On The Couch with Laura Crozier

[00:00:00] Jennifer Farinella: Hello, and welcome to an episode of On the Couch, where we collaborate with experts, practitioners, authors, advocates, and influencers to explore current social themes, sex positive topics, and share stories and insights that matter. This podcast was recorded on Aboriginal Country. We Acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands that were never ceded on which we live, work, and record upon.

We pay our respects to elders past and present, and to those who may be visiting our website or listening to our podcasts today. While listening, we encourage you to practice good self care. Check the show notes for content details and references. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, enjoy this episode of On the Couch.

[00:00:47] Maddy Stratten: Hello and welcome I'm Maddy Stratten and I'm joined today by Laura Crozier. Hello and welcome.

[00:00:54] Laura Crozier: Hi, thank you so much for having me.

[00:00:56] Maddy Stratten: I think about when we first met, Laura, when we were at the Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference in Manly in 2023, and you were on the panel and I'm just looking at my notes so I get the title because it's quite a long title. 'Can I ask that meaningful involvement of LGBTQIA plus youth in conversation about sexual and reproductive health and health systems'. So that's where we first met. Almost a year ago now. It does, I can't believe, yeah, we've made it to this point because I remember we were sitting as a team, the Caddyshack team was sitting together and, and we were watching and we took one look at each other and we knew that we needed to ask you to join us On The Couch.

It was your passion and your presence, but also your insight into these topic areas and your knowledge. So it's pretty exciting to be at this point. I'm really looking forward to exploring youth mental health and sexual health with you.

[00:02:01] Laura Crozier: Yeah, absolutely. I'm so honored to be here. I, um, yeah, that conference was such a whirlwind for me. It was like my first kind of big step out into like the sexual health world in like a professional sense, I suppose.

And leaving there and having all these new opportunities was like the highlight of the conference and meeting so many new people. It was just amazing.

[00:02:21] Maddy Stratten: Yeah I'm itching to dive straight in, but I don't want to rush. I want to get settled in this space and, um, start with a bit of a, a bio for our listeners to get to know you, Laura.

So Laura is an Affirmative Consent Project Officer working on the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria. So that's YACVIC. You have recently joined the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition as well, which congratulations.

[00:02:49] Laura Crozier: Thank you.

[00:02:50] Maddy Stratten: Uh, we know that you are passionate about advocating for mental health awareness and improving access to sexual health care and education for young people. And you co host a podcast Growing Up Clueless where you and Miranda Johnson-Jones share your stories, provide fact based advice around stigmatized issues that young people face.

I want to get into talking about your work, Laura. But what we've been starting to do with our guests On The Couch recently is, um spend a little bit of time, I guess introducing your story and using this concept of fields of existence or coordinates of belonging. And we thank Leah from Co Culture for introducing us to this concept. Uh, it's that our beings are a field that are made up of stories that we've been told, our ancestors that have existed, the land under our feet and the places that we stand and all of these forces form who we are in this moment as contextual beings.

So it's a concept that we've really loved exploring for ourselves. And, and I think it's a really great opportunity, um, when we have guests join us On The Couch to kind of start with a bit of that story. Um, so yeah, I'd love to get started with some of that for you, Laura, how you define and how you locate yourself and what your coordinates of belonging are.

[00:04:19] Laura Crozier: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much. I'll also Acknowledge that today I'm joining from the Wadawurrung lands. Sovereignty was never ceded and it's a real privilege to be living on such beautiful lands. Um, so, The coordinates of belonging when we spoke about this last week, Maddy, straight away, really resonated with me. And I went back and watched the videos explaining the entire kind of construct that, um, she talks about and I was really moved by it. And there was 1 quote in particular that I really, really loved and it was 'the more we know about ourselves the more autonomy we have over how we define ourselves'. And that really stuck with me because I feel like over the past 18 months, I've been on a real journey of trying to understand who I am as a person.

