This research examines sex work in Mexico during the preconquest and colonial periods. I will conduct this research by analyzing how the topic is addressed in sources such as the Florentine Codex and other manuscripts produced by Indigenous artists/writers in the 16th century, as well as archival records generated by the colonial legal system and texts written by Spaniards. Few scholars have sought to understand how Indigenous and Spanish traditions of sex work converged in this period. In preconquest Mexico, Nahuas used the term ahuiani to refer to a woman who “pleasured” others with her company and sexuality. The Nahua peoples of central Mexico, including the Mexica or Azteca (Aztecs), understood laughter, intoxication and sex as “earthly pleasures.” But the Spaniards who arrived in Mexico and the many priests who followed them, transformed the profession of the ahuiani into the evil puta. The ahuiani played important roles as pleasure givers, dancers in celebrations, and companions to warriors. I contend that Eurocentric notions of the puta or whore disregarded many of these roles. Despite the impact of Christian and patriarchal attitudes toward women who offered companionship and sex, the archival record suggests that sex workers continued to perform at all social levels in colonial Mexico, despite laws and doctrine designed to punish them. My project examines this history of women and sexuality in colonial Mexico, the most populous region of the Americas in this period.

Teenage Problematic Sexual Behaviors (PSBs) are developmentally inappropriate or intrusive sexual acts that typically involve coercion or distress among 42-73% of children by 13 (Silovsky 2002; Kellogg 2010). It is sexual behaviors that either occur frequently or much earlier than culturally or developmentally expected or appropriate. However, many assume that children who engage in these problematic behaviors are victims or survivors of trauma, abuse, or psychological defect. Research has found that between ⅓-½ of children diagnosed with PSBs and were admitted to an agency for treatment had no history of sexual abuse' (National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth, 2021). This research seeks to explore the social factors that may influence a teenager to engage in PSBs and how they may cause a child/teenager to recidivate. Social factors are often regarded as the things that affect a person's lifestyle. Here it is defined as "the general factors concerned with the social structures and processes that impinge on an individual'' (Gellman & Turner 2013)—utilizing 30 clinicians, therapists, and experts working with youths diagnosed with PSBs from a Delphi study conducted by Dr. Duron. Data collected from a Qualtrics survey will shed light on the social challenges, needs, and protective factors associated with problematic teenage behaviors. The data gathered will assess the impact social factors can have on a child or teenager's life and their role in influencing a teenager to engage in Problematic Sexual Behaviors, and how they can cause a teenager to recidivate once diagnosed and begin treatment.

Previous research has shown that a measurable percentage of undergraduate students enter university without an adequate foundation in sexual health education. BIPOC students are disproportionately affected by a lack of a mandated curriculum on preventing pregnancy, abuse, LGBTQI+ discrimination, and STI transmissions. Specifically, Filipinx-identified students have the highest adolescent pregnancy rate in the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community. Furthermore, according to the CDC, Filipinx American mothers obtain the lowest average of higher education degrees in the Asian Diaspora. This qualitative case study collects Filipinx- identified university students to voice their transnational perspectives on their experiences and current knowledge of sex and sexuality. Data was collected by individually interviewing 10 participants in one-on-one meetings, asking the same set of seven questions. These students dissect how school, culture, religion, and ethical factors within the Filipinx diaspora may influence their maturation. Through their answers, initial findings suggest a disconnect between Filipinx students and their families regarding sex. Students stated that parent-adolescent communication about sex has negative impacts on mental health. Furthermore, students reported using resources outside of schools and households to find information on sexual health. This research attempts to bring awareness to sex education inequity and promote healing and liberation within the Filipinx community.