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RSEI Blog

Peaches and Eggplants, Oh My! Tips for Better Conversations about Sexting
Written by Jessica, RSEI Educator | Published September 16th, 2024 Before peach and eggplant emojis were ever exchanged in Instagram DMs, there were erotic love letters, privately commissioned nude paintings, and a little while later, sexy polaroid pictures. For centuries, people have been making their sexual selves known using different types of media. People today … Continued
Exploring How Body Image Shapes Teen Sexual Health
Written by Victoria, RSEI Educator | Published June 27th, 2024 The teenage years can be tumultuous, presenting various challenges, particularly regarding body image and sexual health. Young people are bombarded with messages about what their bodies should and shouldn’t look like, which can lead to confusion, insecurity, and negative health outcomes. We will delve into … Continued
May is #SexEdForAll Month
Written by Sam, RSEI Educator | Published May 24th, 2024 According to Guttmacher, a leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) worldwide (last updated Sept 2023): As we see, sex education in many states across the country remains inadequate, inconsistent, or entirely absent, leaving young people without … Continued
Sex Educators’ Diss Track for Disinformation
Written by Angie, RSEI Educator | Published April 8th, 2024 With so much technology at our fingertips, we can search for information that we need in an instant. Gone are the days of flipping through massive encyclopedias that might already be outdated by the time publication rolls around. With instant access, we should be at … Continued
Body Items* for Body Liberation
Written by Sam, RSEI Educator | Published February 27th, 2024 This blog is meant to act as a supplemental resource to the December RSEI webinar entitled “Body Items* for Body Liberation.” RSEI Members can access the recording on the Members’ Home Page. For non-members, please email: Professional.Development@pprm.org Pre-Reading Written Reflection: Take 3-5 minutes to yourself and … Continued
The Troubling Intersection Between Banned Books and Sexual Health
Written by Jessica, RSEI Educator | Published January 3rd, 2024 Book bans targeting sexual content are bad news It could be nude illustrations about puberty like in Robie Harris’s 1994 landmark sexual health book for kids ages 10 and up, It’s Perfectly Normal, or the tension-filled first kiss between two queer teens in Kacen Callendar’s … Continued
STI Testing at Home
Written by Victoria, RSEI Educator | Published December 6th, 2023 The Centers for Disease Control recommends that people who are sexually active get tested at least once a year for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, this recommendation also depends on the number of partners a person has and if they know their status or not. … Continued
Sex Ed Supports Youth Mental Health
Written by Victoria, RSEI Educator | Published September 27th, 2023 If you’re reading this, you probably already know how important sex education is in supporting young people to live happy and fulfilling lives. But given the impacts of COVID-19, it is more important than ever that we support young people’s mental health. In this blog, … Continued
OPill: No Doctor’s Note Needed!
Written by Sam, RSEI Educator | Published August 3rd, 2023 What is OPill? On Thursday, July 13, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved OPill, the first non-prescription birth control pill for use in the United States–potentially allowing millions of people access to a safe, effective oral contraceptive during a pivotal time when many … Continued
Sex Ed Recess: Games, Crafts, and Other Activities
Written by Liza, RSEI Educator | Published July 5th, 2023 As we all know, sex education can be a real snooze for students. Just kidding! Even though sex education is already an exciting topic, there is always space to add some fun. Below is a list of games, crafts, and other activities that can be … Continued
Centering Black Bodies, Black History and Black Wellness within Sex Ed
Written by Sam, RSEI Educator | Published May 8th, 2023 Please note: This blog is meant to be supplemental to the April webinar entitled “Centering Black Bodies, Black History, and Black Wellness within Sex Ed.” RSEI Members can access the recording on the Members’ Home Page. For non-members, please email: Professional.Development@pprm.org “Let [them] be born … Continued
National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness day is observed each year on March 20th, the first day of Spring. The day is held to honor and bring awareness to Indigenous people affected by and living with HIV/AIDS. The event was started in 2007 and continues to promote HIV testing and continued education about HIV/AIDS in Native communities. … Continued
Networks of Support in Post-Roe America
When Roe v Wade was overturned in June of this year, people across the country felt a wave of fear, anxiety, and sadness for this giant step backwards in the fight for reproductive justice. The consequences have been devastating and swift: 30 days after Roe fell, 11 states either banned abortion completely (Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, … Continued
Why Pleasure Needs to be a Part of Sex Ed
Written by Victoria, RSEI Educator | Published November 7th, 2022 There has been a lot of conversation in the media and political sphere about the supposed dangers of medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive sex education. This is why the idea of adding – or even centering – pleasure in our sexual health classes feels even … Continued
Celebrating and Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth
Written by Yesi, RSEI Educator | Published August 15th, 2022 During the last decade, there have been historical moments that have been in favor of the LGBTQ+ community, such as the legalization of marriage equality on June 26, 2015, but this increase in visibility hasn’t always meant equity and liberation for LGBTQ+ youth and adults. … Continued
Quick Facts About Monkeypox
Written by Elizabeth, RSEI Educator | Published August 8th, 2022 What is Monkeypox? Monkeypox, also known as MPV, MPX, or MPVX, is a virus. It is related to other pox viruses, like smallpox and molluscum contagiosum. In fact, the smallpox vaccine has been shown to provide some protection against monkeypox. However, the US stopped providing … Continued
The morning-after pill is not the same as the abortion pill.
Written by Lizzie, RSEI Educator | Published April 26th, 2022 Period. Yet this common misunderstanding around how emergency contraception actually works is shared amongst youth and adults alike. Emergency contraception (also known as the morning after pill) prevents pregnancy from happening in the first place, while the medication abortion (the abortion pill) ends an already … Continued