And a lot of that has defined who I am. Um, so I've recently been diagnosed with autism and ADHD, and that I feel is a huge part of my existence that prior to now, I haven't really been able to identify or feel safe within or comfortable within who I am because I didn't understand it. So the more that I understand that, the, you know, more autonomy I do feel I have over my existence, which is really comforting in a way. Um, but then I also feel like whilst that is now part of me and I can understand it and I can learn to better understand my mind and my body and kind of how, why I react to certain situations in different ways and, you know, don't necessarily feel normal all the time, but really what is normal, um, it's, it's not exactly like, it's not all of who I am, there's so much more to me. Like I think that a huge part of who I am and my existence is my lived experience. Uh, whether that be as a victim survivor of sexual assault, whether it be lived experience of mental ill health, um, all these parts of me make up who I am. But I think at the core of it, I'm also just someone that really, really loves helping other people.

And whilst these experiences kind of benefit that journey and being able to speak up and help others, um, at the core, I just, yeah, want to use my experience to make the world a safer space for people who have experiences similar to me.

[00:06:42] Maddy Stratten: Yeah. Yeah. I do feel as though like when you understand that about yourself and you've got the opportunities to use that and practice that in your, in your work and in your life. I think is a really special thing to be able to do. So, yeah, thanks so much for sharing, sharing that with us, but I do remember you saying to me that you did have a dream about a beanie and a hockey team, so I feel as though that might be something that is an important coordinate for you.

[00:07:15] Laura Crozier: I think my answer was so like focused on the things that I'm really passionate about in like a more serious sense. But if I deep dive into my coordinates of belonging that aren't necessarily focused on sexual health or mental health or advocacy, um, ice hockey is up there. I mean, I have become an absolute fiend for ice hockey.

I love it. Um, and I get made fun of a lot for the reason that I got into ice hockey and that's because I read a hockey romance book and I really loved it and ever since then I've become obsessed with ice hockey. I think it's an incredible game to watch.

[00:07:55] Maddy Stratten: I mean it is, sure, but I also love that it came from a romance novel.

[00:07:59] Laura Crozier: Yeah, you learn a lot when reading books that, um, aren't at all educational.

[00:08:10] Maddy Stratten: I love that too. Right. Little plug here for What We're Reading library. And, and I think we do follow each other on Goodreads as well. Lots of great fiction and nonfiction in there for our listeners to jump into, but maybe this ice hockey one we need to include. I don't know. Like it could be the next thing?

[00:08:27] Laura Crozier: I could recommend some because I've read a lot.

[00:08:31] Maddy Stratten: I love that. That kind of leads into the Growing Up Clueless podcast, because I don't know why, but in my head, like books and podcasts kind of go together. It's like feeling like vibes. The Growing Up Clueless website is fire it's so good. Everyone check it out growing up clueless. com. You and Miranda Johnson-Jones have done a really great job at creating a safe place for listeners to hear a real discussion about kind of taboo topics and stigmatized issues that young people actually face. It really does feel like you're sitting on the bedroom floor, like getting ready and listening to friends yap. So, um, yeah, I really love that it's fact based advice, but also sharing those real life stories, you know, without judgment or expectations or trying to fit into a certain mold of what a podcast should sound like. Also feel like podcasting bridges that gap in education and access in particular to sexual and reproductive healthcare and mental healthcare in an empowering way. Uh, so yeah, can you take us back to how the podcast started? And I know, um, there was also that, uh, It's Time To Talk video project as well.

So can you share a little bit about that for our listeners?

[00:09:55] Laura Crozier: Yeah, absolutely. So Miranda and I actually met, um, when we both joined a youth ambassadors program run by our local Shire Council. So we both grew up in the Macedon Ranges, which is, um, a regional town in central Victoria. And so we both, yeah, joined this youth ambassadors program and one of the goals that that, um, program has is that you as a group pick a topic that you're kind of seeing as a societal issue in our community and then, um, deliver like a, a project based on that about, you know, raising awareness or something along those lines and, yeah, this year we kind of wanted to pick our topic, but I was at a point in my life where I was, um, really still deep in my trauma and didn't necessarily know how to speak about it in a safe way or really do anything about it, to be honest, other than kind of wallow in what was happening in my life at the time. Um, and I was probably, I think I was 16 or 17 at the time. And so we had this meeting and the whole discussion was, okay, what things could we do? You know, and I was having a really awful day. So I was so quiet throughout this whole meeting.

I remember I was like, the epitome of a sad girl. Like I was, you know, head down, not focusing, fidgeting, um, not engaging with anyone. Um, and then I remember listening to this conversation and we were talking about all the different things that, you know, we could do a project on. And there was things like mental health and body image and, you know, all these really, important, deserving topics, but also they just weren't what was on my mind at the time.

