Pornography is not usually a subject taught in public high schools, but one educator in Boston is trying to change that. Surrounded by a group of students in the offices of the Boston Public Health Commission, Jess Adler discusses the origins of the word pornography before delving into a deeper discussion.

"In 1857 the word porn was actually created. ... It's a Greek word and it combines two words: porne and graphine," Adler explains. "That is combining the word 'prostitute' and 'describe,' so it's the idea of describing prostitutes."

Jess Adler is the program director of Start Strong, a Boston-based peer leadership program that helps high school students grapple with a variety of intimate topics like dating violence prevention, gender and sexuality, and healthy breakups. In 2016, a new course was added to the list: Porn Literacy. Dr. Emily Rothman, professor of Community Health Sciences at Boston University and co-creator of the course, was inspired by the interest she found that kids had in the topic.

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