Dr. Jennifer May is busy. As the project manager for Berks Teens Matter, she works to help educate adults in the community about best practices for sexuality education.

She’s also a mom to three teenagers, so home life and her job keep her on the move. As a parent, she’s no stranger to talking to kids about sex. She firmly believes that early education is the key to making a difference in issues like teen pregnancy.

With a doctorate in Educational Leadership and a specialty in human sexuality, Dr. May not only has impressive credentials, but a passion for the work she has been doing in sex education.

She took some time out of her busy schedule to talk about life, teenagers and of course, sex ed.

It’s a pretty basic question, but why do you think sex education is important?

Because sexuality is a part of your life, from the minute you are born to the minute you die! Sex isn’t just a physical act. It’s how you interact with other people, it’s relationships and it’s about health. And if you really think about it, it’s finance and education. If you choose to have children or if you don’t. And how does that fit into the trajectory of your life? Because life is going to throw you some curve balls.

This may sound silly, but how do you talk to kids about sex?

It’s recognizing those teachable moments with kids, from the time they can talk. If a 3-year-old sees daddy in the shower, that is when you talk about body parts. You introduce appropriate information at the appropriate age.

At three it’s body parts, it’s relationships, feeling and emotions. It’s not talking about the actual physical act. You find those moments at different times to talk to them.

Then when they do get to the important stages, like puberty and beyond, you’ve already made it a comfortable subject. And it’s not the first time they are hearing about it.

Sometimes, parents freak out about their kids hearing or seeing something that they shouldn’t, and then the child thinks it’s wrong or something to be ashamed of. A parent’s reaction really sets the tone.

Why do you think what you do is important?

I think what I do and what Berks Teens Matter does is so unique. We actually talk about sexuality out loud. Even if you get a group of adults together and start to have a conversation about sexuality, eventually they open up, but it’s just not something people talk about very much. It can become a heated topic because of birth control and religion, but it’s so much more than that.

What do you think sexuality is?

Sexuality is part of our being. It’s a part of what makes us whole. It isn’t about the physical act. It’s so much more. We have our spirituality, intellect, values, mental health, etc., and we have our sexuality, and it’s different for every person. I think what we are trying to do is raise the dialogue about that.

Interview by writer and blogger Rebecca Doubeck.

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