''Sex, Etc.'' is an American magazine and web site on teens'
reproductive health
Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a field of research, healthcare, and social activism that explores the health of an individual's reproductive system and sexual wellbeing during all stages of their life.
The term can also be further de ...
. It is written by teens, for teens, and published by Answer, at
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and wa ...
. Answer is a national organization that provides training, resources, technical assistance and
advocacy
Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...
in support of comprehensive sexuality education. It was formerly known as the ''Network for Family Life Education''.
Concept
''Sex, Etc.'' is one of the only magazines and Web sites that consistently publishes first-person stories by American teen writers on the realities of their sexual choices and their lives. Teen writers for ''Sex, Etc.'' have covered such issues as choosing
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
,
adoption or teen parenthood;
coming out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out ...
; leaving abusive relationships; fighting for
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , ...
; becoming an
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
activist; and getting tested for
sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are Transmission (medicine), spread by Human sexual activity, sexual activity, especi ...
s. The writers have also answered teens' questions about sex for ''Teen People'' magazine, the think MTV campaign and other youth media outlets.
The teen editorial staff of ''Sex, Etc.'' has been featured in the national press, commenting on such topics as abstinence-only programs and youth access to emergency contraception. ''Sex, Etc.'' has worked to help young people take action on issues that affect their lives, including working for comprehensive sexuality education in their high schools.
The ''Sex, Etc.'' magazine began as a print newsletter in 1994. The web site launched on
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
in 1999. In 2006, the magazine and web site underwent a major redesign. The site features first-person stories by teens, videos, forums, and an Ask the Experts area, where teens can get answers to their questions via e-mail and a weekly live chat with sexual health experts.
''Sex, Etc.'' is a national partner on the think MTV campaign from
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
and the
Kaiser Family Foundation
KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation), also known as The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, is an American non-profit organization, headquartered in San Francisco, California. It prefers KFF since its legal name can cause confusion as it is no longer a ...
. It also partners with ''
Seventeen'' magazine, gURL.com, Scenarios USA, Revolution Health, Advocates for Youth and other national youth and media organizations.
References
{{reflist
External links
Official site
1994 establishments in New Jersey
Health magazines
Magazines established in 1994
Magazines published in New Jersey
Newsletters
Online magazines published in the United States
Rutgers University publications
Sex education
Student magazines published in the United States
Teen magazines