About Your Sexuality

About Your Sexuality, or AYS, was a sex education course published by the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1970, with further revisions in 1973, 1978 and 1983. [cite web
title =Unitarian Universalist Association. About Your Sexuality. Records, 1970-1983.
publisher =Andver-Havard Theological Library
url =http://www.hds.harvard.edu/library/bms/bms01290.html
accessdate =2007-10-16 ] The course materials were originally developed by Derek Calderwood. Although made available to other organizations, the materials were primarily used in courses taught to youth ages 12-14 (in mixed-gender groups) in Unitarian Universalist congregations.

AYS was unique among sex education courses because it used visual materials that depicted human sexuality in a realistic and graphic fashion. For example, film strips used in the course showed images of real heterosexual and homosexual encounters, and masturbation. [Citation
last =Cocca
first =Carolyn
title =Adolescent Sexuality: A Historical Handbook and Guide
publisher =Greenwood Press
year =2006
pages =57
url = http://www.google.co.uk/books?id=Y_FP96kRtuMC&pg=PP1&dq=Adolescent+Sexuality&ei=EfUUR4HeLJSq7ALnjbCYDw&sig=JKfQj9t1aeptC3l9Rr6BnVrxWeU
isbn =0313333998 ] These images did not try to hide the genitals or the details of penetration. One of the more controversial slide shows showed a man masturbating. The slides concluded with images of the man ejaculating into his navel and then tasting his own semen. Other media used in the course of AYS included audio tapes of interviews with transgendered, homosexual, and heterosexual men and women speaking about their sexuality.

AYS was considered very controversial both at the time of its inception and in the mid 1990s when it was replaced by Our Whole Lives. It was also featured in the book "Harmful to Minors" by Judith Levine as an example of complete sexual education.

ee also

* Homosexuality and Unitarian Universalism

References

External links

* [http://www.uua.org/owl/roots.html Our Whole Lives roots]