The Met High School (Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center), located in South Providence is not a “traditional” school; as a student at the Met I was able to engage in internships and research projects–to participate in real-life learning. I was particularly interested in healthcare and concentrated on women’s health and sex education. One of the Met graduation requirements is to conduct a Senior Thesis Project (STP), which reflects the work students have done for the past four years.
For my senior year I interned at The Womxn Project a local nonprofit organization that advocates for accessible healthcare. They work to create social change, collaborating with communities through art and activism. The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade made the importance of access to education, information, and good healthcare of even greater urgency to me as a young woman of color. The internship with The Womxn Project highlighted the importance of Reproductive Justice, which became the focus of my Senior Thesis Project. According to another local advocacy organization, SisterSong, “Reproductive Justice is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.”
The Survey
My goal was to bring awareness of Reproductive Justice to teens, and working with The Womxn Project, I hosted a conversation with teens, medical providers, and community members to better understand how Reproductive Justice is viewed through the different lenses of groups in our community. I created a survey that focused on teen interests and knowledge, and got feedback from my STP mentors: Kaitlynn Castillo, then of the Womxn Project and Michelle Cox, the Professional Development Director at The Met High School. With their advice I was able to make the questions more inclusive and open ended.
I went into classrooms in person to explain my project. A QR code linked directly to the survey made it easier for students to access it, and I was able to collect 83 responses. Most students are between 14 and 18 years old and they come from various locations in Rhode Island, including Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls. Over 80% of students at The Met are BIPOC, with a significant portion identifying as Hispanic/Latino.
The Conversation
On February 12th, 2024, I hosted a conversation at The Womxn Project site. Teens of all genders attended, as well as teachers/advisors, parents, a medical student and a doctor, all from different backgrounds and identities. This was an amazing night, and it was really meaningful to hear everyone’s voices. The environment was safe enough that the participants felt comfortable to express their perspectives and listen to each other. And, we had snacks and drinks–I think everyone’s favorite part–the pizza was definitely one of mine!
The Reproductive Justice Conversation, focused on several topics, including:
- How do teens learn about sex currently?
- How do parents’ backgrounds affect which topics they discuss with their teens?
- How do medical professionals talk with teens and who is in the room for the conversation?
- How much detail is discussed in conversations about sex and what resources are available?
Talking about Sex Between Teens and their Parents
Teens generally acknowledged that being first-generation means they’re figuring things out on their own, using their own experiences and what they learn in school to understand the world around them. Since parents might not have been formally educated about sex themselves, it can be tough for them to talk about it with their children. So, they often turn to friends, teachers, or the internet for information.
“First generation you are kinda experiencing things firsthand, so all the knowledge of teens is either their real world experience or school.” (Teen)
Culture plays a significant role in the way students receive sex education, and often influences whether parents opt their children out of it.
‘They think they are shielding their children, but they are actually hurting them…. Middle schoolers are getting pregnant and I think that happens because of the lack of education.”(Teen)
Different demographics, influenced by factors like religion and upbringing, have varying views on sex education. Additionally, cultural norms can impact how open families are to discussing these topics, which can affect communication between parents and children.
“Being here sometimes now the children don’t open up as much to that type of conversation and don’t have that open communication platform in their homes.” (Parent)
So, even though some cultures might not encourage open conversations about sex, it’s important for teens to have access to accurate information and a supportive environment to discuss it.
Sex Education between Teen Patients and Their Doctors
Medical students are taught to ask open-ended questions to make conversations more inclusive and less awkward. Building trust with doctors is important, but it can be challenging if patients only see them once a year and don’t have much time to develop a relationship. Overall, it’s important for teens to feel supported and understood by their medical providers so they can get the care and information they need.
“I am a medical student at Brown… The nature of the way you ask that question as a provider is very important… Or maybe not asking the question at all, more like: What’s your understanding of sex? What’s your understanding of what people your age might be doing with sex?… That might get you a better response…. By making that aspect more inclusive in terms of how you ask the question goes a long way.” (Medical Student)
A Child’s Right to HIPAA
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was established to protect a patient’s right to privacy. Each person is legally protected from others seeing their personal, medical information. Some doctors create a safe space by asking parents to leave the room for one-on-one conversations; this can help teens feel more comfortable discussing personal matters.
“I have this pediatrician now that is much better to talk to about mental health… She would ask my parents to leave the room so she could talk to me one-on-one…That’s not really happening in other situations…Being able to talk to your person one-on-one is good but because people aren’t able to do that, they are embarrassed in front of their parents to say that they want to get tested for HIV…” (Teen)
However, not all doctors do this, and some might feel uncomfortable, themselves, due to cultural taboos. This can make it hard for teens to open up about things like getting tested.
Parents who are not aware of this law can be uncomfortable with doctors speaking privately with their children, but it’s all about helping both parents and teens feel more comfortable and informed during medical visits.
“As a parent the first time I was told to leave I was like “oh okay” I didn’t say anything, but I felt a little awkward like “oh what’s going on?” …. As I am sitting outside a billion things came to my mind… I did not know what was happening… Parents should also be educated; this is just the process…. I am glad they do that because it teaches them and it’s better for them.” (Parent)
What is Considered Good Sex Education?
“It’s not just what are you learning in the classroom/What are you learning from Google but more of how are you applying the information you are getting?…Are you having other conversations, are you getting different perspectives?… Are you really learning what you are comfortable in learning? Learning what is healthiest for you to do?… “(Teacher/Advisor)
It’s important for teens to have open conversations, hear different perspectives, and think about what’s healthiest for them.
“Good education can be such a broad term because you can only know so much. To me I feel like I’ve had a good all gendered sex education [at The Met] … It depends on the student definition of good.” (Teen)
What else?
Participants engaged in discussions about the survey data and were also able to hear each other’s perspectives. This conversation brought awareness, which, in turn, they can keep using to educate others.
To extend the project, I partnered with AmenityAid, a local nonprofit, to host a period product drive. I believe that menstruation is a part of health and that these products should be more accessible or free to people who get periods. Together with other Met students, we placed collection bins at various locations in Providence, and then delivered the period products to Amenity Aid.
Reproductive Justice plays an important role when it comes to making a community flourish. Integral to our collective health is access to knowledge that allows us to make good choices for ourselves and be accountable to others.
Reproductive justice can help all women have good maternal nutrition, planned pregnancies, and healthy babies. Access to programs in sex education at public schools like the Met, and through organizations like the Womxn Project, are educating teens on risks that we can control and rights that we deserve. As a young woman of color, I have learned the importance of being represented and that such things are worth fighting for.
Gabriela Cornelio Hernandez was born and raised in the Dominican Republic until the age of nine. Since coming to the U.S., she has been very happy as a resident of Providence and this June, graduated from the Met High School. In the fall she’s staying local and will be attending Rhode Island College to pursue a bachelor’s in health sciences. Passionate about women’s health and justice, she intends to stay on the pre-med track in the hope of one day becoming an Ob-Gyn.
