Adolescent Sexuality by Dr. Karen Rayne

One of my goals in sex education is for students to feel comfortable laughing about sex.  Because let’s be honest - it’s funny!  When you put together all of your naked body parts, plus someone else’s naked body parts, and both people are in the moment rather than making sure they’re looking good, funny things [...]

Today I’ve got the crud.  Actually I had it yesterday too.  For no obvious reason, something pollen-related suddenly started releasing copious amounts of crud-inducing pollen night before last.  Regrettably, I caught it.  So now I sound and feel like crud.  My husband, delightful as he always is, tells me I look like crud too.
So what’s [...]

World, meet my new computer.  New computer, meet the world.  Two things that should never, ever be allowed to mix?  Rust and the inside of my computer.
Today I’ve been thinking about the good parts of sex (physical pleasure, a deepening relationship with someone, babies, fun, and more).  I’ve also been thinking about the bad parts [...]

I am about to enter the Twilight Zone…
I am about to send off my computer for…repairs.  I will, of course, attempt to maintain contact over the next 7 - 10 business days, but it may be sketchy.  Hopefully after that time, my computer will no longer randomly shut down every 10 minutes, causing me to [...]

The topic of life and it’s sacredness has recently come to my attention through a variety of ways.
The first mention came in the form of a political ad from the group Catholics United called “John McCain - Actions Speak Louder Than Words.”

On their website, Catholics United includes this quote:
“Many Americans, particularly Catholic Americans, are fed [...]

Now, before everyone freaks out on me, one way or the other, I want to make one thing very clear: I am neither “for” or “against” porn.  It’s far too situational and nuanced a topic for me to take clear sides like that.
Nevertheless, it is a big problem when children or teenagers run across a [...]

Here’s a fun activity to begin a sex ed class, to help everyone have fun, laugh, and begin to feel comfortable around each other:
Write the names of sexual body parts on a big poster board or separate sheets of paper hanging around the room.  Be sure and write big enough so that the words can [...]

I teach sexuality education because I have been called to do so.  In the same way that a minister is called to minister spiritually to those in pain and in rapture, I have been called to educate our country’s youth about their bodies and how to be respectful of their own bodies and other people’s [...]

Last weekend I met a lovely man at a live music performance here in Austin.  We are both friends of the performer, so we got to talking.  He asked what I do professionally, and I answered, “I teach sex ed.”  “Oh!” he replied, “That’s great!  My daughters are nine and seven.  When do you think [...]

Hello Friends!
Fall is fast approaching, and mornings are finally getting a little cooler here in Austin.  That means my newest parenting class on adolescent sexuality will be starting up soon!  (More on the specifics towards the end of this e-mail.)
Adolescent sexuality has loomed large in the news this last week, with the announcement of rabid-anti-comprehensive-sex-education [...]