FILLING THE GAPS IN SEX ED Exploring Episode 3's complex themes of sex ed for Black, Latinx, Queer, and disabled young people Frankly. is a podcast that explores the health and wellbeing of adolescents from the perspectives and lived experiences of young people on Chicago’s South and West sides. Co-produced by Chicago youth Kaya Thomas and Alizha Vernon and Ci3 at the University of Chicago, Frankly. is a seven-episode series that builds on the findings from Ci3’s Adolescent X study, a research project that studies narrative methods to explore the messages that young people receive about their bodies, identities, and sexual health. Frankly. centers the voices of young people marginalized by race, gender, and/or sexual orientation as they navigate various social environments, develop their identities, and understand the world around them. Frankly aims to contextualize the stories of young people by examining the ways in which structural barriers and institutions impede on their health and wellbeing. The Frankly. Podcast Mixtape is a discussion guide that accompanies the Frankly. podcast. It is a compilation of links to informative articles, archival and audio-visual materials, films and documentaries, related findings from the Adolescent X research study, and resources that provide more insights into the topics explored in each episode. It highlights community spaces in Chicago and beyond that are uplifting the brilliance and diversity of Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
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Episode Summary In episode three, Filling the Gaps in Sex Ed, we delved into the local evolving public school sex education curriculum. We heard directly from Sonam Rikha, Kaya Thomas, Cat Cienfuegos, and Jesse Lane about their experiences taking sex education classes. Their stories identified gaps of representation and inclusion of marginalized young folks, like sexual and gender minorities as well as disabled young people. “When I was taking sex ed classes, there was no attempt to educate us on sex that was anything besides cis, hetero sex.” -- Kaya Thomas These frustrations are far from new. Since the development of sex education in the 1900s, it has been deeply entrenched with religious notions and respectability that prevent young people from learning about sexual health. We also hear from Darien R. Wendell from ICAH, Angela Townsend from Sexpectations, and Eva Sweeney from Cripping Up Sex who are filling the gaps in sex education by created spaces outside of school systems where young people from marginalized identities can show up and learn things about sexual health that they don’t learn within school classes. “Younger people with disabilities in schools are also not provided a comprehensive sex education that actually applies to their life.” -- Eva Sweeney As part of the Adolescent X research study, our participants cited media, and specifically pornography, as sources of information about sex. In particular, research participants described turning to pornography and movies to learn the mechanics of sexual intercourse. This learning contrasted with what participants talked about learning in sex ed courses, which largely centered on risk prevention. The young people we spoke to raise the concern that exposure to pornography can influence young people’s desire to have sex or contribute to a sense of pressure to be sexually active. The fact that participants were not able to cite a space or resource, other than pornography, for learning about how to explore sexuality and pleasure beyond a discussion of risks, highlights the need for resources to guide young people in safe, healthy exploration of their bodies, their sexualities, and their relationships. We often assume young people don't want to talk to adults about sex and relationships, but our participants explicitly said they did. However, they want to talk to adults who are open, understanding and accepting about it (a.k.a., not coming at them with shaming ridicule, gendered double standards, pressure, religion etc.). However, when those conversations aren't available, then pornography, other friends (who aren't reliable sources of accurate information), or very limited sex ed in school is what young people are left to work with.
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Topic Background THE EVOLUTION OF SEX ED IN THE US In 1913, Chicago became the first major city to implement sexuality education for high schools. This program was implemented by Chicago school superintendent of schools Ella Flagg Young, the first woman to achieve that administrative status in a major American school system. This sex ed program didn’t last long after powerful religious institutions launched a smear campaign against the initiative, forcing Flagg Young to resign. During this period, there was a growing national concern as WWI soldiers contracted sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) from lack of proper sexual hygiene or information about STI prevention. This fear prompted the federal government to educate young soldiers about syphilis and gonorrhea. These concerns also resulted in the creation of STI stigma propaganda to scare soldiers from having sex. Check out this video by AJ+ to learn more about the history of sex education in the US.
Sex Education in America: A Brief History by AJ+ From Abstinence to Comprehensive Sex Ed The sexual health education curriculum in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has changed significantly over the years. The current curriculum builds a foundation of knowledge and skills for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. To help students make informed decisions and safe choices, the CPS curriculum now covers topics such as human development, healthy relationships, decision making, abstinence, contraception, and disease prevention.
