It's not every day that you come across something online that you think is truly different, useful and, even fun. The other day I came across a website, "Maria Talks," that I think meets this criteria. The site was created through funding from the Massachusetts government, and it operates in conjunction with the Massachusetts Sexual Health Hotline. As someone who has spent plenty of time searching the web for resources on sexual health and birth control, I think that this site stands out.
At The National Campaign, we often send the message that safe sexual practices among teens are best achieved through ongoing conversation and communication. First and foremost, teens themselves have told us their parents most influence their decisions about sex, and we have long asked parents to take the lead and start that open and ongoing conversation with their children.
While "Maria Talks" doesn't specifically address parental involvement, it does create a virtual conversation that teens can look to for answers to questions that inevitably come up as they begin to mature. The site highlights Maria and her friends in their ongoing search for information on, and advice regarding their sexual decisions. Another character, Maria's aunt, who is an OB/GYN, serves as their source for medically accurate information and a grown-up perspective on healthy decision-making. The site is unique because it has created characters that are friendly and approachable and the characters are dealing with interesting drama that would have hooked me as a teen, but that also serves to introduce a series of answers to teens' questions on their sexual health and decisions. In other words, the site has emulated a conversation among a network of teenagers that gets to the heart of many of the topics that real teens think about.
Of course, when reality sets in we realize that a lot of teens don't have the luxury of having a friend like Maria, whose aunt is an OB/GYN that she feels comfortable asking all the questions that come to her (and her friends') mind about sex. A lot of teens rely on misinformation that circles the halls of their high schools or perhaps they aren't even relying on any information, or conversation, when it comes to sex. That's where I think that this site is especially interesting, because while it implicitly shows an example of a healthy network of conversation about sex, its real purpose seems be providing the information. And that really means all the information - the site has everything you need to know about the different types of birth control, how to use it (for example: the always-important, clear description of how condoms can actually be used effectively!), information on the decision to remain abstinent and a way to ask new questions that aren't answered on the site.
In other words, what this sexual health site has that other sites for teens don't is entertainment combined with a plethora of medically accurate information and the implicit suggestion that sex is something that can be talked about - both with family members and those we look up to, and with our friends. I think the site can serve as a tremendous resource - see it for yourself and let us know what you think!
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