Customer Reviews

Sex Smart: 501 Reasons to Hold Off on Sex: A Sexuality Resource for Teenagers

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I am a 17 yr. old girl. Even though I am not a virgin anymore this book made me realize that I am taking some pretty big risks when having sex and therefore I have made my New Year's resolution to abstain until I am older and have a stable life. I made a mistake and I rushed into sex thinking I was missing out or it was gonna be something beautiful when in fact it wasn't. I really appreciated this book. I don't think I could have found anything to have made me change my mind about the way I was doing sleeping around, but this book inspired me to see that there is nothing wrong with abstaining and with having self-respect and waiting on sex. That's how I see it now. At first I was like it's all BS but then as I kept reading more, I saw that the book was right and I realized that the only reason I had sex was because I felt pressured. Now I know that it doesn't matter what they think or what a guy wants. It's about what hurts me and what doesn't. Hey, if all the other ones are doing it, then let them go for it but I will just stick to my education from now on.

At first I was afraid of people at my school seeing me read this book so I would hide it. Then I decided I would show it to my friends so that they would think about the way they are living their lives and having sex at such a young age. It is funny, too, because I checked this book out at my school library and my friends thought I had probably gotten it somewhere else. When they saw the school stamp, they were surprised. I really appreciate that the author wrote this book. It has made a difference in my life.

As a New York City Public High School Health teacher, I can honestly say this is the best book on "Why teens shouldn't have sex" that I have ever seen. Most importantly, it DOES NOT list religious reasons for avoiding sex, which is an absolute necessity for using it in public schools. I was surprised at how much my (mostly sexually active) students took to it. I especially liked that the author presented the ideas in small bites- it made it easy for my kids to browse through it, reading "here and there." I also liked all the quotes from teens who talked about how sex had hurt their relationships. One failing of the book is that it occasionaly offered contradictions, for instance, ending the chapter on how males must pay child support with a notation that many women never receive this support. I would have liked the author to address these contradictions a little more directly. Otherwise, a very well done and informative book.

The author seems to have the ability to remember what it was like being a teenager and wondering how involved you should get sexually with your boyfriend/girlfriend. She does not lecture on the morals of sex, just the practical (physical and emotional) consequences - but in a matter-of-fact, nonconfrontational manner. The author addresses the different aspects of having sex (emotional ties, differences between how boys and girls think/feel about sex, STDs, pregnancy, child support (even if the boy is 15 yrs. old!), and many comments from teens who have and haven't had sex. This book should be given to all teenagers by their parents (and read first by their parents.) It will be valuable reading for everyone whether you have a strong, open communication line about sex with your teenager, or whether the subject never comes up at all. Give it to your teenager and make some bargain where he/she has to read it from cover to cover! It may be the best bargain you ever make.

I give "True Love Waits" presentations around the country and SexSmart, by Susan Browning Pogany is the sole book I recommend to all teenagers and parents. It is the most accurate and readable abstinence resource I have ever encountered. IF I WERE MADE OF MONEY, THIS BOOK WOULD BE IN THE HANDS OF EVERY TEENAGER IN AMERICA!! Please get it for those you love.

Thank you, Susan!

The book I read was interseting. Sex Smart by Susan Browning Pogany wrote one of the most informing books for teens Ihave ever read. The book specifies about the relation of sex and how to exclude it until a mature age. You can read about teen pregnancy,sexually transmitted diseases,date rape,condom use,etc. I highly recommend this book for teens who are curious about sex.

The book I read was interseting. Sex Smart by Susan Browning Pogany wrote one of the most informing books for teens Ihave ever read. The book specifies about the relation of sex and how to exclude it until a mature age. You can read about teen pregnancy,sexually transmitted diseases,date rape,condom use,etc. I highly recommend this book for teens who are curious about sex.

I LOVE this book. My husband and I are the parents of two teen-aged girls, and we need all the help we can get. We are fighting an uphill battle (in this day of glorification of sex everywhere you look) to protect our daughters from taking unhealthy risks, before they are old enough and mature enough to make good decisions for themselves. It is hard to find resources to support our point of view (that waiting is important) which are readable and interesting for teenagers without being too religious. I'm not against a religious point of view that opposes premarital sex, but there are a lot of books out there that also take a strong stand against homosexuality and masturbation. Well, those books are going to lose most of their teenaged readers right there, and many of their parents as well! I bought and skimmed through three of those, but did not let my children see them, although we are Protestant.
I don't think that this book is going to bother most parents who do believe strongly in a religious point of view. The only people who are likely to be bothered by this book are people who don't think it matters if kids become sexually active at 14, 15, 16, and have multiple partners, or whatever!
Another book I like is "Hooked; New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children," by two obstetricians/gynecologists (Dr. McIlhaney and Dr. Bush), available through The Medical Institute for Sexual Health (can find their site easily online), about the effects of sexual behavior on the brain. It also strongly recommends abstinence until a lifetime commitment is made, and is based on scientific research. This book is more for parents, I think, but still very readable, and with quotes from teens.
I would like the school nurses' offices, school counsellors' offices, pediatricians, and churches to keep copies of SexSmart for teenagers to read. We need to create a culture that is healthier for our children!

I've been looking for resources for my teen-aged daughters on this subject. I ordered four books from Amazon, all with a message of promoting sexual abstinence during the teen years, and this one is great. The other three will get thrown in the trash, now that I have skimmed through them. The others have some good points, but a lot of stuff I can't agree with. This one, in my opinion, even though it is from 1998, is full of facts and good sense.

It is listed currently through an outside seller on Amazon at over $50.00 in paperback, but I just bought it in new condition from Amazon and paid $10.17 for it. The cover lists the price as $14.95. I'm not sure why; maybe it is out of print. Maybe it is available from the library. It is worth getting and reading!

If you are looking for resources for your kids that are not "preachy" or guilt-laden, but that adequately discourage sexual activity in high school, this is a great resource. I wish I had found it sooner, and think it should be available or recommended in school counsellors' offices, school health offices, pediatrics offices, public health clinics, etc. Some churches and religious organizations might have the view that this book doesn't go quite far enough, but those more fundamentalist organizations have their own books and materials, which do not appeal to me, and would likely not appeal to my kids or most kids. This is actually a interesting book that is very readable and practical.

This book is EXCELLENT! I bought it for my 15 year old son. I wish I had this book as a teen.

Poorly written, very poorly structured. Conflicting statements on or near the same pages. The whole book can be summed up by "don't have sex" (which is what the book's about)- but it is of little realistic value to helping to build any relationship. Lots of references to scientific studies giving various percentages of bad opinons/ memories about sex. Plenty of boy-bashing...I think there was actually blood on one of the pages! Most of the problems she presented could be helped or solved with communication - which she has dedicated little of her book to - and not surprisingly, it is only on "how to say no". I doubt I will finish this book.