When Coleen Kelly Mast presented her research and thesis material on chastity to her fellow health education masters candidates, you could have heard a pin drop—
"Wow, I didn’t know you could present it that way in a public school."

When Mrs. Mast delivers her "save sex for marriage" message to teenagers in both public and parochial schools, the response is hand-painted posters like "Pet your dog, not your date" and "Use your will, not the pill."

When the diminutive, red-haired author and sex education consultant shares her SEX RESPECT® program with parents and educators, she receives standing ovations and "hours" of follow-up queries.

"Coleen Mast’s much-needed common-sense approach to the sex curriculum is anything but common," says Deerfield, IL psychologist Janet McGowan. "The values that built the family and made America strong, that ‘sex respect’ now seems not only brilliant, but revolutionary."

In the post-sexual revolution years of the 1980s Mrs. Mast’s "the disease isn’t teenage pregnancy; the disease is sexual immaturity" theme is drawing growing attention and positive response across North America.

• Her SEX RESPECT: The Option of True Sexual Freedom curriculum was launched in nine states and Canada in the first year and is currently used in more than 2500 school systems nationwide for the 1996-97 school year.
• Requests for speaking engagements are skyrocketing; she has spoken to students, parents, educators and sexual education groups worldwide.

Mrs. Mast believes today’s teens face escalating sexual pressures. "It’s difficult because our own parents weren’t open with us. But our kids are getting it from the media, and that is very distorted. We need to show them that love is the big deal, not sex." she says.

"Sexuality is more than a physical act; it is a combination of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. Teaching kids about sexuality is more than passing on facts. It’s passing on attitudes and values."

A former high school and junior high instructor at McNamara High School in Kankakee, IL, Mrs. Mast’s teenagers used to act out skits in her presentations. They had creative answer to typical sex-invitational lines and used slogans like "Sex is good, sex is great, save it for your permanent mate" or "Don’t be dips, stop at the lips."

"It helps kids to know they have the freedom to choose not to have sex before marriage, and there are some very good reasons to say ‘no’ to premarital sex," Mrs. Mast says. "If we say ‘no’ because I said so, then our reasons for saying ‘no’ are pretty slim and easy to disregard. But, if we give good reasons and appeal to the intellect and the heart, treating these kids as the intelligent human beings they are, they are much more likely to think abut the consequences of premarital sex."

"It’s been tremendous," the mother of five says. "The teenagers thank me for taking a heavy burden off them. Parents and educators are calling and sending letters, telling how effective the program is."

Early on results from schools using the SEX RESPECT® curriculum in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Michigan, and Wisconsin, studies have shown:

• Before taking the course, 36% of the students said sexual intercourse among teens is acceptable provided no pregnancy results. Only 18% agreed after the course, and 65.5% disagreed.
• Before the course, 20% said sexual urges are "always" controllable and 62% said they are "sometimes." Afterward, 39% said "always" and 51% sometimes."
• Before the course, 35% said there are "a lot" of benefits to waiting until marriage for sexual intercourse. After taking the course, 58% agreed.

The SEX RESPECT® curriculum includes three textbooks: a student workbook, a parent guidebook, and a teacher manual.