And I was really, really frightened to speak up about what I thought was important. Um, and so I kind of waited until the very last minute where everyone's like, okay see ya, I was like, wait, no. Um, and so I kind of stopped everyone and said, I think that, um, we should maybe raise awareness for sexual assault.

I think, um, you know, that would be a really important thing to discuss. Um, and I think that, you know, I was so lucky that everyone in the group kind of went, 'Oh, that's actually a really good point because none of us have ever broached the topic with anyone in our lives' and that was what I was really struggling with at the time.

Because I was a victim survivor, I was attending school with my perpetrator, which was a really hard thing to do. So I was constantly reliving this trauma. Um, and I had no one to talk to about it because I didn't understand, like, I didn't know that I could talk to people about it and it not be, you know, put on me, um, that it not be something that you know, I did wrong. I put myself in that position. So I deserved what happened to me. And that's kind of the mentality that I had going into this is that if I'm feeling like that, like someone that prior to this has been really open and honest about her mental health journey, you know, is an advocate for all these other things that I really care about.

If I'm sitting here thinking, gosh, I have nothing to do. I have no one to talk to. I can't even imagine what that experience would be like for somebody else that, you know, didn't have the support system that I had in place already. So, um, yeah, I was so lucky that everyone was really on board with that.

And that's when It's Time To Talk was born. So It's Time To Talk is a resource video for victim survivors of sexual assault. Um, and that was kind of, the goal was to be something that someone could watch feel seen and feel heard and validated. Um, but then once it was created, it kind of turned into this thing that, oh, it doesn't actually need to be once something's already happened.

It doesn't need to be a resource for someone that is has already experienced that trauma. This is actually when, um, we can, you know, use this education as a preventative measure. And so our, our thinking kind of changed around that, which was also really empowering to be like, okay, we don't have to wait until the worst has happened in order to actually help people.

So we became really passionate about, like, making sure that that video got out there. Um, we did like a community launch and it was picked up by the Department of Education to be a resource within the Respectful Relationships program, which was really exciting. Um, and then kind of from there, we just didn't want it to stop.

So we wanted to keep going with the momentum that we had from that video launch. And that's when Growing Up Clueless was born, which was really exciting. Miranda and I just wanted to keep going, we wanted to keep doing more, having more conversations. So we were so lucky to get some funding from Kyneton Community House and the Zonta Club of Kyneton um, to start this podcast.

So we, developed Growing Up Clueless life advice from two unqualified experts, and it became our passion project. So we wanted to really bridge the gap between mainstream education and what young people actually need, the education they need but they're missing out on. Um, so sexual health was kind of the focus to begin with, but kind of since then, we just want to expand it more and more and more.

We want to talk about everything that we feel we missed out on in high school. We want to make sure that young people feel empowered and educated when it comes to their sexual health. We want to make sure that they feel like they can have discussions with their doctors, and not feel shamed or judged and be able to speak up for themselves.

We want them to know where the local sexual health clinic is we want them to be able to access mental health resources. We want them to be able to do their taxes and not like freak out because it's something that we just aren't taught about. Um, you know, and we want to empower everyone in a way that is meaningful to them.

So, you know, we want to talk about things like women in sport and leadership, and we want to talk about toxic masculinity and how we combat that in our everyday lives. You know, it's something, that it's Growing Up Clueless is really just a place for people to come and feel like they can relate to our experience.

Um, we're very open and very honest about literally every embarrassing thing that's ever happened in our lives. Um, much, much to the dismay of my mum, no doubt. She's like, God, I can't believe this um, so there's times where I'm like a relaying, you know, a certain mishap that happened with a partner once.

I'm like, Ooh, Jane, sorry, darl. It's for the listeners, it's for education. That's fine. Educational, educational practices. You know, queefing is normal. You need to know that. Um. So yeah, it's just, we want people to have a laugh, we want them to feel heard, and um, we also want them to be able to ask the really hard questions.

So if they don't feel like they have someone else they can go to, we're like the, you know, the big sisters that they never had.

