERVIEW: Jessica Wrubel - Hester Junior High We were able to catch-up with Jessica Wrubel from Hester Junior High to learn a little bit about her thoughts on Health Education, the programming they've implemented at their school and what she believes makes a health...

Alcohol is the number one most abused drug by teens. According to SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), nearly 60% of teens have had an alcoholic drink by age 18 and 11% of all alcoholic beverages sold in the U.S. are consumed by people...

What adult has not heard the sigh from a young person who has just been reminded of the need to be cautious around others they meet? The sigh is often followed by the young person’s frustrating reassurance, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” The drive for independence is a...