Season one:
Our Nation’s Flawed Health Curriculum
WHAT IS EDUCATION FROM AN EQUAL AND WHY WAS IT CREATED?
This is the introductory episode for the podcast, formatted as a discussion of my personal experience with a lacking health curriculum and my reasoning for creating the podcast. We discuss the empowering nature of education and the importance of taking your future into your own hands. Visit the ABOUT page to learn even more about the podcast or its creator!
The Counterintuitive Effect of Abstinence-Only Education
When schools teach abstinence-only education, they hope that teens will simply ignore the prospect of sexuality since they have not been exposed to it. However, in this day and age, technology allows exposure to virtually anyone with access to the internet. Rather than using this reality to properly educate students, schools often put them in danger, leading to teen pregnancy, the contraction of STDs, and overall confusion and chaos. In this episode, we discuss the realities of abstinence-only education in the states where it is most prevalent, and then I provide education on pregnancy prevention in the proper manner in order to ensure safety of students.
Why Toxic Masculinity Must be Taught In Health Class
With the #metoo movement continuing to gain popularity after its reignition in 2017, consent has been a hot topic in politics and at the office, however, it has not yet made its way to the most important place: the classroom. In many states, the discussion of consent is disregarded, which results in a lack of understanding that is crucial for teens developing their sense of morality. This is perpetuated by the issue of toxic masculinity, which is also often left out of curriculums. We will be critiquing the lack of consent education, and looking at the way a discussion of toxic masculinity could benefit the conversation.
How LGBTQ+ Students are Endangered by Lacking STD Education
Across the nation, LGBTQ+ students are left out of the most crucial aspects of sexual education, contributing to the social stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ relationships, as well as putting an already at risk community in even more danger. We will be critiquing “no promo homo” laws, which, in 7 states, dehumanize and erase identities, and exploring the intersectionality of this issue, delving into some basic education regarding STDs and LGBTQ+ identities.
The Way We Ignore Abuse and violence in Teenage Relationships
Though many parents believe they would be able to notice if their child was a victim of domestic abuse, research has show that the majority, around 58%, were unable to. Because domestic violence specific to teen dating is ignored in many curriculums, teens do not have the resources to leave, or even comprehend, violent relationships. In this episode, we will be discussing the multiple types of domestic abuse as they relate to teenage relationships, and critiquing our nation’s current approach.
How Mental Health Stigma AND TEEN DRUG USE Are Intertwined
There are two epidemics overtaking teens across America: substance abuse and deteriorating mental health. In many cases, the two go hand in hand. In this episode, we discuss the flawed approach to combating teen drug use that is prevalent in schools across the nation. Instead of focusing on the fact that teens are using drugs at a higher rate than ever before, we look to the root cause: why are they using drugs? We delve into these reasons, and ways to tackle this issue at its root.