There have been lots of recent studies about how women walk differently when they are ovulating (they swish their hips), and the fertility buzz this week is that ovulation also makes us girls buy and wear sexy clothes too! I love the excuse – “Honey – I had to have these bright red pumps! I’m ovulating!”

Oh when Mother Nature is insistent – she does work in mysterious ways.   And apparently – she is sneaky. She works on our sub-conscious through our hormones.  If our hormones are so powerful  that they can make us walk, shop and dress in a particular way even as grown women – just think about the effect of reproductive hormones on teenagers and young adults!

Is it any wonder that the millions of dollars that have been  spent on teaching abstinence has resulted in no less abstinence among our nation’s teens – but a higher teen pregnancy rate! Apparently the kids who took a vow of virginity – still ended up having sex – but were less prepared and were more likely to get pregnant. Little surprise here – we are all sexual beings with sex hormones thumping! And it is time that we all accepted that fact and gave kids solid information on STD’s and pregnancy prevention.

Parents can want what they want – but in the end – Kids are on their own. Nothing less than giving them complete information is acceptable. And we could be teaching kids about the different ways that they can access sexual pleasure – instead of simply saying “Raise your right hand and repeat after me!!”

Several years ago, I went to a professional conference on human sexuality…and there I met the extraordinary Betty Dodson.

Betty Dodson is now in her  eighties  and she is rocking. She became famous for teaching women how to self pleasure, or the more common word – masturbate. She has taught thousands of women about their orgasm…and how to find it!

Masturbation remains controversial….remember that just talking about masturbation cost Dr. Jocelyn Elders her job! But perhaps Jocelyn Elders was really onto something. Dr. Elders recognized that kids were sexual beings and that they too had those sneaky sex hormones! Dr. Elders wanted to offer up a more viable solution than abstinence!

Sexual pleasure is controversial - how much we have, and how we get it.  But it is becoming less so. Betty Dodson is now seen as main stream in the Sex Education world..something that I just love…considering that just saying  the word masturbation makes most people uncomfortable.

And as recent studies have proven – sex is a part of fertility.  Now – I know that this may seem obvious – but to some it is not. And teaching kids the facts about sexuality – will not only prevent unwanted pregnancies but protect their future  fertility by helping them to avoid infertility caused by Sexual Transmitted Diseases.

We need to start giving our kids information early about having a loving and open relationship with their own bodies. If we can teach them this, we are supporting them in being healthy as human beings. It all starts with our relationship to ourselves – and if we can get that together, then later we can have a beautiful relationship  to another….and the creation of a child when the time feels right.