Cover detail of "For Goodness Sex" Photo: HarperCollins
Al Vernacchio says many of us are getting it very wrong in the way we talk to teens about sex.
The US-based sexuality educator says the first problem is with the language around sex - sporting metaphors like 'scoring' frame sex as a competition with a winner and a loser. The second issue is what he calls the disaster model, where sex education starts from a place where sex is seen as a dangerous thing, with terrible consequences.
Al Vernacchio talks with Kathryn Ryan:
Al Vernacchio has lectured, published articles, and held workshops throughout the US on sexuality topics. He has given TED Talks, and his blog For Goodness Sex can be found on the Psychology Today website. He is the author of For Goodness Sex: Changing the Way We Talk to Young People About Sexuality, Values, and Health published by Harper-Collins. He teaches at Friends' Central School in Wynnewood, Pensylvannia.
