Laid: Young People’s Experiences With Sex in an Easy-Access Culture

In this hard-hitting anthology, journalist Shannon T. Boodram collects the compelling and personal firsthand accounts of young people dealing with sex in today’s world. Laid covers a range of important topics, from teens’ first times to STIs, abstinence to unplanned pregnancies. Boodram, an up-and-coming voice for her generation, engages teens and twentysomethings in honest dialogue and explores how they see and experience sex, how and why it shapes their beliefs, and what they have learned about themselves and their sexuality through their actions. Laid is a great conversation-starter, and doesn’t shy away from the personal topics. A great resource for young people, Laidinvites teens and young adults to take a close-up look at sex and sexuality. Boodram’s chapters offer more than 40 personal narratives, from both female and male voices, with in-depth analyses, facts, and Q&As to further the discourse. Responsible and thought-provoking, Laid offers a range of honest perspectives on young adult sexuality in today’s easy access culture.

Shannon T. Boodram herself is a young adult. She is currently enrolled in the journalism program at Centennial College; the creator of supersexedu.com, a sex educational website; and a columnist for Urbanology magazine, where she has hosted a relationship advice column and written features including the cover story. She has also contributed to Lover magazine. Boodram spoke as an expert panelist on the network Much Music for their Much Talks Teen Sex program. She has hosted her own sexual education podcast series through Imperial Music Studios and has been interviewed by the Toronto Star for their annual Women’s Health section.

Boodram has been interviewed by PMA productions to help with their research for their upcoming Lolita-inspired documentary. Through the non-profit program Literature for Life, Boodram taught a writing workshop that helped a group of young women relay their experiences in a compelling and concise fashion. She has also held numerous round-table seminars with groups of young people at various community centers, specialty groups and classrooms. Boodram is well known in the sexual education community in Toronto and is well-connected with other sexual educators. She runs two successful websites: www.projectraw.ca and www.shannonteresa.com.