Dr. Drew Pinsky and daughter Paulina Pinsky are teaming up to write a teen guide to relationships and consent.
The book, It Doesn’t Have to Be Awkward: Dealing with Relationships, Consent, and Other Hard-to-Talk-About Stuff, is filled with accessible advice and candid personal anecdotes.
It takes on important questions that today’s teens are facing about relationships, whether romantic or otherwise, through a range of subjects including sexual attraction, gender expression, dating, friendships, bullying and trauma.
While the subjects are serious, the father-daughter duo put their spin on the issues to make it fun through humor to allow teens, parents and educators to have open, positive conversations around consent.
“My years of experience offering guidance on sex, health and relationships have made it clear how much the topic of consent is confusing terrain, especially for young people,” Dr. Drew said in a press release.
“In the book, we hope to clarify the meaning and importance of consent in the context of maintaining healthy relationships,” he continued.
“Consent is fundamental to some of the most important questions we are asking ourselves today,” Paulina noted, adding that the coronavirus pandemic has created additional questions.
“‘Do I have to wear a mask? Do I submit to the status quo? What do I believe in?’ It’s important to make space for discussing relationships and consent because it impacts every one of us, in ways big and small.”
Dr. Drew’s medical practice, writing, radio, television and podcast careers and Paulina’s position as an educator and writer have made them the perfect duo for an informative guide.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will publish It Doesn’t Have to Be Awkward: Dealing with Relationships, Consent, and Other Hard-to-Talk-About Stuff on April 6, 2021.