Zines, Vaccines, and Advocacy:

Ella Meyer on Intersections in Sex Education 

Edited by Taruni Donti

In this conversation with Senior Communications Coordinator Taruni Donti, Ella discusses how where you live shapes access to sexual health information, how youth sexual health intersects with cancer prevention and other health indicators, and why everyone has a role to play in sex ed advocacy. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.   

Taruni: What was your first experience with sex education like, and how does that shape your work today? 

Ella: My sex ed experience was really the catalyst behind my internship. When I first started at Trailhead and met Ocean Candler, I mentioned that whenever I met new people in college, I would ask them what their sex ed experience was like.  

I grew up in the East Coast school system, which has solid sex ed. I took my first sex ed class in fourth grade, when I was still living in New Jersey. I distinctly remember that they separated the boys and the girls. In the girls’ room, the teacher would say, “okay, guys, this is a pad, and this is a tampon,” and would show us. She told us about her experiences and that of her sister and daughter. It was really not awkward. That class was a core memory.  

I moved to Connecticut in fifth grade. Literally every year, we had an age-appropriate sex ed health class. Sure, the normal adolescent discomfort would come up when talking about these topics, but the teachers – designated health teachers, not gym teachers – handled conversations so well. I loved every single health teacher I ever had. Ms. Kaiser in middle school will forever have my entire heart.  

When I went to college and met people from different parts of the country, I started hearing about other experiences. Like, “the South doesn’t get sex ed,” or, “here, they only teach abstinence-only sex ed.” So I would ask people, “what was sex ed like for you?” Most people I met who went through the East Coast public school system had a similar experience as I did. But most people who weren’t from the East Coast would say, “oh, we had maybe one semester in high school.” I couldn’t wrap my head around it.  

My experience shouldn’t have been the exception. It should have been the default. It’s crazy that your experience with sex ed can be so vastly different depending on where you grew up. It’s the main motivation behind why I wanted to support the Youth Sexual Health Program.  

“In 2023, the SIECUS Policy team developed the US Sex Ed Report Card to grade state sex education policies, providing a clearer understanding of sex education laws across the country and highlighting key gaps and discrepancies.” Image and quote from SIECUS. 

Taruni: Clearly, many different people affect the access that young people have to sex ed. What role do partnerships—especially with youth, school districts, or community-based organizations—play in expanding access to comprehensive sex education (CSE) in Colorado? 

Ella: I think these partnerships are how we expand access to CSE. It takes everybody getting together and advocating for what they want to make progress. Curriculums and sex ed are so politicized and controversial for no reason, and there’s so much misinformation and resistance to CSE. It truly takes every sector to collaborate and normalize sex ed, especially sex ed that is not just about STI and pregnancy prevention, but that is truly comprehensive.  

We must also be comprehensive and inclusive in how we advocate for CSE. We couldn’t do this work without our many partnerships – with young people, parents, school districts, community-based organizations, health professionals, policymakers – and the perspectives and lived experiences that people share with us in our advocacy together. Every single person has a role to play.  

Taruni: The Youth Sexual Health Program supports communities across the state. What differences come up in how youth navigate their sexual health in rural versus urban areas?  

Ella: In more urban areas, it’s easier to go under the radar and make decisions for yourself as a young person. Take Plan B for example. If you want Plan B, you may have the means to take a train to a nearby city where nobody knows you. The grocery store probably has self-checkouts, so you don’t need to interact with anybody. And it may be easier to hide the item after you buy it.  

In rural areas, you often lose the ability to receive or access information in a neutral, anonymous way. And you’re often more confined to your community. You may experience shame and stigma that’s harder to avoid because of how interconnected rural communities are. You might not have access to a train to a different town. You may only have access to one grocery store within the next 30 miles, and they may not even carry condoms or Plan B or other things you need. And there may be no self-checkouts. You may run into your grandma, aunt, or friend’s mom. Then your friend’s mom could find out you bought Plan B and that you might be having sex. It’s important to protect anonymity so that young people can make decisions for their own health. 

