Florida: Work of Four Miami-Dade Sexual Education Advocates Honored

The South Florida chapter of Mothers' Voices, an organization dedicated to enhancing parent-child sexual health communication, on May 8 honored four area advocates.

The chapter has raised more than $50,000 for programs and served more than 25,000 families since its inception 14 years ago. Its programs reach out to parents, educators, clergy, and community leaders; HIV/AIDS prevention is a key focus.

"Parents need to talk earlier than they think, and often," said Lori Markowitz Gerson, the chapter's executive director. "We focus on talking to parents about sexual education so they can talk to their own children."

At the group's Extraordinary Voices Awards Luncheon, honoree Rabbi Judith Siegal noted that many children are not receiving proper sexual health instruction in schools due to a focus on abstinence-only education. Parent-child communication about taking care of one's body is essential, she said.

Another honoree, Ana Veciana-Suarez, said parents must "chuck the embarrassment they feel and start talking frankly and often" about sex. "Any parent with kids needs to be realistic about the situation," said Veciana-Suarez, a syndicated columnist for the Miami Herald whose recent column was titled "Get Over It: Talk to Kids About Sex." "The reality is to prepare our children for things that aren't in our plan and not just pregnancy but health problems as well."

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