How long have you been working in the sex education field? How did you begin this type of work?
I've been working in this field for about five years--though I started working with teens before that in other capacities. I studied health education in grad school and concentrated on human sexuality. I've always been really interested in teen issues and rights, and now more than ever, I think that teens need an advocate.
Can you tell us about a typical day at work?
That depends because I have a few jobs that I juggle. On a typical day I might wake up and spend a few hours answering online teen sex questions at home in Brooklyn. Then I might head up to the Bronx, where I'll meet with my HIV peer educators and help them prepare for a workshop. Depending on the day, I might then head out to Newark (NJ) where I teach a Human Sexuality class at Rutgers University. It sounds hectic, but I really love the variety.
So, what's the best thing about your job?
The best thing about my job is that I get to work in a field I love, doing work I think is meaningful. It's hard to get bored talking about sex.
Now tell us, what's the worst thing?
Sometimes I feel like it is too big a job and that I'm not getting through to people. I've had kids whom I've worked with closely who got pregnant or contracted infections even though they had access to condoms, information and support. At times it's tough not to feel demoralized by the state of sex education and reproductive rights in this country.
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