Talking about Dating and Relationships in the Digital Age
Written by Victoria, RSEI Educator | Published March 3rd, 2022 It would be unusual to enter a classroom, health center, or community space and not see people on their phones. And many of those people are probably scrolling through one of the many social media platforms that exist today. They may also be posting their … Continued
Sex Education for Adult Learners
Written by Lily, RSEI Educator | Published December 17th 2021 When we think about sex education, we often think of it as a topic that gets introduced to us in our adolescence. For many of us, it was presented in a classroom setting, in middle school or high school. Most often, adults remember the perceived … Continued
Addressing Common Concerns about Condom Demonstrations
Written by Elizabeth, RSEI Educator | Published October 27th, 2021 Many schools and organizations we partner with express concern about the impact of condom demonstrations on their youth. They’re worried about whether or not condom demos are developmentally appropriate, especially in middle school, if they will encourage young people to have sex, and if parents … Continued
How to Avoid “Flipping Our Lids” and Practicing Self-Care
Written by Cait, RSEI Educator | Published September 3rd, 2021 As we begin the school year, some of us may be feeling overwhelmed already. It’s no secret that it has been a stressful time. From in-person teaching and virtual teaching, there have been many ups and downs. A lot of stress has been put on … Continued
Sex Ed Beyond the Classroom: Supporting Young People In Advocating For Themselves At Medical Visits
Written by Maria, RSEI Educator | Published August 30th, 2021 Sex education can cover a vast array of topics. In addition to topics more commonly associated with school sex ed, like STIs, birth control, and puberty, sex education also encompasses learning about healthy relationships, gender and sexuality, consent, pleasure, and media literacy. To be a … Continued
Black Pregnancy-Related Mortality in the US
Written by Victoria, RSEI Educator | Published August 2nd, 2021 In the United States, maternal mortality rates continue to rise, even though the U.S. spends more per person on healthcare than any other country. Black women, in particular, are at a much higher risk of maternal morbidity and mortality than any other racial or ethnic … Continued
What Britney Spears’ Conservatorship Can Teach Us About Disability Justice
Written by Elizabeth, RSEI Educator | Published July 1st, 2021 You’ve probably heard recently that Britney Spears has been quietly trying to gain control of her life and finances for several years. During a recent court proceeding, leaked to the press almost immediately, Britney announced that she has been forced to keep an IUD that … Continued
Fertility Awareness Methods are Having a Moment on Social Media
Written by Lily, RSEI Educator | Published May 13th, 2021 You might have seen the sponsored posts on social media promoting fertility awareness methods. This could be partially due to the increase of social media influencers who have posted ads for a fertility awareness app over the past few months, with a combined reach of … Continued
Virtual Resources for Parents and Families to Talk about Sexual Health with Youth
Written by Yesi, RSEI Educator | Published April 12th, 2021 At the Responsible Sex Education Institute (RSEI) we aim to engage parents and families as the primary sexuality educators of their child(ren). As sex educators, our role is to provide parents and families the resources, skills, and confidence to have conversations about sex, sexuality, and … Continued
Supporting Youth in Dealing with Rejection
Written by Lizzie, RSEI Educator | Published February 16th, 2021 This February love and COVID-19 are in the air. With this in mind, we here at the Responsible Sex Education Institute are focusing on breaking up – the one thing everyone goes through but we only really talk about as it’s happening. We experience many … Continued
Unlearning the Harmful Sex Ed You’ve Received and Checking Your Own Values in the Classroom
Written by Meghan, RSEI Educator | Published January 5th, 2021 A new year is often met with an examination of the year before and the goals, hopes, and wishes for the year to come. So, this year we want to help sex educators and youth-serving adults to identify what they learned or internalized from their … Continued
Stigma and Sex Ed: What Are We Really Saying?
Written by Elizabeth, RSEI Educator | Published December 29th, 2020 We’ve talked about it before, and we’ll probably talk about it again: stigma is a huge barrier to building healthy young people and communities. Every day, we see kind, supportive, caring youth-serving adults (YSA) unknowingly contribute to the shame and stigma that surrounds sexual health … Continued
The Legacy of Forced Sterilization in Sex Education
Written by Maria, RSEI Educator | Published October 28th, 2020 CW: forced sterilization, eugenics, racism, ableism Let’s just get right into it – we need to talk about forced sterilization. If you joined us for our August webinar, you’ll know that we started to talk about the long and dark history of forced sterilization in … Continued
California Is On Fire Yet Again, And Our Obsession With The Gender Binary Is To Blame
Written by Lizzie, RSEI Educator | Published September 23rd, 2020 California is on fire yet again. But one of the massive wildfires currently ravaging the area wasn’t the result of a faulty electrical line, lightning strike, or even a campfire. More than 14,000 acres in California have burned in the El Dorado Fire in the … Continued
Tips for Talking About Sex Education at Home
Written by Yesi, RSEI Educator | Published August 28th, 2020 As many young people and their families are getting ready for a new school year, many folks are looking for ways to ensure that sexual health information and sex education don’t get left out of virtual learning. Now more than ever in this new virtual … Continued
Take “Virginity” Out of Sex Ed
Written by Meghan, RSEI Educator | Published August 3rd, 2020 “Virginity” is a concept many of us grew up with, whether it was in our own sex ed classes, our homes, our religions, on the news or really anywhere else we looked. “Virginity” is so pervasive that it can often be difficult to discern between … Continued
Black Lives Need to Matter in Sex Education, Too.
Written by Maria, RSEI Educator | Published June 11th, 2020 You’ve heard it from us, and if you work as an educator, you’ll likely hear it again: beware of sharing personal values with your students. As sex educators, it’s something we are mindful of all the time. In many contexts, it’s helpful advice. For example, … Continued
Not Your Standard Standards: Exciting Updates to the National Sex Education Standards!
