Sex can be hard to talk about. It can be difficult to discuss frankly with family members, friends and even your health care providers. But without addressing that stigma, myths and misinformation can have long-term consequences, particularly for women.

For example, women in the U.S. disproportionately cope with the long-term effects of STDs compared to men, sometimes causing infertility and infant mortality. They are also at higher risk of being in situations where they have less autonomy over sexual and reproductive decisions. And in a 2023 survey, more than 1 in 3 women said their sex ed hadn’t even prepared them for changes to their menstrual cycle.

Sex education can overcome both stigma and misinformation.

Reset sat down with an intergenerational panel of women to discuss sexual health and how the knowledge gap seems to persist across generations.

GUESTS: Tyesha Thomas, student, DePaul University

Dr. Traci Kurtzer, gynecologist and menopause specialist, Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause

Cheryle Jackson, co-host of WBEZ’s When Magic Happens podcast, CEO, MyOwnDoctor