Sex Education with Miriam Grossman M.D

I earned my medical degree from New York University, did an internship in pediatrics at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City, and completed a residency in psychiatry followed by a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at North Shore Hospital – Cornell University Medical College.

For twelve years, I was on the staff of UCLA’s Student Counseling Services, where nearly all my patients were students in their late teens and twenties. Because of this demographic, and no doubt also because of what’s now called the “hook-up culture”, many students who ended up in my office had a history of genital infections, one or more abortions, possible exposure to HIV, and other troublesome consequences of sexual activity, whether “protected’ or not.

Of necessity, I began to learn more about sexual health matters in teens and young adults. It was through that effort that I discovered the egregious attitudes and practices that pervaded not only the student health and counseling centers of UCLA, but, I realized with disbelief, many professional organizations and private groups that consider themselves guardians of our children’s health and well-being.

It is difficult for me to convey how it feels to witness not a few, not dozens, but hundreds and hundreds of young people in distress due to medical issues, only to discover how esteemed health authorities give an enthusiastic thumbs up to the very behaviors that fuel those problems.

Honestly, it’s madness. That’s why, about eight years ago, I became an activist.

Although I originally was quite worried about “coming out of the closet” with my unorthodox views (the reason my first book, Unprotected, came out anonymously), one of my current goals is to engage in earnest, open discussion with the individuals and groups I criticize.

That said, what’s most important to me is not debating the American Psychological Association or Planned Parenthood. My priority is to keep people out of the offices of doctors and therapists. To that end, I’m on a crusade to reach as many individuals as possible, in the US and abroad, with biological truths they need to know, but aren’t being told.