245. Demystifying Reproductive Health for Young People

Julia Considine Pierce is a children's book author, educator, and advocate for the health and wellness of women and girls. For over twenty years, she has empowered women and girls through individual support and workshops, helping them honor their bodies and inspire their spirits while fostering their spiritual growth and health. Julia has shared her expertise in the public school system, where she taught puberty and sexual health education in addition to teaching health at the local community college. Julia earned a Master of Public Health degree from UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her graduate research was a collaboration with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction to determine how the Healthful Living Essential Standards are taught, who teaches them, what resources are used, and what additional support is needed. This qualitative research examined all the health standards, focusing on reproductive health and safety. Her research earned an Impact Award from the UNC Graduate School, which acknowledges research that benefits the people of North Carolina. Additionally, Julia earned a Master of Divinity degree from the University of Sufism. Her MDiv research included interviewing female Sufi teachers from across the globe about the interplay of female reproductive health and spirituality. Her work and research inspired the concept for a book series aimed at supporting girls and women across their lifespans. The first in the series, My Body is Sacred, Tales of Health and Wellness for Little Girls, was published in May 2025.

In this episode, Julia and I talk about reproductive health for young people. We discuss tools for building body confidence and self-respect from an early age and how her book fills a critical gap in girls’ health education.

 

Connect with Julia:

• juliasumaya.com

Social Media

https://www.instagram.com/mybodyissacredbook?igsh=YjdvNjY0b2tsMjM4&utm_source=qr

https://www.facebook.com/share/16jCiLiW99/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

You can purchase My Body Is Sacred: Tales of Health and Wellness for Little Girls here:

https://otterpine.com/my-body-is-sacred/

 

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Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Sound Production by Matt Carlson