Teaching Safer Sex: Abridged Edition $39.00

Introduction to
Teaching Safer Sex: Abridged Edition

by Bill Taverner
Executive Director of the Center for Sex Education

More than 30 years ago, Peggy Brick wrote the first edition of Teaching Safer Sex with Catherine Charlton, Hilary Kunins, and Steve Brown. In a world that was still beginning to understand HIV and AIDS, with much of the education focused on epidemiology of the disease and the function of T-cells, Brick et al recognized the need for lesson plans that addressed the attitudes, skills and behaviors needed to protect one’s sexual health. The authors recognized that epidemiological knowledge was incidental, and even unnecessary, for individuals wanting to prevent sexually transmitted infections. The lesson plans used interactive strategies to improve comfort with sexual language, to counter negative attitudes about condoms and condom users, and to create a new frame with which safer sex was portrayed in a positive, responsible way.

Peggy hired me in 1998 while she was finishing the expanded second edition, The NEW Teaching Safer Sex. That was the first writing project Peggy and I worked on together. Though I added very little content to the final draft of that edition, I learned a lot that summer about how to make learning fun, interactive, and meaningful. When I served as lead editor for the third edition in 2012, Peggy wrote an enthusiastic and congratulatory introduction, which served as a guided tour to the 50 lesson plans in two volumes. Privately, Peggy admonished me that there were too many lessons! So I think she would be very happy with this abridged edition!

Peggy died on December 24, 2018. She is remembered as an internationally respected sexuality educator who was admired by her colleagues. Teaching Safer Sex On the Go! retains Peggy’s vision, as well as philosophical and pedagogical characteristics of prior editions. The lesson plans are highly interactive, involve frequent discussion and focus on the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior needed to be successful in taking responsibility for one’s sexual health. As I selected and edited the lesson plans for this edition, Peggy’s voice was frequently in my head. “Keep the four corners activity!” “You can cut that statement.” “That’s way too much information!” “Why not combine the lessons?” I don’t know that I always made the decision that Peggy might have made, but it did make me miss the rigorous debates we’d have that would help me think better.

The contributing authors to Teaching Safer Sex On the Go! are terrifically talented and it was an honor to incorporate their creative ideas into this edition, which includes 10 carefully selected and updated lesson plans using a variety of pedagogical techniques true/false handouts, paired, small, and large group discussion, kinesthetic activities, role play, games, independent research, and more, as participants explore a spectrum of considerations related to sexual health, and develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to make safer decisions.

Many thanks to LifeStyles condoms for supporting this project and getting these lesson plans into the hands of sexuality educators.

DEFINING SEXUAL HEALTH
by Kirsten deFur
This lesson will allow participants to define sexual health, recognize its characteristics, and understand ways to improve and protect their sexual health.

MASTURBATION
A Safe but Touchy Subject
by Bill Taverner and Sue Montfort
This lesson will help participants examine common attitudes and beliefs about masturbation in a non-threatening, nonjudgmental manner. It also allows them the opportunity to consider, perhaps for the first time, just how valuable masturbation can be as a safe form of sexual expression and pleasure.

STI BINGO
by Melissa Keyes DiGioia and Jessica Shields
STI Bingo is a game that allows youth to apply important information about sexually transmitted infections including modes of transmission, types of STIs, and relevant prevention techniques.

THE BIG IF
by Peggy Brick
The risk continuum strategy used in this lesson helps participants overcome discomfort with sexual words, evaluate the relative risks of various behaviors, and compare modes of transmission.

THE CONDOM LINE-UP
by Carolyn Cooperman
The active involvement of participants in this lesson is designed to relieve their anxiety about using condoms by increasing their confidence in condoms as a reliable form of contraception and protection against sexually transmitted infections.

SWIPING RIGHT
Characteristics of a Successful Condom User
by Peggy Brick and Bill Taverner
This lesson advocates an expansion of the definition of sexual attractiveness to include a person’s willingness to communicate about and practice safer sex.

SAY WHAT?!?
Communicating about Safer Sex
by Allyson Sandak
This lesson will provide participants with an opportunity to develop comfort and skills around communicating assertively about safer sex.

CHOOSING CONDOMS, CHOOSING LUBES
by Peggy Brick and Bill Taverner
In this lesson participants confront the issue of talking with a partner about condom use, and in addition, reflect on the impact negative attitudes may have on a couple’s ability to protect themselves. Participants examine and evaluate a variety of brands of condoms and personal lubricants and overcome common aversion to touching condoms.

SECURING THE BACK DOOR
A Guide to Safer Anal Sex
by Megan Andelloux
In this lesson, participants dispel common myths about the anus and anal sex, and learn the facts about anal anatomy, as well as sexual health and sexual safety.

FRIENDS GETTING TESTED
by Peggy Brick and Bill Taverner
This lesson encourages young people to consider whether a true friend needs to take a role in discouraging risky sexual behavior that could lead to a sexually transmitted infection or an unplanned pregnancy. Participants examine the steps to getting tested.

Teaching Safer Sex: Abridged Edition includes a four-page summary handout with essential information about sexually transmitted infections and a three-page summary about using condoms.

“Teaching Safer Sex: Abridged Edition is a great resource for all educators. The lessons cover a range of safer sex topics for a wide variety of audiences. Lessons can be easily modified as needed for participant groups.”
Tanya M. Bass, MS, MEd, CHES®, CSE
Founder of North Carolina Sexual Health Conference

“Safer sex is a right and is key to sexual health and sexual pleasure. Bill Taverner and the CSE bring us a great practical resource to teach these concepts with a number of fun and well-developed lessons. I was impressed by the diversity of pedagogical strategies.”
Antón Castellanos Usigli, MPH
Member of the Global Advisory Board for Sexual Health and Wellbeing

“A concise yet comprehensive set of lesson plans that can be used by newer and seasoned educators alike! The lessons are engaging and interactive, provide well-rounded information and teach practical skills critical for youth to learn.”
Sameera Qureshi, MSOT, Director of Education and Training at HEART Women and Girls

“This is a wonderful resource for any sex educator, with engaging and thoughtful activities. A must have for anybody teaching safer sex!
Robert J. Zeglin, PhD, NCC, LMHC
Founding Director of Community Sexual Health Education & Research Initiative at the University of North Florida