“The research in the literature review really supported that CSE is integral for the health and wellbeing of young people throughout the rest of their lives. At the end of the day, we’re just talking about health.” 

Taruni: You created an awesome zine about Plan B. What inspired you to create it, and how have you seen it support young people? 

Ella: I made the zine partly for my internship for my Master’s in Public Health (MPH) program. I wanted to create something that supports the local community. I worked with Ocean and Adrienne to identify what this would look like.  

Young people need access to medical information. The information in the packet that comes with Plan B is not accessible. If you’ve every opened a birth control packet, there’s a whole pamphlet of warnings and information that’s the size of an entire poster. But it’s information that young people need to read to make informed decisions. Looking for medical information elsewhere, such as online, might be unreliable.  

With the Plan B zine, we wanted to make medical information accessible to young people so they can make safe, informed decisions for their health. We included the most pertinent information in easy, accessible language. And why not make it fun while we’re at it? The zine draws you in with its color and use of icons. We included catchy titles like, “This is your backup plan in a pill.” The design takes away some of the fear that comes with pharmaceuticals. We want young people to enjoy reading the zine, keep it, and maybe even share it with their peers.  

Ella Meyer holding the Plan B Zine. 

The Plan B zine accompanied free Plan B medication in a library in Paonia, a rural town in Colorado. Paonia is a very small town where it’s harder for young people to go to other nearby towns. The Learning Council was really the only space where young people could access unshameful care. With the zine, we built off what The Learning Council was already doing to help further empower young people to make decisions for their own sexual health without having to worry about what anyone else thinks. 

If you walk into this community space, you’ll see Plan B on a shelf with the zine right next to it. The intent was to draw your eye to the zine so young people would say, “oh, let me go ahead and grab this zine, too.” The zine is being really well received, it’s awesome. A lot of young people have been using the zine, and other organizations are interested in creating something similar that works in their space.  

Taruni: You also did an in-depth literature review of CSE. What stood out to you from your research? Based on what you found, what gaps do you see in how sexual health information is shared, and how are you and the team as a whole trying to fill them?

Ella: I learned a lot during this literature review. Usually when people think of sex ed, they think of reducing teen pregnancy and STI prevention, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Adrienne Gomez really helped us shift the focus of CSE from just sex ed to health education more broadly. What really stood out to me was that CSE has massive implications on your health and wellbeing throughout your life.  

For example, a key part of CSE is consent. Consent doesn’t only apply to sexual experiences, but across your whole life across many different types of situations. Teaching and discussing consent further supports young people in their own autonomy. In one part of the literature review, we also found that when kids get access to CSE, child abuse reporting rates go up. This doesn’t mean that child abuse increases, but that kids have the tools to recognize child abuse, can identify who their trusted adults are, and are empowered to report abuse through safe channels.  

CSE also helps decrease bullying rates, helps facilitate honest and open conversations, normalizes diversity and empathy, and builds safety. Many CSE curriculums create space for kids to role play situations in a safe environment and experience how to navigate difficult conversations about their relationships and their bodies. Young people can also carry these skills into navigating the medical system and healthcare. These skills are universal, and no other class in K-12 teaches them. Young people deserve access to this information to advocate for themselves. Even though they’re young, they have the power to make these decisions, and nobody else gets to tell them otherwise. For many kids, CSE might be the first time they hear this. 

There’s a clear need to shift the perception of CSE away from “oh, you’re just encouraging young people to have sex,” or “once they know about sex, they’re going to want to have sex.” The research in the literature review really supported that CSE is integral for the health and wellbeing of young people throughout the rest of their lives. At the end of the day, we’re just talking about health.  

“Knowledge is power, and it’s important to start building, at a young age, the knowledge and habits that prevent cancer.” 

Taruni: You have also been leading the creation of several one–pagers based on what you learned in your literature review. Can you walk me through your process for creating them? 

