We’ve talked before on this blog about the need for an alternative to the abstinence-only sex education model, an approach that places importance on consent, communication and practical information. In a welcome move last week, Illinois lawmakers voted to make discussion of birth control mandatory in its sex education classes. Today, we learned about an unusual program run by Case Western University in Cleveland, where teens are trained to teach other about sex and responsibility.
During an after-school program at St. Martin de Porres Family Center on Cleveland’s East Side earlier this year, a freshman voiced his confusion during a talk about safe sex:
“You mean, if she’s drunk or high and says, ‘Yes,’ that’s still rape?”
Several of the boy’s friends sitting nearby seemed nearly as incredulous, silently shaking their heads in agreement with the question.
Standing in front of the nearly 20 teens, mostly boys, 18-year-old senior Scott Traylor confirmed in a steady voice: “That’s rape.”
Traylor is one of four peer educators trained to help combat a local rise in STIs among teens, but as the above passage indicates, consent is also a big part of the curriculum.
As part of their training, peer educators are trained by medical professionals, sit in on sex education classes and learn self defense to help build their confidence. Peer educators are recruited directly from the communities where they teach and classes are in high demand. To read more about this promising program, read the full story at The Plain Dealer.
h/t Jezebel
