Author Archives: DHM

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK                                                 “After my girlfriend and I broke up,” says Steven, “I had what I can only describe as a meltdown. It was the most intense emotional pain I’ve felt in my life.” Have you had aContinue reading “How Can I Deal With a Breakup?”

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK “Growing up, one of the most difficult things I had to deal with was my attraction to others of the same sex. I used to think it was just a phase, but those feelings plague me still.”—David, 23. David is a Christian who wants to please God. Can he do that whileContinue reading “Is Homosexuality Wrong?”

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK You like to be available when a friend needs to talk. And lately you’ve been talking to one friend a lot. The problem is, it’s someone of the opposite sex. ‘We’re just friends,’ you tell yourself, assuming that the other person feels the same way. Should you be concerned?  What can happen  Why itContinue reading “Friendship or Romance?—Part 2: What Signals Am I Sending?”

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK You really like this person of the opposite sex, and you’re sure that the feeling is mutual. After all, you text each other all the time, you pair off at gatherings . . . , and some of the messages you’ve received from this person are downright flirtatious. So you decide to ask where theContinue reading “Friendship or Romance?—Part 1: What Signals Am I Receiving?”

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK What is a virginity pledge?  Do virginity pledges work?  A better approach  What is a virginity pledge? A virginity pledge is a written or oral promise to maintain sexual abstinence until marriage. Virginity pledges became popular in the 1990’s when the Southern Baptist Convention in the United States launched “True Love Waits”​—aContinue reading “What About Virginity Pledges?”

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK Dealing with guilt  The value of confiding in someone  “A time to heal”  Dealing with guilt Many victims of sexual abuse are deeply ashamed about what happened. They may even feel responsible for it. Consider Karen, now 19, who was sexually abused between the ages of 6 and 13. “The worst thingContinue reading “What Should I Know About Sexual Assault?—Part 2: Recovery”

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK According to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, about half of all interview respondents from age 15 to 19 have engaged in oral sex. “If you talk to teens [about oral sex] they’ll tell you it’s not a big deal,” says Sharlene Azam, the author of the book Oral SexContinue reading “Is Oral Sex Really Sex”

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK What is sexual assault?  What you should know  What you can do  What is sexual assault? Though legal definitions differ from one place to another, the general term “sexual assault” can refer to unwanted sexual contact, sometimes involving physical force. It can involve such things as child or teen sexual abuse, incest,Continue reading “What Should I Know About Sexual Assault?—Part 1: Precautions”