Lacey Burke and her friends Evita and Theo are completely disgusted by the sexual abstinence policy promoted in their senior seminar class. Abstinence hasn't stop teen pregnancies in their high school. In fact, they recently met Alice, a pregnant teen who chose homeschooling because she felt uncomfortable at going to school.
Lacey has always felt comfortable when discussing sexual topics with her mother. Lacey was the result of her mother's teen pregnancy so Lacey knows the difficulties first hand. Her mother works as a labor and delivery nurse at the local hospital and has encouraged Lacey to train and volunteer as a doula who assists mothers during labor.
When the discussion of healthy sexual habits begins in senior seminar, Lacey and Evita are frustrated that the use of condoms is not part of the lecture. Even though Lacey has never even been kissed, she knows the importance of protection during sex. It becomes obvious from her classmates' responses that most of the students are not only uncomfortable about the discussion of condoms, but also don't understand the proper time to use them or even where to get them. Lacey decides to make it her mission to educate her fellow students.
Lacey, Evita, and Theo work together to create an educational pamphlet explaining the use of condoms and even dental dams for protection during oral sex. With the help of her mother, Lacey gets free condoms and other items for protection against sexually transmitted infections. Their new friend Alice volunteers her currently empty locker as a place to distribute the pamphlets and condoms, etc. Lacey also uses one of the girls' restrooms as an information center where students can freely ask questions about sexual activity.
Helping their fellow students makes sense until the locker distribution system is discovered by school authorities. Accused of providing lewd materials, Lacey and her friends find themselves defending their right to offer alternatives to the school's abstinence policy.
THE BIRDS, THE BEES, AND YOU AND ME is the debut novel of author Olivia Hinebaugh. She combines friendship and music with the difficult questions and feelings about teen sexuality. Some readers may be surprised by her upfront, honest discussion of sexually active teens, but this is a book perfect for 2019 and the attempts to take away personal control over our bodies, especially for women.
NOTE: I just learned about a service called The Pill Box which offers birth control options by subscription through the mail. Check it out!
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