[00:17:11] Maddy Stratten: Yeah, yup. I think it's a really great platform to be able to have that interaction, I guess, with the target audience, which is young people and and something that people can tap in and out of as well, right? Like, you're not needing to listen to a whole series you can listen and jump in and out to get to get your answers.

As you know, On The Couch has evolved into a podcast now. Which, I feel as though the team has a new appreciation for what is involved in producing a podcast.

Yeah. And it is a lot of work to get to that stage it's so worth it though.

[00:17:50] Laura Crozier: Absolutely. It is a lot more work than either of us really bargained for, I guess. Um, and I think that's one of the kind of difficult things to navigate is like, we love this podcast. It's something that we really want to grow and we want to make it something that's really consistent and accessible all the time and, you know, keep going and building our brand as well.

But that's, um, that's really hard to do. Um, and it's really hard to commit the time and energy that it takes to build a brand in that way, and to build a following and all of those things. It takes a lot of effort to produce a podcast, because obviously there's like the planning, you know, what's like, what, what are we going to talk about?

Are we going to have a guest? Are we going to like, what questions are we going to ask that person? Then there's a logistical nightmare of actually figuring out when people are free and where we can record and all those hectic things. Um, and then I think the hardest part for me has been the post production.

[00:18:57] Maddy Stratten: Editing, right?

[00:18:59] Laura Crozier: Editing. Oh my goodness. I know that if I sat down at my computer and just spent a good hour at it, I could be done. I could be done. Sitting down is the hardest part and that's what I mean when like I say that getting that ADHD diagnosis has been really eye opening and like understanding my brain has been so valuable because I just am frightened at the idea of sitting down like sitting down at my computer and doing something like it takes so much effort to be like, okay, get the SD card out of your bag and plug it into the computer. That's the worst step actually doing that, for me. So I think one of the things with Growing Up Clueless is that we do kind of do these like phases of being like, okay, we're back.

And then we kind of fall off the face of the earth for a little while. But that's also because that's part of the relatability of it I think, like, we're, we're, we're both working full time. We both have relationships. We live over an hour away from each other, but we really like to record in person.

So, um, you know, there's so many kind of things that contribute to the fact that it's actually just a really difficult thing and it's not like we're getting paid to do it. It really is a passion project for us. And absolutely when we have more time to commit, you know, we want to, and hoping that, you know, getting this ADHD diagnosis and getting medicated might really help in kick starting the editing process as well.

Like just being able to actually start a task and finish it. Um, that would be helpful. So it's a lot of effort, and we love it and it's kind of just like navigating the, the passion, but also prioritizing our own mental health and our need for rest and making sure that we're putting ourselves first at the same time.

[00:21:00] Maddy Stratten: Yeah. And just taking that pressure off. And like you said, it's the, it's the reality, like it's so relatable, such a relatable experience that you've just talked about, then I'm sure there's a lot of people listening who would be like, yes, that's me and my laundry that is just growing and growing.

[00:21:16] Laura Crozier: Yes exactly. Yeah.

[00:21:17] Maddy Stratten: Yeah. And I loved hearing as well about the, I guess trajectory to getting into that space as well. And I want to get into some of the other pieces of work, um, around that time and, and that you've continued on doing with YACVIC and AYAC. So some backgrounds for our listeners. AYAC is the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition. It's the national peak body for young people, age 12 to 25 and the sector that supports them.

They unite a powerful coalition of young people, youth sector workers, communities, organizations, and decision makers to create meaningful change for young Australians.YACVIC is the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria. The peak body and leading policy advocate for young people and the youth sector in Victoria.

Can you share about how you got into that work and what that trajectory looked like for you?

[00:22:16] Laura Crozier: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I kind of had a bit of involvement with YACVIC over the years as I was involved with a different organization who was auspiced by them at the time.

And so I knew of their work and stuff, and then I I started doing some part time work for them in a backfilled position. And then luckily enough, um, this opportunity came around when the new Affirmative Consent Legislation for Victoria was announced.

So the Victorian government decided to invest some money into the support of young people understanding that legislation and YACVIC was successful in receiving one of those grants. So, I applied to be the project officer and was successful. So over the last 18 months to two years now, I've been managing this project called Yeah, Nah which is affirmative consent education for young people in the Mallee.

