Are women more likely to contract STDs? Can HIV be cured by having sex with a virgin? Is using two condoms safer than using one?

These are only a handful of the questions about sex that exist in the minds of high schoolers across the city. But because this topic often evokes discomfort and embarrassment, from both adults and young people, questions like these often go unasked. They become misconceptions. In the age of social media, where students like myself get a lot of their information about sex from the internet, misconceptions like these can and do cause real harm.

According to the New York City Department of Education, schools are only required to teach an HIV and AIDS curriculum. Sometimes even these few lessons are pushed to the margins because of parental disapproval or time concerns.

The result? A glaring void in comprehensive instruction on safe sex and healthy relationships. That’s a problem.

In this episode, you’ll hear more about the current standard of sex education in New York City high schools, how it affects teenagers and what needs to change.

So, get comfortable listeners, because we need to talk about sex.

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Miseducation is a podcast of The Bell that equips New York City public high school students with the tools to report on inequities in the nation’s largest school system.