sexetc.

org

NOW
WHAT?
Teens explore
pregnancy options

ByTeens
Teens
By

For Teens
Teens
For

Spring 2015

Contents

NOW
WHAT?

ISSUE 28 Spring 2015

4 Staff Talks

Whats the Sex, Etc. teen editorial staff

talking about this spring?

PERSPECTIVES
9 Family Matters

What do you do when you realize your

gender identity doesnt fit into a guy-girl
binary? Learn what happens when Elena
comes out to family and friends as the
gender that best fits how Elena identifies.

5 Web, Etc.

Get the latest on Sexetc.org.

IN THE KNOW

10 Faces of Change

6 News, Etc.

News on lab-grown penises, the record-low

teen pregnancy rate and new microchip birth
control.

7 Sex 411

Carmen Gray, member of her campus

chapter of United for Reproductive and
Gender Equality (URGE), shares what
inspires her to fight for reproductive justice
and racial and gender equality.

Wondering if you should shave your pubic

hair or how risky sex is when youre on
the Pill? Or maybe youre wondering how
old you have to be to know if youre gay,
heterosexual or bi. Weve got answers to
these questions.

11 The Spectrum

8 Our Health

BACK IT UP

Emma explores why long-acting reversible

contraceptives (LARCs)birth control that
lasts for three to 10 years!might be right
for some teens.
COVER photography: jennifer rowsom
MODEL: julia madill
Special thanks: kaya dacosta

Where do you stand on making condoms

available in school? Shelsea speaks to teens
about whether making condoms available
promotes sex or condom use.

18 #KnowYourOptions

Manish speaks to teens who wish they had

learned more about their options when it
comes to birth control and a variety of issues
related to sexuality.

FEATURES
12 Choosing Parenthood
What do teen parents really need? Iman
speaks with young parents from the
Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy
and learns that support is what teen parents
need to face the challenges of parenting.

14 My Decision to Have
an Abortion
People have a lot of strong opinions about
abortion, but how does a person come
to the decision to have an abortion? Elisa
shares how she decided.

16 The Adoption Option

Ever wondered what really happens when
someone arranges an adoption? Adrian
speaks with adoption specialists to find out
how it works.

2014-2015 EDITORIAL STAFF

Manish Arora, 18
Joyce Canela, 18
Nafijur Dalim, 18
Ojanae Ellison, 18
Emma Grant, 17
Leslie Hassanein, 18
Gillian Hatcher, 16
Elena Hooper, 18
Adrian Lam, 16
Iman Messado, 17
Krystal Rodriguez, 17
Shelsea Rodriguez, 15
Kyle Taylor, 18

Lucinda Holt, M.A.

Director of Communications
Kaitlyn Wojtowicz, M.A.
Coordinator of Education and
Communications
Aimee Pelletier
Copy Editor
The Public
Graphic Design

Funding to support Sex, Etc.

comes in part from the following:
Mary Owen Borden Foundation,
Ford Foundation, Grove
Foundation, The George
Gund Foundation, F. M.
Kirby Foundation, The Piper
Sutton Foundation, WestWind
Foundation and generous
individual donors.

Nicole Cushman, M.P.H.

Executive Director

Views expressed in the

magazine do not necessarily
reflect those of the funders.

Susan N. Wilson, MS.Ed.

Senior Advisor

Sex, Etc. is published by Answer.

Answer
Center for Applied Psychology
Rutgers University
41 Gordon Road, Suite C
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Phone: 848.445.7929
Fax: 732.445.5333
E-mail: sexetc@rci.rutgers.edu
Website: http://answer.rutgers.edu
Donations to support Sex,
Etc. can be sent via check to
the address above and made
payable to Answer/Rutgers
University Foundation. Or go to
http://answer.rutgers.edu and
click on support our work.
Sex, Etc. relies on a review board of
sexual health experts to ensure that
we provide medically accurate sexual
health information.

sexetc.org

Copyright 2015

Editorial Staff & Contributors

NOW WHAT?
The Sex, Etc. teen staff weighs their options.

Leslie
Hassanein, 18
Joyce Canela, 18

Elena Hooper, 18
I would rather wear
a studded vest than
a skirt.

I would rather stay up

watching Netflix than
sleep all night.

I would rather be the

cats meow than the
bees knees.

Nafijur Dalim, 18

Shelsea
Rodriguez, 15
I would rather be a
pirate than a sailor.

Gillian Hatcher,
16

I would rather have

my old Android phone
than my new iPhone 6.

I would rather
read a bunch of
Shakespeares plays
than touch a math
problem.

Adrian Lam, 16

Manish Arora, 18
Kyle Taylor, 18
I would rather try
and fail than never to
have tried at all.

I would rather have

the power to teleport
than to have superstrength! ::Teleports
to Canada!::

I would rather spend

the night listening
to music and eating
pizza than go to a
fancy party.

Ojanae
Ellison, 18
I would rather eat
pizza forever than
repeat high school.

Emma Grant, 17
Iman Messado,
17
I would rather think
before acting than
act before thinking.

I would rather stay

in alone than go out
and socialize.

Krystal
Rodriguez, 17
I would rather have
a baby panda than a
dog or cat.

Why Wonder?

Staff Talks

NOW WHAT?
By Nafijur Dalim, 18, Staff Writer, and Joyce Canela, 18, Staff Writer
Nafijur: Hey, Joyce!
Joyce: Hey, Naf! Lets talks about this issues stories.
Nafijur: Yes! This issue is all about pregnancy options! We have
feature stories about the decision to become a teen parent, to
arrange an adoption and a personal account of a teens decision
to have an abortion.
Joyce: One of the stories that resonated with me the most is
Elisas story on her decision to end her pregnancy and wait until
the time was right to start a family. Its a very moving piece!
Nafijur: Yeah, I really liked that one too! Personally, I gained
a lot of respect for teen parents after reading Imans feature
story about teens that chose to become parents. It reveals the
perspectives of the teen parents, which we rarely ever get to hear
about.

Joyce: This issue definitely covers all of the pregnancy options,

including adoption. Adrian writes a powerful story about arranging
an adoption.
Nafijur: In your sex ed classes, did you ever learn about all the
different options for pregnant teens?
Joyce: Yes, we did learn about pregnancy options, but the only
thing Ive heard of them were all negative stereotypes. Teen
pregnancy isnt the optimal situation, but it isnt the end of the
world.
Nafijur: In my sex ed class, however, I feel as if all the options
after pregnancy were provided for us in an unbiased and
nonjudgmental way. My teacher always told us that Planned
Parenthood was a great resource to use for information. They
could refer you to abortion care, adoption agencies and provide
information about parenting.
Joyce: Planned Parenthood and other local clinics can be
wonderful resources for teens. Your teacher is very smart to bring
that up! I wish I had that in my school. Its always good to have
a resource that is free from bias and judgment so anyone who
needs advice and treatment feels comfortable getting them.
Nafijur: So, why do you think its important that we talk about
pregnancy options?
Joyce: I believe its important because, if birth control fails in any
way, people should know what options they have if they find out
they are pregnant. It can be a very emotional topic to cover, but
its necessary in order to be prepared.
Nafijur: I agree. If teenagers are practicing safer sex and
using birth control, pregnancy is much less of a concern, but
there is always a possibility of pregnancy due to birth control
failure or misuse. Its imperative that we are informed about
pregnancy options and that each option has benefits and
drawbacks. And the right choice is different for everyone.
Joyce: Thanks, Naf! Im sure our readers are in for a treat
this issue!
Nafijur: Of course, Joyce!

sexetc.org

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