So I was based in, uh, Swan Hill, which is very Northern Victoria on the border. And. Um, yeah, working with young people to co design and deliver an affirmative consent education program. So it's just been like an absolute dream, honestly, the young people that we hired as peer educators were just absolutely fantastic. Like I am in awe of how eloquent they are, how willing they are to get up in front of their local community and deliver this education. It was just like the highlight of my career, being able to work alongside these young people. Um, and not only did they create this workshop, but then they traveled around the Southern Mallee delivering it, which was incredible.

And they've also been so, so incredible when it comes to developing other resources as well. We've just released four videos, that dive into different topics about affirmative consent. So, we talk about, um, you know, stealthing, which is the, uh, intentional non use tampering or removal of a condom without the permission or knowledge of other people involved.

So we did an incredible video on stealthing, which featured local young people from Swan Hill. And like, I am blown away by the talent of those young people. Like these young men that came in to film this video. I thought I was going to have to be like, I will buy you KFC for a week if you film this for me. But I only had to buy them KFC for that day. It was fantastic. They wanted to be there. Yeah. They put their hands up straight away and they knocked it out of the park. I was so impressed by them and like, just by the fact that these young men were willing to get up and be involved in something that, you know, they could probably get a bit of flack for from their mates as well.

Like, it's a small community, um, we understand that, like, you know, boys have this kind of culture of, like, knocking people about a bit. It was, um, yeah, it was just fantastic to see. And the response has been amazing as well. So, um, there was another video on disclosures as well and how to respond if your friend discloses an act of sexual violence to you.

Um, and yeah, so like, it was just an incredible, incredible experience working that job and being able to go all across the Southern Mallee, uh, and without that education and kind of see how important it was. I think the really special part about the program that we developed was that it was really adaptable based on the community we were delivering to.

So we understood that we were in an area that was extremely culturally diverse. We also wanted to deliver to quite a large age range, so 12 to 25. But we needed to understand that the needs of like 13 year olds was very different to the needs of 25 year olds. So how can we make a workshop that we can adapt based on who we're delivering to, um, and ensuring that it's always culturally safe. So, you know, taking extra precautions to make sure that we were delivering education that was safe for that community. But not just, not delivering it, because it's not a one size fits all approach and like that needs to be focused on, um, especially in these rural communities, you know, a lot of times people will just not attend a consent education or sexual health education class because it doesn't align with their cultural values. And that's absolutely fine. But how can we make sure that we deliver the education in a way that is culturally safe so that that young person can still be educated and still be empowered and still have the knowledge that they need, like, we need to be able to change the way that we work, that we engage with these young people to make sure that we're not just pushing them to the side because it's inconvenient for us to do what needs to be done.

So, yeah, it was a really, really fantastic experience and I'm very excited that I'm still working on that project um and moving into a statewide delivery soon, which is really exciting. And then, thanks to my work with YACVIC, I was able to connect with the team at AYAC as well, and I'm now working for, yeah, the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition in a bit of an events role, which is a bit of a sidestep and I'm loving it.

Yeah, I was a little bit worried cause I was like, Oh, it's a bit more like research based and stuff, which I haven't really done before, but I found it so interesting and like just being involved in doing something a little bit different.

Um, yeah, I've absolutely loved it. And also just, you know, the opportunity to meet new people and learn new skills. And I love being, I love, love, love working for a team and, and being in an environment that really fosters that. Like, um, yeah, so it's just been such a fantastic experience in, in both roles. And I'm, I feel so, so lucky to be able to work in such supportive environments and just be really passionate about the work that I do. I feel like that changes kind of how people enjoy their work. If you're passionate about it, then you're going to love it. And I'm passionate about every, every job that I have at the moment. And there's a few, I'm on the books for quite a few people at the moment, but I really, really love it.

[00:28:39] Maddy Stratten: Yeah, totally. So the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, is that role linking in that affirmative consent as well or is that events more broadly?

[00:28:48] Laura Crozier: Yeah, events more broadly. So, we're looking to, um, hopefully, at some point, hosting a national youth sector conference. So I'm doing some background work for that, which has been so interesting and I really love it because it means that I get to talk to people from all different walks of life and kind of get ideas about what, what's really needed in the youth sector, what information is going to be most valuable if we were to host a conference and yeah, I've also just learned a lot about like different organizations that are doing incredible work and, you know, different potential speakers that would be fabulous on this topic and this topic. And it's just really interesting and insightful.

