Abstract
Part biography, part social history, The Transformation of American Sex Education tells the story of Americans’ struggle to come to terms with their fear of talking about human sexuality—especially with their children—from the late 1940s to the present. Beginning with the life and career of Dr. Mary Steichen Calderone, known as the “Grandmother of Sex Education,” it explores the movement she launched that eventually yielded what is today known as “comprehensive sex education.” Calderone believed that sexuality is part of the total human personality and, as such, is something to be affirmed rather than denied; that one must make sexual decisions responsibly; that sex education must teach more than reproductive biology or the prevention of STIs; and that humans are sexual all their lives. The book examines the role of the organization she led, the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), as well as of Planned Parenthood, medical schools, public schools, and the liberal churches, in transforming attitudes to sexual health and sex education. It also analyzes the opposition to these efforts by right-wing politicians and conservative religious groups promoting abstinence-only sex education, and considers the concerns felt by parents on all sides of the issue. This book seeks to trace the origins of today’s conflicting approaches to sexual health and sex education.
Published Version
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