In a series of ironic adventures, I was asked to review this book for Dr. Jennifer Ashton, an Ob-Gyn in New Jersey. Ironic, because my last term in school revolved around my own writing of “postpartum” manuals for women, but in a “straight talk” sort of way that really makes my heart sing. If you’ve really been following my blog, you may have noticed that my current (and last) term is about female sexuality (and its evolution in literature and society, as defined in these sorts of books where such topics were formerly taboo, or extremely clinical). And, finally, I recently had the pleasure of discussing oral sex with my son, and I did use the line from a Dr. Oz show – that he can still catch an STI via oral sex.

Had I been paying attention to my P.O. Box and the name of the doctor on the show,  I would have fallen over from coincidence. The woman whose words really prompted me to even mention oral sex to my son was Dr. Jennifer Ashton. I am a little embarrassed to admit that I didn’t put two and two together until the publishing company reminded me, after reading my sex talk blog, that I had committed to this book review.

Now that we got that all out of the way, I really want to applaud The Body Scoop for Girls. As a teenage girl, I moved from Ohio (where sex ed was pretty clinical) to Arkansas (where sex ed was learned in the back of a pick-up truck). As I’ve mentioned, my parents were diagnosed with HIV and later passed from AIDS. During that time, nobody ever told me that I could get HIV from oral sex, and I was pretty well-educated (I thought) for a teenager. Lucky for me, oral sex was a privilege, not a right. My point is that there was a lack of sex education during my tween/teen years that is still happening today, and at the same time, it appears there is an increase in sexual activity. Abstinence-only education is not helping, obviously, and that’s why this book and this doctor is so very important.

Back in the day,  I went to a free clinic one day to get put on the pill (not because I was having sex, but because I wanted a note to skip school that day) and since I’d had sex one time (subsequently swearing off sex forever)  but hadn’t had a period for six weeks, they told me I could be pregnant. GASP. I was 16.

My friend and I bought a pregnancy test – one with cups, droppers and other paraphernalia (things are much easier today) and I somehow lost the stick before I got home to take the test. I stored the unused (and incomplete) test in an old purse that was eventually found by my mother and stepfather, prompting them to put me on the pill. Lucky for me, I wasn’t pregnant, just a late bloomer under tremendous amounts of stress. For obvious reasons, dealing with a somewhat sexually active teenage daughter was not high on my parents’ list of priorities at that time, and I was just kind of left in the dark, with a disc of birth control pills. Meh, it was just a scare. Let’s bring on the boys!

I wasn’t alone, though. Most girls I knew learned about sex from Judy Blume, from Seventeen Magazine, movies or from trial and error. Finding a book like The Body Scoop for Girls would have been an amazing resource for all of us; for my high school friend who got pregnant at 14 and had an abortion, or my other high school friend who got pregnant and dropped out of school. Clearly, there was a disconnect in our sex education. I even know some women today who could use a refresher course on their bodies, the risks of sex, etc.

Dr. Ashton’s book puts sex, body issues, nutrition and safety in a warm, caring and accessible light. It has just enough authority to mean business, and just enough humor to calm the fears of teenage girls (and their parents). The book gives information in an easy-to-read manner. It doesn’t sugar coat the truth, but it gives the reader a chance to make her own decisions over her own body, and gives insight into what a phenomenal doctor-patient relationship should be.

I love this book, and as strange as it sounds, I agree with Dr. Oz who is quoted on the cover of The Body Scoop for Girls as saying, “I trust her with my daughters.” (Granted, my daughters are only four right now, but I like to plan ahead.) If you’re squicky about sex, then use this book as a buffer, as a way to talk to your daughter. If you’re confused about what is going on in her life, read the book. Remember what its like to be a teenage girl, and be the parent you always wish you had.The book is great, the message is fabulous, and there is no better time than today to encourage yourself, or a teenage girl, to take control of her body, her mind and her sexuality.

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