[00:29:32] Maddy Stratten: Yeah. You can see where that network just starts to, to grow and grow. Doesn't it?

[00:29:37] Laura Crozier: Yeah. Yeah.

[00:29:38] Maddy Stratten: Always good to have that youth voice at the center of organizing something so big like that.

[00:29:45] Laura Crozier: Yeah.

And I just love talking, so like, it's a lot because I get to talk to a lot of different people.

[00:29:53] Maddy Stratten: Yeah. Can we go back to your role as the Affirmative Consent Project Officer? Because I was thinking about the consent themes that we've had in a lot of our episodes of On The Couch, over the last couple of years. I love asking, in those conversations what kind of definition of consent really resonates with you and that you're using at the moment that you feel most drawn to. So do you have something that, you know, when you're delivering those workshops with such a diverse age of participants, but also cultural background and, yeah, what kind of definition do you feel fits when you're delivering those workshops?

[00:30:32] Laura Crozier: Yeah, for sure. I think like personally the definition of consent can be so, can be so varied.

The consent definition that we use in Yeah Nah is asking for permission and making sure that everybody is comfortable. And we really follow a ethical consent framework as well. So I think that like the definition of consent, it doesn't just include permission. It doesn't just include asking a question and getting a yes or no answer, it encompasses this ethical consent framework, which is making sure that you feel good, you feel safe. So it's taking care of yourself. It's taking care of the other person. It's, um, understanding boundaries and power dynamics, and it's ensuring that you learn as you go, you know, identifying that it's okay to make mistakes. You know, it's okay to misstep here and there, but we need to learn from our experiences and, um, continue to grow as people. So we really take this ethical consent framework, that was developed by Jenny Walsh at The Hum Academy. And it's just fantastic. And we have such good responses to that because it really deep dives into what consent looks like in practice.

And I think that's the most important thing when doing consent education with young people is that it's all well and good to be like, okay, what is consent? And then you get young people kind of saying it's, you know, asking for permission, um, and asking if someone wants to partake in an activity or something like that.

And yes, those answers are absolutely all correct. And so young people understand the concept of consent, but actually putting that into practice is an entirely different thing. So how can we make it comfortable to ask, you know, does this feel good? Do you like it when I do that? Like, are you feeling comfortable?

Are you sure you're ready for this? Giving them actual questions they could ask in a real life scenario, rather than just understanding the concept. It's two very, very different things.

[00:32:39] Maddy Stratten: Yeah. I've had a few conversations recently with some international students in New South Wales and it's the conversation starters.

I feel as though once the conversations moving, it's, it's a bit different, but it's like, what do I actually say? And how do I start that conversation?

[00:32:56] Laura Crozier: Because no young person's going to sit down, like they're not going to be like making out with someone and be like, do I have your consent?

Like, that's actually not how it works a lot of the time. So, you know, it's, it's about meeting them where they are. And I think that's the real benefit of a peer educator model, which is what we use as well, is that it's relatable and it's fun and it's educational at the same time. So you and you take, you know, you kind of pick up on the vibes of the people that you're delivering to as well.

So, you might make a joke here or there, and they'll love it. And, you know, you just go with what works for that group. Um, but yeah, I think meeting them where they are and making it relatable and actually usable is really important. So we talk a lot about body language as well, because we understand that, you know, a verbal yes isn't always needed. Um, you know, there's other ways to say yes and being able to identify that is really important. So when we put together all the different elements of what a yes could look like, whether it's, you know, actually saying, yeah, that feels good, oh my God. I love that. Like things like that, but then also taking into account their body language, you know, are they really into it?

Are they initiating, like, have, have their attitudes kind of changed from when you first started to what's happening now? Are they really rigid and still, and like not making eye contact, all of these different things that we can pick up on and that we notice as humans during an interaction with another person to identify where the consent is actually being given.

[00:34:34] Maddy Stratten: And I think having the peer component of that really helps to deliver that message as well and there's that real sense of that safe space and being able to, learn and be able to ask those questions and not feel like you're being judged for the question that you're asking. And sounds like a highlight of the work that you do.

Uh, I love that what we've shared so far, really is around the value, and difference that this work is making, I think, especially hearing about those videos and Yeah Nah but at this conference level and in this event space, it really is having an impact on so many people in a real way.

