“Hahaha, that’s nasty, but what are those stats again?”

Remember your teenage years?  It was such an endearing age, and for many of us, it seems so long ago.  However, some of our fondest memories come from that awkward, yet self-discovery, stage in life.

Here’s an even better trip down memory lane.  Remember health class (or Sex-Ed.)?  Ah, got you on that one, huh?  Those memories are even more interesting because even if you wanted to ask a question about STDs, you quickly recanted for fear of humiliation in front of your peers.  You may have even said aloud, “That’s nasty” after seeing a graphic image on the screen, but in the back of your mind wondering if the last person you “fooled around with” had something.   Teenagers can relish in the luxury of being young and adventurous.  However, as adults, we must speak to the next generation on the importance of making careful and responsible adult decisions.

I had an opportunity to mentor a group of gentlemen at a local high school in metro Atlanta.  I spoke to them during a speaking engagement called Project Manhood.  The group comprised of male high school students from grades 9 through 12. Working in tandem with Mario Hairston, a biology professor from Morehouse College, the discussion was around the importance of good hygiene, nutrition, public presentation and the significance of making good decisions.

The gentlemen were provided visual aids demonstrating how junk food and processed food can be switched with fruits, vegetables, peanut butter and nuts.  To keep the conversation relevant towards the demographic, discussion on why energy drinks might not be the best option and how eight glasses of water will help to maintain a good attention span (because they’ll be hydrated).

The young men were given great examples of how to dress and conduct themselves on a regular basis (no sagging pants) and were also given exercise tips (high cardio rather than lifting all the time) and mobile applications to help them keep track of their progress.  Lastly, the discussion steered towards making adult decisions.

Rather than the mundane exhibits that show the male and female reproductive organs, Mario Hairston started the conversation by showing an image of a beautiful, young lady.  As fine as the woman was, in this instance, her name was Chlamydia.  Of course, there were grimaces across the classroom, but Mario took a direct approach to explain to the young men, that no one is immune to STD’s unless they are 100% abstinent.  

Throughout the conversation, there were outburst of “not me,” but staggering statistics were shown that the State of Georgia is ranked 3^rd in the nation for the number of STD cases and 6^th for the number of HIV cases! The discussion closed with providing pamphlets, but more importantly, toll free hotlines and online resources were provided.

Discussions on sexual education are never easy; however, such discussions are critical because sexual activity is occurring with young people.  As a matter of fact, I recently saw a statistic that 6^th graders are participating in unprotected sexual activity.  To say that is not your child is rather ignorant (my opinion).  My hope is your child holds out as long as possible, but please provide them with an atmosphere where they can pose questions about sex without feeling like they are going to be severely reprimanded.

The more our kids ask and the more they learn from responsible adults, the better off they will be.

More to come…