Stepping Into Advocacy and Understanding Access
I never expected that, as a teenager, I would spend so much time informing others about periods, birth control, and safe sex. Most teens receive little to no accurate information on these topics, let alone the opportunity to write articles or create content about them to reach such large audiences. But when I started working with women’s reproductive health organizations like Power to Decide, Bedsider, and Arkansas Birth Control, that’s exactly what happened to me. And even though it was uncomfortable at first, the experience taught me more than I ever imagined about communication, confidence, and what young people truly need to feel empowered. I learned to love everything about my body and being a woman.
Breaking Silence Around Taboo Topics
One of the first things I learned was that these “taboo” topics aren’t actually taboo at all; they’re just things adults don’t know how to talk about comfortably with their kids. Which can cause them to grow up and be clueless; that’s when I come in. When I wrote my first blog post about periods, I remember feeling nervous that people would judge me or think it was “too much.” But the more I wrote and the more I created TikToks normalizing discussions about sex, contraception, and reproductive choices, the easier and more fun it became for me as an advocate. I realized that young women crave honesty, transparency, and especially the realism about these topics I discussed. They want a space where nothing is awkward or shameful. Once I overcame my own hesitation, I saw how powerful open conversation really is.
Confronting Misinformation & Myths
Working in this space also exposed how much misinformation young people are carrying around. I would write something as simple as “you can’t get pregnant from touching sperm with your hand,” and people would respond like I had revealed some secret science discovery. There are so many myths about birth control causing infertility, about periods being “dirty,” and “disgusting,” and about consent only counting in certain situations. And a lot of this confusion comes from the fact that schools and families avoid these conversations altogether due to people being uncomfortable discussing them. My work taught me that young people like myself need accurate, culturally relevant information, especially young black girls who are often left out of mainstream health messaging. When we don’t have the right information, we can’t make the right choices.
Why Representation in Sexual Health Matters
One of the most meaningful parts of the job was realizing how important representation and storytelling are in reproductive health. Writing and literature to me have always been a getaway me and I felt writing for such a big audience healed so much within me and warmed my heart that I reached a national platform of youth that I can advocate for, since it’s something I’m so passionate about as a woman. Me writing about these topics made it comfortable; it made it so teens don’t hear it from someone who sounds like a textbook. They want to hear from someone who understands their struggles, their questions, and their awkward moments, someone who’s been through it all. Every time someone told me, “This made me feel seen,” or “I didn’t know anyone else felt like this,” it reminded me why I started. Being a young black writer speaking honestly about sexual health created a connection that other girls weren’t getting anywhere else.
Finding My Voice As An Advocate
Professionally speaking, this experience helped me find my voice in ways I didn’t expect. I was writing blogs, emailing teams, showing up to virtual meetings, and presenting my ideas to adults who respected my input. It pushed me to grow up a little faster and step into my confidence as a communicator. I learned time management, how to collaborate with diverse cultures, and how to edit my writing so it was both informative and relatable, all skills that still help me today in my budding career. It proved that you don’t have to be older to make meaningful contributions. You just have to be willing to show up and speak up, and be passionate.
Over time, I also started to see the bigger picture. Reproductive health isn’t just about having condoms available or understanding your period cycle. It’s about access. It’s about stigma. It’s about the historical and cultural barriers that impact women disproportionally. Learning more about these systems and listening to professionals made me even more passionate about health equity and, most of all, reproductive rights as a whole. It made me realize that teen voices matter, and that the conversations we start today can shape a healthier and more informed generation.
How This Experience Shaped My Future
This experience didn’t just influence my teenage years; it shaped my future goals and shaped me into the woman I am today, who is still an advocate and still a writer. As someone who hopes to support the health and confidence of black women through my long-term career plans, this work was my first introduction to what real advocacy looks like. It taught me that I want to be involved in creating spaces where women feel seen, heard, supported, and educated.
Looking back, working with women’s reproductive health organizations was one of the most impactful experiences of my teen years and my favourite. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, helped me grow as a communicator, and taught me the importance of providing young people with the information they deserve. Most importantly, it showed me that our stories matter and when we’re brave enough to share them, we make it easier for others to speak up too.