Oregon’s teen-authored sexual health magazine reached adulthood this month, as the publication entered its 19th year of helping readers navigate relationships and the passage through adolescence.

The Rational Enquirer is produced by the Oregon Teen Pregnancy Task Force, a statewide nonprofit, and the Oregon Health Authority. Most of the articles are written by Oregon teens, but there are also pieces by health professionals. Topics range from the efficacy of contraceptive methods to the neurobiology of teens to an interview with a 17-year-old dad. Most of this year’s articles are pulled from past issues, what the magazine’s introduction calls a “best of” collection to celebrate the publication’s ascent into adulthood.

Jessica Duke, a program manager in the public health division of OHA, said the Rational Inquirer “has always tried to look at issues that lead to pregnancy in a holistic way, instead of just focusing on prevention, and instead looking at larger sexual health issues.”

With this holistic approach, the magazine focuses on forming healthy self-images as well as the question of what it means to fit in. One of the entries pulled from years past is by Emma Lileadahl-Allen, a graduate of Summit High School. Her article, originally published in 2006, concerns her move to the High Desert from San Francisco. As one of few biracial students, she found herself with “a desperate need to fit in” that hadn’t existed in California.

Duke noted the publication draws on teen authors to maintain its accessibility, as most of the issues around sexual health — such as diseases, abuse and pregnancy — remain stable while the language teens use evolves.

“As adults, we can pull information from here or there, but we can’t represent that voice,” Duke said. “The folks at the Teen Pregnancy Task Force and OHA are all adults, but we want there to be stories that come from real teens, as youth culture is really dynamic and ever-changing.”

One area Duke has seen evolve over time is the inclusion of more material on sexual identity. This year’s Rational Inquirer includes an article originally published in 2012 running through various terms, such as transgender, which refers to someone whose gender identity does not correspond to their biological sex, and cisgender, which refers to people whose gender identity and biological sex do align.

“The chances of seeing that story 19 years ago aren’t so high. It might have caused a lot more of a reaction than it would today,” Duke said.

In Central Oregon, the publication is available through Deschutes County Health Services, and copies are often brought to classrooms when county officials visit health classes.

“We have a lot of young people come to us for reproductive health services, and we can offer them the Rational Inquirer to give them more information about relationships in a way that’s compelling for young people,” said Nick Stevenson, a health educator with Deschutes County. “When we come to classes, we can bring those and leave them for students to take. While it’s critical and important they hear about things in the classroom, it’s really nice to have material they can take and use on their own.”

— Reporter: 541-633-2160, tleeds@bendbulletin.com