Abstract
This directed case study follows a high school senior, “Becky,” who plans on having sexual intercourse, but has only received abstinence-only education. She reaches out to a sexually active friend, but she is unable to answer Becky’s questions. To learn more, Becky researches key biological topics, with a heavy emphasis on the menstrual cycle and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function. She also explores definitions of pregnancy, abortion, Plan B, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which is useful as her friend recently had unprotected sex and is afraid to ask questions at home or school. In a parallel story, Becky’s mother is on the school board and is preparing data for a discussion of whether condoms should be available in schools, which ultimately leads her to a consideration of governmental policy statements regarding biological sex. This case has seven parts and can be used all together or in various combinations, depending on course objectives and content level. The case has been used frequently in courses of undergraduate anatomy and physiology, general endocrinology, and reproduction and sexual behavior.