I want to go back a step for a moment and do that thing that usually happens at the beginning, um, and share some stats and really dive into what the research is telling us about young people.

So I'm going to pull some data from the 2021 to 2022 Australian National Survey For Secondary Students In Sexual Health. Uh, so this is a national study exploring the sexual health and wellbeing of school aged young people in Australia. The study explores young people's experience of sex, relationships, sexual health, and school based relationships and sexuality education.

One section I'd like to focus on is young people talking about sex, because I feel as though that is really relevant to what we're talking about today. We know that the more that we talk about sex, the more normalized it becomes. Uh, we then destigmatize those areas and conversations around sex, consent, relationships.

So the majority of young people reported that their most recent sexual experience, 80 percent said they talked to their partner about having sex, 65 percent included sexual pleasure in that conversation, and almost 55 percent talked about using a condom.

When it came to talking about sexual matters with friends and family, 65 percent felt confident talking to their female friends about sexual matters. 47 percent trusted their female friends to provide accurate information and 71 percent had spoken to female friends about sexual matters.

 How did these stats sit with you, Laura, and the experience that you have, in talking to young people and delivering these workshops and, and the work that you do, do you feel like they are reflective of what you're seeing in your work?

[00:37:07] Laura Crozier: Yeah, um, I mean, like, I feel like things kind of vary a little bit, and working in a very rural, remote area kind of changes that dynamic a little bit more as well.

So, I mean, I think those stats are pretty good, honestly, compared to previous years. Um, I think it's It's pretty great that there's a lot of conversations being had about sex and that sexual pleasure is also becoming more and more ingrained in that conversation.

So it's, I think it's fantastic that young women are feeling more empowered to have those conversations. And I feel like 65% is a pretty decent amount just in comparison, obviously we'd like to see that [00:38:00] that stat be higher. Um, I think 54% or 55% actually discussing using a condom is really interesting. Um, I think that's really quite low considering, how important a condom is. And I think that that might be a bit, um, reflective of the maybe uptake of other methods of birth control, but not taking into account STIs.

Yeah, so I think that a lot of the conversations that I have is, you know, you use a condom for pregnancy, you know, but, oh, no, I'm on birth control. Well, that's not the only thing a condom is good for, actually. Um, so, uh, I think that's really interesting. And I think that stat needs to be a lot higher.

I think we need to really encourage young people to be having conversations about condoms and why we're using them. But condoms also need to be a lot more accessible than they are. I think working in a rural community and I mean, growing up in a regional town as well, it was the same, you know, accessing condoms is a nightmare.

Because you know, everybody that works at the supermarket, you can't just go in and buy condoms because like the checkout chick is your mum's best friend's daughter and like, it's just a mess. You can't do anything in a small town and it's stay a secret, um, which makes access to services and access to things like condoms or lube or anything really, really difficult.

Um, so. I think, yeah, that's a, that's a big conversation that needs to, to be had. I think it's really important that we start making condoms just more accessible. I mean, like different health services should have them available and, I mean, I, I believe schools should have them available, but I know that that's a bit of a point of contention at some schools.

You know, there's a conversation to be had there about what, what's the best outcome for young people. And I think having them accessible is the best outcome because regardless of if we are providing condoms or not young people are still going to have sex, um, they're not do it they're just going to do it in a way that isn't as safe.

[00:40:22] Maddy Stratten: Yeah. This stat is also talking about using condoms. It's not the actual practice of using condoms right? And the access to it. And I, and I know you're based in, in Victoria and, and up here in New South Wales, we have really quite good access to condoms across the state. So you can order a bag of 144 condoms for free through Play Safe Pro if you're a service or an organization, which is really fantastic. And then locally we have our Condom Dispenser Project where we have probably now over 80 services across Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District who have condom dispensers in their bathrooms, which is really fantastic.

So there's definitely some strategies that maybe Victoria can start to implement as well.

 I think that when we're talking about access to services I, I really like this kind of, um connection between sexual health and access to services and the mental health part of it too. And I think that sounds like that's the work that you've been really passionate about working in that space.

[00:41:29] Laura Crozier: Yeah, absolutely. And it's so intertwined as well, you know, I just think it's really important to make sure that young people feel comfortable having conversations about their mental health that relate to their sexual health as well, that those conversations remain really open and dynamic.

