For Immediate Release:
January 17, 2006

Contact: Adrienne Verrilli 212-819-9770 x325

New York , NY - Today, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) is proud to announce the release of its new minibook, Talk About Sex, a publication intended to help young people learn about sex and sexuality. Talk About Sex addresses a number of issues young people deal with everyday surrounding their sexuality including, anatomy, pregnancy prevention, STD and HIV/AIDS prevention , love, relationships, communication, sexual abuse, and sexual orientation, among other important topics. The minibook is intended for young people ages 16-24.

"In today's sex-saturated environment, young people, more than ever before, need medically accurate information and skills to understand sexuality," said Monica Rodriguez, vice president for education and training at SIECUS and co-author of Talk About Sex. "We hope that the information in Talk About Sex will help young people make educated decisions about sexuality-related issues, and encourage them to talk to their parents, their teachers, or other trusted adults in their lives," Rodriguez continued.

Each chapter in Talk About Sex answers many questions young people have about sexuality from the most basic information about how the body works, including male and female body parts and their function, to sexual rights that all young people should be afforded, including the right to accurate information about sexuality and the right to protect themselves from pregnancy and STDs, including HIV/AIDS. Talk About Sex also provides young people with additional resources to obtain reliable information on each of the many topics addressed.

Co-author Martha Kempner, director of public information at SIECUS, adds, "In an ideal world all parents would be able to talk openly and honestly about sexuality with their children, all schools would provide comprehensive sexuality education, and the media would always depict sexuality realistically. Unfortunately, our world is not like that yet." Kempner continued, "We hope that in the mean time, resources like Talk About Sex can fill these voids and help young people remain safe and healthy."

- ### -

To see Talk About Sex, go to: www.siecus.org/pubs/TalkAboutSex.pdf