170: Accessing Sexual Education for Our Youth with Tara Jones

Access to sexual education for our youth is unbelievably important both from a health standpoint and from an education standpoint. But so many schools these days have sex education as optional and many don’t even require the curriculum to be medically accurate.  That’s why I’m so excited to talk with Tara Jones all about how she’s helping to change the landscape of sexual education.  Tara is a black queer sex educator based in Philadelphia and New York. For the last five years that work has consisted of creating sex education, social media content aimed at young adults, writing for various publications and speaking at events. She is also the founder of the Youth Sexpert Program, a digital training program that aims to provide comprehensive sex education for high school enrolled youth.  Listen in to hear her thoughts on why educating tweens and teens and creating peer advocates is so much more effective than traditional sex education and how she’s affecting this change now.  In this episode, we discuss:  The importance of access to sexual education for kids. Why Tara created the Youth Sexpert Program and what it entails. The barriers that exist when it comes to accessing sex education. Resources: The Youth Sexpert Program -http://www.theyouthsexpertprogram.org Instagram -http://www.instagram.com/theyouths3xpertprogram The Importance of Comprehensive Sex Education -https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/adolescent-sexual-health/equitable-access-to-sexual-and-reproductive-health-care-for-all-youth/the-importance-of-access-to-comprehensive-sex-education/ Sex Positive Families -https://sexpositivefamilies.com/ Good Sex Illustrated -https://amzn.to/4aVxib3 Come As You Are: Revised and Updated: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life -https://amzn.to/4ca2YKR Right to Sex-https://amzn.to/4bMAR4L Questions:  How did The Youth Sexpert Program come to be? How was The Youth Sexpert Program's curriculum built and what does it contain? What have your observations been regarding how students approach talking about sex? What have your observations been regarding conversations between youth and parents about sex? Disclaimer: This podcast does not provide medical advice. The information on this podcast is for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices