Welcome to Self-Taught, a podcast from foster youth, for foster youth, with unfiltered conversations about sex, health and life. These are the conversations about puberty, relationships, sexual health, identity and much more that we wish were part of our upbringing.
When you are in foster care, there aren’t always people to answer the big questions or to make it easy to open up about sensitive stuff. That’s why we’re bringing these conversations to you. We hope these episodes spark questions and provide resources for you, to find answers, feel empowered, and have community.
Self-Taught is hosted by the youth advisory board of the Reproductive Health Equity Project at the National Center for Youth Law and supported through a grant to the National Center for Youth Law from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
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Thank you to our Youth Advisory Board for the inspiration and content; John Freret for music; Mezclao Studio, cover art; Melissa Russom, podcast producing; and the National Center for Youth Law for sponsorship!
What Are Foster Youth’s Rights To Healthcare? In this Episode, Tamar and Alexis sit down with Rebecca Gudeman to highlight many of these rights for youth in California and to talk about what often gets in the way of youth in care being able to fully benefit from them.
How Can Foster Youth Use Birth Control on Their Terms? In this episode, Kat and Brandy talk about their personal experiences with birth control and provide an overview of the variety of birth control methods available.
Former Foster Youth On Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) In this episode, we discuss methods for safe sex, relatable accounts of what it’s like to navigate the healthcare system with an STI, shaking off stigma, being open and feeling safe with partners, and more.
What foster youth need to know about prenatal care. In this episode, Kat, Cody, Phillisha and Sarah talk about getting the care you need leading up to birth, which is known as prenatal care.
Abortion Care According to Former Foster Youth. In this unflinchingly honest episode, Tamar, Phillisha, and Cody discuss abortion care in this open.
It’s Complicated: Mental Health and Foster Care. In this episode, Kat, Elyzabeth, Alexis, and Esme talk about the unique challenges (former) foster youth face when accessing the mental healthcare services they need.
Nobody Taught Me About Sexual And Reproductive Health. In this episode, we discuss “the talk,” puberty, birth control, and finding the right doctor while growing up in foster care.
Intersections of Identity in Foster Care. In this episode, we discuss intersectional identity, including being non-binary and neuro-divergent.
Finding Myself. In this episode, Daniel discusse what motivates him to be an advocate for the gay community now, and bringing “me and all of my selves.”
Consent. In this episode, Tamar and Kat dig into consent as an important component of any healthy relationship – not just the sexual ones.
“Mixed Diaspora” and finding a sense of belonging. In this episode, Kat and Alexis talk about how they have found a sense of belonging throughout various parts of their lives.
Reparenting. In this Episode, Phillisha and Tamar talk about how they each actively sought to reparent themselves – filling in gaps from their own development – in order to be the best parent for their child.
What Are Foster Youth’s Rights To Healthcare? In this Episode, Tamar and Alexis sit down with Rebecca Gudeman to highlight many of these rights for youth in California and to talk about what often gets in the way of youth in care being able to fully benefit from them.
How Can Foster Youth Use Birth Control on Their Terms? In this episode, Kat and Brandy talk about their personal experiences with birth control and provide an overview of the variety of birth control methods available.
Former Foster Youth On Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) In this episode, we discuss methods for safe sex, relatable accounts of what it’s like to navigate the healthcare system with an STI, shaking off stigma, being open and feeling safe with partners, and more.
What foster youth need to know about prenatal care. In this episode, Kat, Cody, Phillisha and Sarah talk about getting the care you need leading up to birth, which is known as prenatal care.
Abortion Care According to Former Foster Youth. In this unflinchingly honest episode, Tamar, Phillisha, and Cody discuss abortion care in this open.
It’s Complicated: Mental Health and Foster Care. In this episode, Kat, Elyzabeth, Alexis, and Esme talk about the unique challenges (former) foster youth face when accessing the mental healthcare services they need.
Nobody Taught Me About Sexual And Reproductive Health. In this episode, we discuss “the talk,” puberty, birth control, and finding the right doctor while growing up in foster care.
Intersections of Identity in Foster Care. In this episode, we discuss intersectional identity, including being non-binary and neuro-divergent.
Finding Myself. In this episode, Daniel discusse what motivates him to be an advocate for the gay community now, and bringing “me and all of my selves.”
Consent. In this episode, Tamar and Kat dig into consent as an important component of any healthy relationship – not just the sexual ones.
“Mixed Diaspora” and finding a sense of belonging. In this episode, Kat and Alexis talk about how they have found a sense of belonging throughout various parts of their lives.
Reparenting. In this Episode, Phillisha and Tamar talk about how they each actively sought to reparent themselves – filling in gaps from their own development – in order to be the best parent for their child.
Self-Taught is fully supported by a grant to the National Center for Youth Law from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. We are very grateful for their support. Contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Hilton Foundation.
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