Ella: For some background, my MPH required that I complete two types of internships: an Applied Practice Experience (APE) and an Integrative Learning Experience (ILE). An APE required two deliverables useful to the organization I interned with. An ILE required some sort of research and included a formal write-up, literature, paper, or a similar deliverable.  

My first deliverable for the APE internship was the zine. Then, we had the idea to create one-pagers that encourage CSE advocacy. Currently, Colorado has no state mandate for CSE. School districts can choose between teaching CSE or no sex ed at all. This then prompted me to delve into the current research on CSE, leading me to complete the literature review for my ILE. The literature review is very long, very dense. While that level of information is useful for some, most people won’t have the time, energy, or will to read through the whole report. We wanted to translate the information in the literature review into something clear, accessible, and eye-catching that is relevant to people in their current demographic and identity.  

Going through the literature review again, we asked ourselves, “what would young people most want to know about CSE? How about parents and guardians? Educators and administrators? Healthcare professionals? Policymakers?” The one-pagers allow these audiences to access the information most relevant to them as quickly as possible. Then, readers can find tailored ways to advocate for CSE.  

After creating an initial draft of the one-pagers, we hosted feedback sessions with the Youth Healthcare Alliance’s Youth Advisory Board. We’ve also hosted feedback sessions with other groups to ensure that the one-pagers truly speak to them. I really encourage everyone to look through the one-pager that speaks most to your identity and find ways to advocate for CSE in your community.  

Taruni: You are also Project Manager for the Colorado Cancer Coalition (CCC). How do you see your work in both spaces overlapping and informing each other?      

Ella: The main overlap we’ve identified is through the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Task Force, one of the nine volunteer-led task forces that make up the CCC. HPV vaccination lowers the risk of HPV-associated disease and cancer. As the HPV vaccine is typically recommended for youth at 11 or 12 years old, we’re exploring ways to center youth voices in HPV vaccine advocacy. One option is to create a peer-to-peer learning space where young people can learn and share information about the HPV vaccine and youth sexual health more broadly. It could also be a great way to address misinformation and build support among parents.  

Some other Task Forces have also been curious about how they can better engage youth in their work. Knowledge is power, and it’s important to start building, at a young age, the knowledge and habits that prevent cancer.

Taruni: Absolutely, a great example is in skin cancer prevention. Applying sunscreen and minimizing sun exposure are great habits to build as early as possible.  

Ella: Exactly. We’re exploring other ways to meet kids where they’re at and empower them with the information to make healthy decisions for themselves. And young people are so smart. I’m excited to see where these ideas go in the next year.   

Taruni: Speaking of meeting youth where they’re at, what are some forms of media – movies, TV shows, books, and more – that you loved growing up and help you learn more about sex ed-related topics? 

Ella: You’re going to laugh at this. Have you ever heard of The Secret Life of an American Teenager? Shailene Woodley gets pregnant at 16. It’s a full-blown TV show that came out in 2008 and goes on for five seasons. It covered pregnancy, sex, cheating, the body, talking to parents, doctor’s appointments. And it was so badly portrayed! But it did make a first step in normalizing these things. It wasn’t just the cool kids having sex. Literally, this random chick gets pregnant the first time she ever has sex, and she goes through her journey with really weird parents. So good.

Taruni: (laughs) I know another well-known one is Sex Education. I also enjoyed East Los High. 

Ella: Also, shout-out to the American Girl’s The Care and Keeping of You. [Reading from a webpage:] “Hair care, bra buying, pimples, menstruation, and much more. 1998.” I actually never got the book from my parents – my parents never talked to me about sex because they were like, “your school’s got it.” But usually parents would give their young girls this American Girl Doll book all about puberty and with graphic, anatomically correct images. And then you would be at a sleepover and a friend would pull out the book. You would inadvertently learn while laughing at the pages because you’re nine years old and this is really funny stuff. I think the The Care and Keeping of You is actually the most impactful book I ever read regarding health. Of course at the time, I was just like, “Show me the boobs” (laughs).