Sex Education in the U.S. [Interview], Association of Planned Parenthood Leaders in Education

In this interview for the Association of Planned Parenthood Leaders in Education, Dr. Norm Constantine responds to questions about the state of sex education in the US, research on program effectiveness, cutting edge issues and research gaps, and strategies for enhancing community and organizational support as well as professional development opportunities for sexuality educators.

Norm Constantine, Ph. D., is Director of the Center for Research on Adolescent Health and Development at the Public Health Institute in Oakland, California, and Clinical Professor of Community Health and Human Development at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. Constantine coauthored a chapter on sexuality education with Eva Goldfarb in the newly published Encyclopedia of Adolescence, and a chapter on issues in intervention effectiveness research in the forthcoming Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology, both of which go into more detail about many of the issues mentioned here.

Constantine answers questions including:

1. How would you describe the “state of sex ed” in this country?
2. What does the research tell us about what works for unwanted pregnancy prevention, STI prevention, and healthy sexuality education efforts?  
3. What are the “cutting edge” issues and research that grab your attention and that we should pay attention to?
4. What advice would you give comprehensive sexuality health educators who are struggling with funding stream cuts, conservative backlash, and an organizational environment that doesn’t always value their work?
5. What professional development opportunities should we pursue to stay relevant and effective in our work?

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