Written by Meghan, RSEI Educator | Published June 5th, 2020 2020 has already been a monumental year for adaptability in education. We’ve seen end of year events canceled, schools shift to virtual classrooms and sex education put on the back burner. While the last few months can feel like a blur and the impending months … Continued
National Masturbation Month
Written by Lily, RSEI Educator | Published May 23rd, 2020 This year, the entire month of May is dedicated to appreciating nurses through National Nurses Month, but did you know that May is also National Masturbation Month? This lesser-known awareness campaign comes with its own interesting history. It originated in 1994 when former U.S. surgeon … Continued
Virtual Sex Education: Where to Start?
Written by Meghan, RSEI Educator | Published April 30th, 2020 For many the in-person 2019-2020 school year ended much earlier than anticipated and with new and challenging obstacles to combat while grappling with the COVID-19 global pandemic. At RSEI we usually do a lot of programming at the end of the school year. This is … Continued
Trauma-Informed Sex Education
Written by RSEI Educator | Published April 30th, 2020 As youth-serving adults, our youth come to us with many different experiences, feelings, thoughts, and values when it comes to sex education. Comprehensive sex education has long been considered a critical piece in sexual violence prevention, but what about youth that already have sexual trauma when … Continued
National Native HIV AIDS Awareness Day
Written by Becki, RSEI Educator | Published April 2nd, 2020 National Native HIV AIDS Awareness Day (NNHAAD) is a national campaign celebrated every March 20th. It was founded in 2007 by Indigenous relatives from Turtle Island, the Northern territories, and the Hawaiian Islands. The date is usually on or around Spring equinox because of what … Continued
Starting the Conversation about Dating Abuse
Written by Maria, RSEI Educator | Published March 3rd, 2020 February 2020 marks the tenth anniversary of Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month (TDVAM). In addition to being Black History Month, this month has also served as an opportunity for individuals and organizations to educate youth on the risk factors for dating violence and … Continued
Common Myths Among Youth
Written by RSEI Educator | Published February 6th, 2020 As educators, there are dozens of common questions that our students ask about sex, bodies, and relationships. While we hope that youth have access to information that is accurate and comprehensive, we know this isn’t always the case. As young people navigate the tricky waters of … Continued
Language Matters: Combating Stigma Through Adjusted Language
Written by Meghan, RSEI Educator | Published January 6th, 2020 When it comes to teaching, we know that the language we use is incredibly important. It shapes how participants understand and internalize our material. This means that it is extra important when it comes to sexuality education. Sex education has a long history of using … Continued
Unpacking Age of Consent Laws: What Should Meaningful Conversations Look Like?
Written by RSEI Educator | Published December 2nd, 2019 Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth: age of consent laws are flawed. Their intention of protecting young people from exploitation and abuse is great, but so often this intention is lost amongst negative side-effects of setting an age where sex between a teenager and someone much … Continued
An Open Letter to My Kid’s Sex Ed Teacher
Written by Daniela, RSEI Educator | Published November 4th, 2019 I have been a sexual health educator for over a decade. During that decade I have also trained many teachers and other youth serving adults to teach sex ed. One of the most common fears or concerns that I have heard from the people in … Continued
#IAmNotADistraction: How Dress Code Policies Sexualize Young Bodies
Written by Meghan, RSEI Educator | Published September 30th, 2019 At the Responsible Sex Education Institute, we provide sex education at a variety of settings, both in and out of school. Some of the schools we work with have adopted SSA (standard school attire, aka uniforms), while others utilize dress code policies. While acknowledging that … Continued
Teaching Porn Literacy to Youth
Written by RSEI Educator | Published August 26th, 2019 With the Internet literally at people’s fingertips, pornography has become more accessible in the last few decades than ever before. Youth-serving adults are often expected to educate about Internet safety concerns with students, but sometimes it can feel difficult to start conversations about pornography. While it … Continued
Answering Tough Questions
Written by RSEI Educator | Published August 2nd, 2019 We’re deep into summer and it’s the season for tough questions. We hosted a webinar last week on Answering Tough Questions. In this webinar, two of our amazing educators outline the Responsible Sex Education Institute best practices when it comes to answering young folks’ questions and … Continued
Supporting LGBTQ Youth Sexual Health
Written by Yesi, RSEI Educator | Published July 1st, 2019 As youth serving professionals, educators, adults, and the wider community, we have a responsibility to provide comprehensive sex education that not only includes conversations and information about the diversity of sexuality and genders that exist, but it must also be informed by the lived realities … Continued
#SexEdForAll
Written by RSEI Educator | Published May 30th, 2019 Here at the Responsible Sex Education Institute we are inspired by all that is being done to reshape the conversation around what has been known as “Teen Pregnancy Prevention”. Specifically, the work Young Women United has done is really breaking apart the myths that permeate the … Continued
Do’s and Don’ts of Responding to Abuse
Written by Meghan, RSEI Educator | Published May 1st, 2019 As we close out Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we wanted to share some tips for responding to abuse disclosures from young people. Even if you aren’t a mandated reporter, reading through the tips below can help you navigate these difficult and often highly-emotional situations. Practicing … Continued
How to Spot Bad Sex Ed
Written by Meghan, RSEI Educator | Published March 28th, 2019 Time and again, we see health teachers in search of comprehensive sex ed get duped by abstinence-only curricula and organizations that contribute to the shame and stigma surrounding sexual health, keeping our young people in the dark and in danger. To help, we thought we … Continued
Group Guidelines
Written by Meghan, RSEI Educator | Published February 19th, 2019 Here at RSEI, we strongly encourage sex educators to start every new group or first session of a curriculum by creating group guidelines. Group guidelines are a set or rules or expectations for the group to follow when in session together. Participants are given the … Continued

