Gowen - Sexual decisions: the ultimate teen guide

It Happened to Me

Series Editor: Arlene Hirschfelder

Books in the It Happened to Me series are designed for inquisitive teens digging for answers about certain illnesses, social issues, or lifestyle interests. Whether you are deep into your teen years or just entering them, these books are gold mines of up-to-date information, riveting teen views, and great visuals to help you figure out stuff. Besides special boxes highlighting singular facts, each book is enhanced with the latest reading lists, websites, and an index. Perfect for browsing, there are loads of expert information by acclaimed writers to help parents, guardians, and librarians understand teen illness, tough situations, and lifestyle choices.

1. Epilepsy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay and Sean McGarrahan, 2002.
2. Stress Relief: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mark Powell, 2002.
3. Learning Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette and Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2003.
4. Making Sexual Decisions: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen, 2003.
5. Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2003.
6. Cultural DiversityConflicts and Challenges: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2003.
7. Diabetes: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Katherine J. Moran, 2004.
8. When Will I Stop Hurting? Teens, Loss, and Grief: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Dealing with Grief, by Ed Myers, 2004.
9. Volunteering: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2004.
10. Organ TransplantsA Survival Guide for the Entire Family: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2005.
11. Medications: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2005.
12. Image and IdentityBecoming the Person You Are: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen and Molly C. McKenna, 2005.
13. Apprenticeship: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2005.
14. Cystic Fibrosis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Melanie Ann Apel, 2006.
15. Religion and Spirituality in America: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2006.
16. Gender Identity: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cynthia L. Winfield, 2007.
17. Physical Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Denise Thornton, 2007.
18. MoneyGetting It, Using It, and Avoiding the Traps: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2007.
19. Self-Advocacy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson Tuttle and JoAnn Augeri Silva, 2007.
20. Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Suzanne Buckingham Slade, 2007.
21. The Military and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2008.
22. Animals and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Gail Green, 2009.
23. Reaching Your Goals: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Anne Courtright, 2009.
24. Juvenile Arthritis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kelly Rouba, 2009.
25. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Natalie Rompella, 2009.
26. Body Image and Appearance: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2009.
27. Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2010.
28. Food Choices: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2010.
29. Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tatyana Kleyn, 2011.
30. Living with Cancer: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Denise Thornton, 2011.
31. Living Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2012.
32. Social Networking: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jenna Obee, 2012.
33. Sports: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Gail Fay, 2013.
34. Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Revised Edition, by Suzanne Buckingham Slade, 2013.
35. Bigotry and Intolerance: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2013.
36. Substance Abuse: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Sheri Bestor, 2013.
37. LGBTQ Families: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Eva Apelqvist, 2013.
38. Bullying: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mathangi Subramanian, 2014.
39. Eating Disorders: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica R. Greene, 2014.
40. Speech and Language Challenges: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Marlene Targ Brill, 2014.
41. Divorce: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2014.
42. Depression: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2014.
43. Creativity: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Aryna Ryan, 2015.
44. Shyness: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Bernardo J. Carducci, PhD, and Lisa Kaiser, 2015.
45. Food Allergies: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica Reino, 2015.
46. Self-Injury: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Judy Dodge Cummings, 2015.
47. Activism: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2016.
48. Pregnancy and Parenting: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica Akin, 2016.
49. Chronic Illnesses, Syndromes, and Rare Disorders: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Marlene Targ Brill, 2016.
50. Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Francis Tabone, 2016.
51. Sexual Assault: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Olivia Ghafoerkhan, 2016.
52. Epilepsy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Second Edition, by Kathlyn Gay, 2017.
53. Sexual Decisions: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Second Edition, by L. Kris Gowen, 2017.

Sexual Decisions

The Ultimate Teen Guide

Second Edition

L. Kris Gowen

It Happened to Me, No. 53

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

www.rowman.com

Unit A, Whitacre Mews, 26-34 Stannary Street, London SE11 4AB

Copyright 2017 by Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Gowen, L. Kris, 1968 author.

Title: Sexual decisions : the ultimate teen guide / L. Kris Gowen.

Other titles: Making sexual decisions

Description: Second edition. | Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2017] | Series: It happened to me ; no. 53 | Revision of: Making sexual decisions / L. Kris Gowen. 2003. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016035811 (print) | LCCN 2016038656 (ebook) | ISBN 9781442277830 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781442277847 (electronic)

Subjects: LCSH: Sex instruction for teenagers. | Sex. | TeenagersSexual behavior.

Classification: LCC HQ35 .G68 2017 (print) | LCC HQ35 (ebook) | DDC 613.9071/2dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016035811

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

To all the young people who helped shape this book, and to Molly McKenna, who continues to inspire me.

Contents

Acknowledgments

T his book represents the ideas and experiences of many, in hopes of casting light on a hidden, complex, and emotional topic. Being a sexuality educator in the United States is no easy task, and it takes a lot of people coming together to make books like this possible. Special thanks to Arlene Hirschfelder, Stephen Ryan, and Rowman & Littlefield for giving me the chance to revise this book and allow difficult and important topics to make it to print; Carolyn Laub and Donnovan Somera, who mentored me in my early stages of being a sexuality educator and whose work at the Mid-Peninsula YWCA has impacted many young lives in northern California; Amy Nelson for her research support and incredible illustrations; Ieva and Malcolm Fraser for providing me with a safe place to work on my revisions; my amazing panel of reviewers, including Lauren Lichty, Megan Foster, Sofie Ofelia, Johanna Thomas, Mo Atkinson, Amy Evers, Carolina Main Mann, Ted Batt, and Edward Hashima; Nancy Brown and the doctors of the We Are Talking teen health website from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, for providing questions and answers for this book; the many contributors of the Youth Speak Out sections; and to my mother and father for their continued support and love. Without all of your work and dedication to this project, it would not be on the shelves today.