Because like, I know from a personal experience, like I'll often talk to my psychologist about, you know, if I'm, if I'm struggling with this or this and it might, you know, impact my sex life in one way or another. And that then makes me feel really down. And I feel like I'm not like being the best version of myself or maybe I'm not being the best partner or something like that.

And, you know, it's all, it's all stuff that impacts me in a personal, in a personal way, but like, I, I need that I need that connection with health services to be able to be really open and dynamic because otherwise I just wouldn't feel comfortable talking about, I think, any aspect of my health if a health service couldn't understand the intersectionality there.

[00:42:36] Maddy Stratten: Yeah. And knowing where that support is, is, is super important too. Right? Yeah.

Yeah, I always like to finish these On The Couch chats with, um, getting to know who is inspiring you, what you're reading, what you're listening to, um, who you're following and so, yeah, tell us your recommendations.

[00:42:58] Laura Crozier: There's too many, so a big, um, inspiration for me has been Chantelle Otten. I think that the way she discusses sex and sexuality is really inspiring. And I think really works to change so many taboos within the sexual health space. So huge inspiration there.

I guess a recommendation for reading, um, that I have at the moment as well is I, um, I've just found these books, but I think they're fantastic. They're written by, uh, Chanelle Moriah. I hope I got that pronunciation right.

But, um, one of them is called I Am Autistic. And the other one is, This Is ADHD and it's an interactive and informative guide to those, diagnosises, I suppose, so you get to like, fill out different things and I found this really, really helpful because I get to fill out the things that relate to me and talk about my experience.

And then my plan is to like get my partner or my mum to read what's impacting me to help them understand my experience a little bit more as well. Because one thing that I really struggle with is verbalizing why this situation might be a little bit harder for me to grapple with. Why I react to things a certain way.

So I think this is a really, um, supportive, supportive resource for me. And I just found them in a bookshop and I love them and they're also really visually appealing as well. So that's a win. I love that.

[00:44:32] Maddy Stratten: It looks good on the bookshelf. We know how we like a good organised bookshelf.

[00:44:36] Laura Crozier: Exactly, yes. I have been complimented on my bookshelves, which I love.

 And then I've been devouring a lot of, um, a lot of trashy books lately. Um, but that's one of the things that I really love to do, um, to kind of, you know, it's a bit of escapism, I think. Um, so I love reading, you know, a hockey romance or a fantasy novel or something. Um, so yeah, I really, just love kind of escaping a little bit in that way.

And then Taylor Swift, my one true love.

[00:45:12] Maddy Stratten: And you went to the Eras Tour, right?

Of course you did.

[00:45:18] Laura Crozier: Oh my God. It was the best night of my life. Stuff getting married. Never top it.

[00:45:26] Maddy Stratten: Never, never, um I really, yeah. I really love hearing that insight to you and insight into young people. And I think what, um, the real takeaway is getting to know young people that they're not all the same, it's not all like one size fits all. And we can't make these big sweeping statements and these statistics are great, but it doesn't really tell us the ins and outs of what's happening in that young person's life as an individual person themselves and, and not making assumptions around that.

Did you have anything that you really felt like you wanted to highlight in the work that you do?

[00:46:06] Laura Crozier: Yeah. Um, I think I'd probably just reiterate that it's really important in all the work that you do to center young people in it. Um, you know, if we're discussing things that are going to impact young people, make sure they're part of the conversation. I think that's actually the least that we can be doing, um, and, ensuring that young people are, are, shown how valuable they are, not, taking advantage of their time, paying them for their time and their expertise.

Young people are experts in their own experiences, and that's a really important thing to remember.

[00:46:42] Jennifer Farinella: Thanks for listening to On The Couch. We create this podcast because we are allies in actively challenging discrimination, microaggressions, and exclusionary behaviors. We want to create spaces where people feel safe to share their thoughts, knowing they will be heard and respected. Such an environment fosters collaboration, innovation, and contributes to a more inclusive society.

Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook, where you can share On The Couch with your colleagues, friends, and family.

On The Couch is made by Jennifer Farinella, Naomi Viret, Maddy Stratten, and Winnie Adamson. Until next time, peace, love, and protection.