Sexual Health provides teenagers with a comprehensive review of common problems related to sexual health, offering suggestions and resources for understanding and working through those issues. What are the major types of sexually transmitted diseases and how are they contracted and treated? How effective are different types of contraception? How do you recognize the stages of puberty? The defining feelings of sexual orientation? This candid, authoritative handbook is designed to serve young people as a reliable, enlightening source of answers to questions like these as they navigate the often confusing transition from adolescence to physical maturity. In addition to being a go-to resource on common problems related to sexual health, this welcomed volume considers a number of related issues and controversies, including sex education, the "morning after" pill, condoms in schools, and more. It also includes information on various organizations that have an interest in adolescent sexual health, as well as wide range of additional resources in print and online.

Table of Contents:
List of Tables, Preface, 1 Background and History, Introduction, Sexually Transmitted Infections, An Ancient Issue, Types of Infections, Symptoms, Prognosis, and Treatment, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Herpes, Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, Pregnancy and Contraception, Barrier Methods, Hormonal Methods, Intrauterine Devices, Fertility Awareness and Abstinence, Sterilization, A Concluding Observation, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Terminology, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth Issues, Options for GLBTQ Youth, Progress: A Mixed Blessing?, References, 2 Problems, Controversies, and Solutions, Introduction, Sex Education: Yes or No?, Public Opinion on Sex Education, The Content of Sex Education Courses, Abstinence-Only Education, Condom Instruction, Homosexuality, Abortion, What Should Schools Teach about Sex?, Issues That Transcend School Programs, Access to Contraceptive Devices, Access to Contraceptives outside of Schools, The Controversy over Plan B, Pharmacist Choice in Filling Contraceptive Prescriptions, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), In Conclusion, References, 3 Worldwide Perspective, Sex Education, Europe, Asia and Australasia, The Muslim World, Latin America, Africa, New Issues of Concern in Human Sexuality, The HIV/AIDS Pandemic, Other Sexually Transmitted Infections, Contraception and Family Planning, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, References, 4 Chronology, 5 Biographical Sketches, Mary Steichen Calderone, Min-Chueh Chang, Anthony Comstock, Paul Ehrlich, Kevin Jennings, Alfred Kinsey, Charles Knowlton, Beverly LaHaye, Hideyo Noguchi, Elise Ottesen-Jensen, Robert Parlin, Paul VI, Gregory Goodwin Pincus, John Rock, John D. Rockefeller III, Margaret Sanger, Matthew Shepard, Marie Stopes, Brandon Teena, Karolina Olivia Widerström, Harald zur Hausen, References, 6 Data and Documents, Documents, Texas Sex Education Law (1995), Separate Program for Abstinence Education (1996), Memorandum for the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (2001), South Dakota House Bill 1215 (2006), Responsible Education About Life Act (2007), Mandatory HPV Vaccination (2007), Access to Birth Control Act (2007), Mexico City Policy (2009), Court Cases, Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), Roe v. Wade (1973), Curtis v. School Committee of Falmouth (1995), Parker v. Hurley, 474 F. Supp. 2d 261 (2007), Gonzalez v. School Board of Okeechobee County (2008), Reports, The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior (2001), The Content of Federally Funded Abstinence-only Education Programs (2004), Data, Cases of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Reported by State Health Departments and Rates per 100,000 Population: United States, 1941–2007, Estimated Number of Cases of Other Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United States, 1966–2007, Characteristics of Women Who Obtained Legal Abortions—United States, 1973–2005, Pregnancy and Live Birthrates for Females 15–19 Years of Age, by Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin: United States, Selected Years, 1980–2000, Percentage of High School Students Who Were Currently Sexually Active, Who Used a Condom during or Birth Control Pills before Last Sexual Intercourse, by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Grade, 2003, Worldwide Data on HIV/AIDS, 2008, Estimated Number of Orphans Due to AIDS, 2008, 7 Directory of Organizations, Associations, and Agencies, Governmental Agencies, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Office of Population Affairs (OPA), Office of Public Health and Science, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), World Health Organization (WHO), Nongovernmental Agencies, Abortion Access Project (AAP), Abstinence the Better Choice (ABC), Advocates for Youth, American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association (ASTDA), American Social Health Association (ASHA), Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP), AVERT, Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, BOMA-USA, Catholics for Choice (CFC), Center for Reproductive Rights (CRC), Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), Concerned Women for America (CWA), Contraceptive Research and Development Program (CONRAD), Couple to Couple League (CCL), EngenderHealth, Family Health International (FHI), Family Research Council (FRC), Focus on the Family, Guttmacher Institute (GI), International Consortium on Emergency Contraception (ICEC), International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research (ISSTDR), International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI), Ipas, Kaiser Family Foundation, NARAL—Pro-Choice America, National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, National Right to Life (NRL), National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC), Pharmacy Access Partnership, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), Population Action International (PAI), Population Council (PC), Pro-Choice Public Education Project (PEP), Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), Reproductive Health Technologies Project (RHTP), Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), United States Conference of Bishops, Young People's Sexual Health (YPSH), Gay and Lesbian Youth Group, Gay and Lesbian Community Center of the Ozarks (GLCCO), Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Matthew Shepard Foundation (MSF), Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG), Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL), Utah Pride Center, Youth Guardian Services (YGS), Youth Pride, 8 Selected Print and Nonprint Resources, General, Books, Articles, Reports, Web Sites, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Books, Articles, Reports, Web Sites, Contraception and Abortion, Books, Articles, Reports, Web Sites, Sexual Identity and Sexual Orientation, Books, Articles, Reports, Web Sites, Glossary, Index, About the Author,