Episode 15: The Sex Ed Crisis with Danielle Bezalel

02/03/25 • 46 min

Welcome to another episode of The Gynarchy Podcast! Today, I'm speaking to sex educator and executive producer and host of The Sex Ed with DB Podcast, Danielle Bezalel, aka “DB”, about the deeply flawed state of sexual health education in the US.

In “Episode 15: The Sex Ed Crisis”, Danielle brings her expertise in comprehensive sexual health education to discuss how our inadequate, outdated, and shame-based sex ed programs are failing young people and what we can do to change that.

Here are some of the topics we discuss:

The current state of sexual health education in the US
Religious and cultural influence on sex education, particularly purity culture
The harmful messages shared in abstinence-only programs
Goals of comprehensive sexual education
The need for mandated consent education
The rise of misogyny and rape culture
Providing age appropriate sex education to children in the home and at school
Harms of poor sex ed, including increased risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases
Better, international models for comprehensive sexual education

Resources referenced in this episode:

Guttmacher Institute: Sex Education and HIV Education

Tune in on Monday, February 3, 2025 and make sure to subscribe to stay updated on all our episodes.

Where to connect with Danielle Bezalel:

Instagram: @‌sexedwithdbpodcast Instagram (@sexedwithdbpodcast)

TikTok: @‌sexedwithdb Sex Ed with DB on TikTok

Twitter/X: @‌sexedwithdb Sex Ed with DB (@SexEdwithDB) on X

Email: [email protected]

Support the show

Bluesky: @thegynarchy
Instagram: @thegynarchy
TikTok: @thegynarchy
YouTube: @thegynarchy

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Website: www.thegynarchypodcast.com

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Medical disclaimer: The content provided on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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Here are some of the topics we discuss:

The current state of sexual health education in the US
Religious and cultural influence on sex education, particularly purity culture
The harmful messages shared in abstinence-only programs
Goals of comprehensive sexual education
The need for mandated consent education
The rise of misogyny and rape culture
Providing age appropriate sex education to children in the home and at school
Harms of poor sex ed, including increased risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases
Better, international models for comprehensive sexual education

Resources referenced in this episode:

Guttmacher Institute: Sex Education and HIV Education

Tune in on Monday, February 3, 2025 and make sure to subscribe to stay updated on all our episodes.

Where to connect with Danielle Bezalel:

Instagram: @‌sexedwithdbpodcast Instagram (@sexedwithdbpodcast)

TikTok: @‌sexedwithdb Sex Ed with DB on TikTok

Twitter/X: @‌sexedwithdb Sex Ed with DB (@SexEdwithDB) on X

Email: [email protected]

Support the show

Bluesky: @thegynarchy
Instagram: @thegynarchy
TikTok: @thegynarchy
YouTube: @thegynarchy

‌

Website: www.thegynarchypodcast.com

‌__

Previous Episode

Episode 14: Reflections of a Black Physician in America with Uché Blackstock, MD

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Welcome to another episode of The Gynarchy Podcast! In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I am thrilled to feature emergency physician, founder of Advancing Health Equity, and author Dr. Uché Blackstock to discuss her New York Times bestselling memoir Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.

In “Episode 14: Reflections of a Black Physician in America”, Dr. Blackstock shares some of her personal stories as a patient and doctor within the healthcare system, weaving in her knowledge about the impact of systemic racism on patients of color, and her work to create a more equitable healthcare system.

Here are some of the topics we discuss:

The underrepresentation of Black physicians in medicine and declining numbers despite diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts
Systemic racism and its impacts on social determinants of health
Her personal experience as a patient that led to misdiagnosis, delay in care, and complications
Her personal experiences with racism as a physician and working in academia
Disparities in care at public versus private hospitals, reflecting the populations they serve
The inherent political nature of healthcare and physicians’ roles as activists
Her current work and mission to advance health equity

Tune in on Thursday, January 20, 2025 and make sure to subscribe to stay updated on all our episodes.

Where to connect with Uché Blackstock, MD:

Instagram: @‌ucheblackstockmd Instagram (@ucheblackstockmd)

Bluesky: @‌ucheblackstockmd Uché Blackstock, MD (@ucheblackstockmd.bsky.social)

Twitter/X: @‌uche_blackstock uché blackstock, md (@uche_blackstock) on X

Facebook: @‌uche.blackstock https://www.facebook.com/uche.blackstock

TikTok: @‌ucheblackstockmd Uché Blackstock, MD on TikTok

LinkedIn: @‌uche-blackstock-md https://www.linkedin.com/in/uche-blackstock-md/

Support the show

Bluesky: @thegynarchy
Instagram: @thegynarchy
TikTok: @thegynarchy
YouTube: @thegynarchy

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Website: www.thegynarchypodcast.com

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Next Episode

Episode 16: Menstrual Rights with Sydney Ramon

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Welcome to another episode of The Gynarchy Podcast! Today, I am speaking to the National Policy Coordinator for Period, Sydney Ramon, about the critical topic of menstrual health equity.

In “Episode 16: Menstrual Rights”, Sydney brings her experience in public policy and nonprofit leadership to discuss how we can eradicate period poverty and menstrual stigma through advocacy, education, and service.

Here are some of the topics we discuss:

What is period poverty and what contributes to it
What is the tampon tax and what efforts are being made to eliminate it
Efforts to increase access to menstrual products and other efforts to eliminate period poverty
Impacts of menstrual stigma and shame
The lack of and need for menstrual health education among young people
How lack of access to menstrual products, menstrual stigma, and lack of menstrual health education all contribute to menstrual inequity and overall poorer health and life outcomes
Intersectional barriers to menstrual equity: socioeconomic, racial, and gender factors
Home ’s efforts in advocacy and education, nationally and in schools and communities
Call to action, how you can help

Tune in on Monday, February 17, 2025 and make sure to subscribe to stay updated on all our episodes.

Where to connect with Sydney Ramon and Period:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyraeramon/

Website: Period

TikTok: PERIOD on TikTok

Instagram: Instagram (@periodmovement)

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