William J. Taverner

William J. Taverner, MA, commonly known as Bill Taverner, is the editor of the American Journal of Sexuality Education[1] and the executive director of the Center for Sex Education (CSE).[2] He has co-authored numerous sexuality education manuals, including All Together Now: Teaching about Contraception and Safer Sex, Making Sense of Abstinence: Lessons for Comprehensive Sex Education, Positive Images: Teaching Abstinence, Contraception, and Sexual Health, Streetwise to Sex-Wise: Sexuality Education for High-Risk Youth, and Older, Wiser, Sexually Smarter.[3]

As a trainer, Taverner presents such topics as “Unequal Partners,” and "Making sense of abstinence,"[4] training thousands of educators, counselors, social workers, nurses, therapists, and other professionals.[4] He frequently trains early-childhood professionals, helping them respond to young children’s sexual questions and behaviors,[5] And in 2008, he gave an address at a congressional briefing advocating for sex education.[6]

Before joining the CFLE in 1998, Taverner served as the sexuality educator and trainer for Phoenix House, where he developed Sexuality and Substance Abuse,[7] a comprehensive sexuality education program (for people in recovery from substance abuse) and training program (for their counseling staff). Prior to Phoenix House, he worked with people with developmental disabilities, and co-authored the Verbal Informed Sexual Consent Assessment Tool, to help measure an individual’s capacity to give informed sexual consent.[8]

Taverner is the editor of the eighth, ninth, and tenth editions of Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Human Sexuality, and co-authored the fifth through seventh, and eleventh through thirteenth editions of this college reader.[9] He served as a contributing author to the International Encyclopedia of Sexuality, co-author of Older, Wiser, Sexually Smarter[3] and his newest publications include the fourth edition of Positive Images: Teaching about Contraception and Sexual Health[10] and the two-volume third edition of Teaching Safer Sex,[11] which won the 2013 AASECT Book Award.[12]

Taverner was the first recipient of the “AASECT Founder’s Award” in 2005.[13] Other awards he has received include the 2006 "Golden Apple Award," given by the Association for Planned Parenthood Leaders in Education (APPLE), and a 2006 national award given by the online journal "Sexual Intelligence".[14][15]

Formerly an adjunct professor of human sexuality at Fairleigh Dickinson University,[16] Taverner received his Master of Arts degree in human sexuality from New York University.