Sex, Health and Society

Sport is an integral part of Australian life and provides a multitude of benefits for our society. It does however bring up issues of inclusiveness and participation and raises questions about how we could use sport to promote more inclusive societies for everyone.

Dr Gillian Fletcher (Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society) talks about issues of sport, sexuality, participation and inclusion.

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A recent study found that 54% of surveyed Australian teenagers reported receiving a sexually explicit text message and 26% reported sending a sexually explicit photo of themselves. It also looked at the sexual knowledge and activity of teenagers.

Report author Emeritus Professor Anne Mitchell (Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University) joins the podcast to discuss the findings.

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Liam Leonard (Director, GLHV, La Trobe University) on inclusive practise and setting up the Rainbow Tick, an LGBTI accreditation for organisations.

Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Professor Jayne Lucke (ARCSHS, La Trobe University) on contraception: what we know about it, how we use it, and the challenges of clearing up the confusion.

Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Jack Wallace (Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society) on attempts to change the public policy response to Hepatitis B.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Jack Wallace (Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society) on attempts to change the public policy response to Hepatitis B.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Liam Leonard (Acting Director, Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria (GLHV), Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University) raises the question - should we consider policy doing LGBTI differently?

Liam argues that what is needed now are not only initiatives that provide services to the victims of homophobic and transphobic abuse, what is needed now is not only legislative and social reforms and public education campaigns that target deeply held prejudicial attitudes towards LGBTI people.

What is needed now is a new approach, in which these initiatives sit under a policy framework that tells the entire population that LGBTI people are valued, and a unique part of the diversity that makes up our shared humanity.

What is needed is an approach that gives positive social value and weight to how LGBTI people live their own lives - in a world in which the particularities of doing LGBTI have everything to do with difference and diversity and nothing to do with prejudice and discrimination.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Dr Catherine Barrett (ARCSHS, La Trobe University) coordinates a program promoting the sexual health of older people at Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria and the Australian Research Centre in Sex Health and Society.

Catherine had a Big FAT Idea 2009 which was around creating a network supporting people providing services to older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) Australians. That big fat idea resulted in the establishment of Val’s Café - a network for aged care service providers, which there are now 180 aged care service providers that are members of Val's Café.

Catherine tells a number of stories of older GLBTI Australians, and their experiences in and out of aged care services.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Jenny Walsh (ARCSHS, La Trobe University) on sex education that works.

Despite worry about the effects of sexualised media content on children, and a swathe of research that documents a less than healthy state of young people's sexual health, Australia has still not managed to implement comprehensive school sexuality education. If it takes a village to raise a child then what are our respective roles in educating children about matters of sex, wellbeing and personal safety?

Copyright 2012 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Jenny Walsh (ARCSHS, La Trobe University) on sex education that works.

Despite worry about the effects of sexualised media content on children, and a swathe of research that documents a less than healthy state of young people's sexual health, Australia has still not managed to implement comprehensive school sexuality education. If it takes a village to raise a child then what are our respective roles in educating children about matters of sex, wellbeing and personal safety?

Copyright 2012 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.