Let's Talk About Sex Health class in high school wasn't the most
pleasant of times. It included routinely embarrassing moments,
like practicing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, naming male and
female anatomy and repeatedly going over detailed descriptions
of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This was in addition to
the even more embarrassing talks with my mother about sex and
responsible behavior. According to the dictionary on my shelf,
embarrass means “to cause someone to feel awkward or self-
conscious.” Welcome to the motto of my adolescent life. But to
my surprise, despite more initial embarrassment than I thought I
could bear, after a few classes and talks, what once made me
feel totally awkward and self-conscious started giving me a
sense of acknowledgment and self-awareness. It is this self-
awareness and understanding that Plain Talk (or Hablando
Claro)—a new teen pregnancy prevention program in the South
Valley—is promoting. New Mexico is one of two states in the
country selected to participate in th