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The CPS Sexual Health Education Policy requires: ● Schools must teach sexual health education every year ● Every school must have two trained instructors who have completed the district’s instructor training ● The CPS curriculum is medically accurate, age appropriate, and comprehensive. It is also aligned with the National Sexuality Education Standards. ● Schools must provide at least three forms of notification—at least one in writing—to inform parents/guardians that instruction will take place. Per Illinois state law, parents/guardians have the right to opt their children out. ● CPS views parents/guardians as the primary educators of their children for sexual health. WHO FILLS THE GAPS? In episode three, we introduced you to sexual health educators Darien Wendell, Eva Sweeney, and Angela Townsend and how they shared the effects of these gaps on young people. Below, we share more information about each of their initiatives that intentionally co-create spaces with young folks who can talk freely about their experiences and are equipped with useful information to make informed-decisions regarding their sexual health, pleasure, and bodily autonomy. Sexpectations is a participant-led interactive workshop which encourages young people, 16-26, to freely discuss relationships, dating, and sex with their peers and to build better communication skills. For more information, check out their Instagram account. For Eva Sweeney, Cripping Up Sex was her way of filling in the gaps around within sex ed from her experiences as a queer and disabled person with cerebral palsy. As interest about this information grew, Eva began conducting workshops around the country before launching the sex education platform Cripping Up Sex with Eva. ICAH is a reproductive justice organization that supports and provides young folks with the resources they need to lead in the reproductive justice movement. ICAH labors to protect and celebrate the sexual identities, rights, and health of young folks across Chicagoland. At Ci3, we also respond to the structures and systems that limit adolescent sexual healthcare through our interdisciplinary research projects. In 2016, Ci3’s Design Thinking Lab was created to use human-centered and participatory design approaches to create sexual healthcare services that align with the rights and aspirations of young people. The Ci3 Design Thinking Lab is designing a sexual health service platform with, and for, young people, known as Hello Greenlight. Hello Greenlight provides: ● Youth-facing sexual healthcare awareness materials and experiences ● Tools to improve sexual and reproductive healthcare, and ● Training and technical assistance for sexual healthcare providers and clinics To learn more about this project, check out our research findings here.
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Conversation Starters Conversation Starters are prompts that aim to encourage deeper reflection about the topics discussed in each episode. These prompts help readers get the ball rolling on contextualizing the stories from young people and insights from adult experts regarding consent. Readers can reflect alone or share them with family, friends, or classmates! ● ● ●
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What stories from the episode resonated most with you? Why? What have your own experiences with sex education been like? Sonam, one of the young people we hear from in this episode, advocates for more comprehensive sex education in her school—starting a group, opening a dialogue with the principal, and advocating for educational needs. What would you advocate for in your own school/community? What are ways that adults in your life could better support young people’s sexual health and development?
Questions that started our own conversations To give readers a sense of how the Frankly. team framed this episode, here are the questions that prompted us into deeper reflection on consent, coercion, and bodily autonomy. We were able to construct a narrative arc in this episode with these driving questions. ● ● ● ● ●
Where do young people go when they want to learn about sex? Who do they talk to? Does anyone think their sexuality education needs are being met? If so, who/what/where is meeting those needs? Whose needs are being overtly denied or ignored? Who is left out of the conversation when it comes to pleasure and sex? How are educators reimagining inclusive, comprehensive sexuality education? What behaviors can families/adults adopt to better support young people as they grow and develop?
Resources + Links Sexual Health Education Scope and Sequence | Healthy CPS - Office of Student Health & Wellness Sexual Miseducation | Chicago Reader CPS Commitment to Sex Ed Program Lags | Chicago Teachers A Disabled Person’s Guide to Talking with Your Partner(s) about Sex | Scarleteen Reproductive Justice Is… | Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) Access is Love | Disability Intersectionality Summit Eva Sweeney Educates About Sex and Disability (video) | 60 Second Docs I got 99 problems… Palsey is just one |Maysoon Zayid’s TedX Talk A Brief History of Sex Ed in America | Newsweek
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Production Team Melissa Gilliam Ireashia Bennett Kaya Thomas Alizha Vernon Valerie Reynolds Erisa Apantaku Liz Futrell Crystal Tyler Erin Garcia Soo-Young Lee Adriana Brodyn Melissa Sherwin
Creator, Ci3 Founder and Director Co-Host, Executive Producer, Audio Producer Co-Host, Ci3 Fellow, Producer Ci3 Fellow, Producer Senior Producer, Story Editor Story Editor, Podcast Consultant Project Manager, Producer Story Editor Story Editor Story Editor, Researcher Story Editor, Researcher Story Editor
Back Cover Frankly. is a podcast that explores the health and wellbeing of adolescents from the perspectives and lived experiences of young people on Chicago’s South and West sides. Co-produced by Chicago youth Kaya Thomas and Alizha Vernon and Ci3 at the University of Chicago, Frankly. is a seven-episode series that builds on the findings from Ci3’s Adolescent X Study, a research project that studies narrative methods to explore the messages that young people receive about their bodies, identities, and sexual health. Frankly. centers the voices of young people marginalized by race, gender, and/or sexual orientation as they navigate various social environments, develop their identities, and understand the world around them. Frankly. aims to contextualize the stories of young people by examining the ways in which structural barriers and institutions impede on their health and wellbeing.
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The Frankly. podcast a Ci3 initiative. Ci3 is a research center at the University of Chicago, addressing the social and structural determinants of adolescent sexual and reproductive health. At Ci3, we envision a world in which all youth emerge into adulthood with agency over their bodies and futures. Ci3 is committed to empowering young people, conducting innovative research, and uncovering opportunities for policy and systemic change. For more information visit: ci3.uchicago.edu
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