I done learned some stuff!

Here's a sampling of what I've learned at The Medical Institute's National Conference this week.

1. Life experiences cause what doctors refer to as "synapses" in our brains to live and strengthen or wither and die. What does that mean? Children have thousands of connectors in their brains and as they develop certain ones are enforced and others are unused. With language, for instance, if you grow up in a culture that doesn't use the "d" sound, then the link in your brain for that sound is weakened or gone and can make it difficult later on to use it when learning a language that relies on it. How does this link to teen sexuality? This process molds our brains as we develop until it is "set" a an adult at which point it is what guides our thoughts and behavior in the future. Without proper development for making healthy choices it can be difficult to reverse our flawed/unhealthy behaviors and ways of thinking The good news? It CAN be done! Our brains are mailable until death, but it can take many years for change to occur. (this isn't news to me, but the science behind why I can't stop eating chocolate compulsively or keep my room clean for more than 3 das at a time is very interesting!)

2. Oxytocin, the hormone (chemical) in our brains that facilitate bonding is also linked to an increase in trust. Physical touch between males and females as small as a hug that lasts 20 seconds or more can release oxytocin in a woman creating an emotional bond and sense of trust for that person. Woah! This is groundbreaking information for me. We teach about the effects of oxytocin, but I had no idea that hugging could ignite it and cause bonding. That explains a lot when it comes to teen relationships and the intensity with which girls feel toward boys they like. It is also scary to think that this engenders trust for the girl because that can lead to compromising situations which could be potentially harmful to both parties.

3. Teens see about 200,000 ads per year communicating messages to them about who they should be (or want to be). A study was done that showed that teens were more likely to internalize a message if it was suggested in a story or ad than if they were simply told. (i.e. being told to have sex outright as a teen vs. seeing a story of two teens who love each other have sex) The media has fine tuned their ability to suggest values and ideas about sexuality in a way that shape young people's beliefs about who they are and what their role is in society. (men are overly sexual and 'manly' and women are meant to be appreciated for how they look/act (sexy)) The message to teens is: This world is glamorous ad risk free. Be like "this" and you'll be okay. That message hasn't changed in ages, but the level of exposure to it has skyrocketed with technology. Oh and one other thing - the percentage of messages on TV that include the consequences of sexual activity are less than 2% and less than 1% of those messages mention abstinence as a healthy and realistic option.

4. The prevalence of herpes infections has decreased from 5.8% in '94-'98 to 1.6% from '99-'04. That's one million fewer infected teens! Why is that? Because they're not having as much sex.

5. For the parents: I heard this incredible illustration today about why it is important to talk to your kids about sex before they enter school. Here it is as best as I can to paraphrase:
A child's mind is like a sponge. Imagine that sponge labeled "curiosity about sex." They're born with that sponge and curiosity. If they enter school or play with kids in a co-op or have friends at church (read: every child regardless if you homeschool) they will come across a child who has an older sibling and knows more than your child. If that sponge has been protected by you with such effort that you have blocked any suggestion/idea/talk/information about sex from them, they will soak up every message thrown their way from the media or other people. If, however, you have filled that sponge with facts, values and beliefs that you want your child to know about sex - what happens when a full sponge has water poured onto it? It rolls off of it, it doesn't soak it up and penetrate into the core of the sponge. Children are curious and there are age appropriate ways to talk to them about sex along the way - it is NOT just one talk. A couple of fantastic resources are on The Medical Institute website they have new study materials for children 3-5th grade and how to talk to them about sex. Also, Mary Flo Ridley, who shared that illustration this morning, is preparing her talk to parents in a video, but has the audio available already. You can get it at: http://www.justsayyes.org/ This talk is incredible - I bought it for my sister. It is specifically geared toward parents of young children, so check it out!

Well, that's it. The conference was good, as you can see. I look forward to taking this new info back to Boston and using it to shape some of our programming.
(If you're still reading this entry, I'm amazed.)