Find all our past blogs here.

RSEI Newsletter Archive

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Boundaries

The Responsible Sex Education Institute partners with the SAVA Center and the Arc of Larimer County to create educational videos for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities in a series called Healthy Bodies, Healthy Boundaries.

The ICYC Book

In Case You’re Curious: Questions about Sex from Young People with Answers from the Experts was released in September of 2019. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, we highly recommend you do so! It is available for purchase in our shop, as well as at online retailers like Target, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble.

Office Hours

Do you need support with classroom management? Do your conversations about consent lead down a rabbit hole of what ifs? Maybe you’re preparing for a tough group and you just need a little pep talk. Sign up for office hours with an RSEI educator to get 1:1 support you need to grow as a sexual health educator! Email Professional.Development@pprm.org to book a session.

Teaching Sex Ed?

We’ve got you covered! Visit our shop to check out the lesson plans and birth control kits we have available for purchase. Become a member today and get access to our exclusive members’ only area including our library of previously recorded webinars, shop discounts, resources, office hours, and more!

Webinars

RSEI educators work together to develop webinars on current sexual health topics just for youth-serving adults. Visit the home page for more information and to register for future webinars.

Sexual Health Education Standards

2020 National Sex Education Standards

2020 Colorado State Health Standards

2012 Wyoming State Health Standards

2009 New Mexico State Health Standards

2018 Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education (PLSSE)