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There’s a lot of focus on the need to provide better sex education to young people. Even the federal government acknowledges we must do a better job teaching children and teens about consent, respectful relationships and safety online.
But there are some alarming gaps in their basic biological knowledge, as revealed by a new study that surveyed Western Australian teenage girls about their knowledge of ovulation, menstruation and anatomy.
Almost half of respondents didn’t know that day one of the menstrual cycle is the first day of menstruation. Fewer than 9% understood ovulation happens about two weeks before their period. More than 60% confused the vulva with the vagina.
The study’s authors, led by Felicity Roux, warn: “If patients cannot answer doctors’ basic questions, such as ‘when was your last period?’ or ‘where is this happening in your body?’, it could impact diagnoses and treatments. It also means they may not even go to a doctor, dismissing debilitating pain or heavy bleeding as ‘normal’.”
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Judith Ireland
Education Editor
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Felicity Roux, Curtin University; HuiJun Chih, Curtin University; Jacqueline Hendriks, Curtin University; Sharyn Burns, Curtin University
Less than one in ten teen girls surveyed could identify when ovulation happens in a menstrual cycle – even though many of them had had their period for years.
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David Bowman, University of Tasmania
Earth’s climate has become dangerously unstable, and it’s only a matter of time before somewhere in Australia erupts in uncontrollable fire.
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Sam Bennett, Grattan Institute; Hannah Orban, Grattan Institute
A new Grattan Institute report shows how the government can create innovative alternatives to group homes that cost the same or less money.
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Shahram Akbarzadeh, Deakin University
Iran’s leaders are facing a crisis of legitimacy at home, making any response to Israel’s actions a very delicate balance.
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Richard O'Quinn, The University of Queensland; Emma Knight, The University of Queensland; Justin P. Brienza, The University of Queensland; Laura Ferris, The University of Queensland; Tarli Young, The University of Queensland
Many veterans keep quiet who should not. A new study is trying to work out why.
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Charl de Villiers, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Consumers and investors are expecting more from businesses when it comes to the environment. But new research shows transparency does not always mean companies improve their performance.
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Hrvoje Tkalčić, Australian National University
Like a piece of music, every earthquake has a coda – and it contains clues about what’s happening in our planet’s core.
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Gillian Dooley, Flinders University
Who was Jane Austen’s ‘model reader’? And what did she read? A witty new book by a leading Austen expert explores this and more.
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Politics + Society
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Andrew Hauser, the deputy governor of the RBA, joined us to talk about the RBA's thinking when it comes to inflation. Hauser formerly worked at the Bank of England and was chosen by Jim Chalmers.
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Danielle Ireland-Piper, Australian National University
Owens reaches million of people online and wants to do five shows across Australia, but there are calls to deny her entry. Here’s what the federal government has to consider.
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Lorraine Finlay, The University of Queensland
Proposed legislation to combat misinformation and disinformation needs to tackle some thorny issues, while preserving freedom of speech.
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Adrian Beaumont, The University of Melbourne
The United States presidential election will be held on November 5. In analyst Nate Silver’s aggregate of national polls, Democrat Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump by 48.8–45.0. In my previous…
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Health + Medicine
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Cameron Webb, University of Sydney; Andrew van den Hurk, The University of Queensland
With warm weather in Australia, should we be worried too?
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Science + Technology
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John Cairney, The University of Queensland; Emma Beckman, The University of Queensland; Sean Tweedy, The University of Queensland
While technology presents challenges around fairness, it also offers solutions.
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Konstantine Panegyres, The University of Melbourne
Was Aristotle bald, or did he have plenty of hair? Modern tech makes photo-realistic depictions of ancient figures a breeze, but they may not be exact.
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Ivan Maksymov, Charles Sturt University
AI often has trouble interpreting optical illusions. A new kind of neural network starts to bridge the gap
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Priyanka Dhopade, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Catherine Qualtrough, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The New Zealand Space Agency’s dual role as regulator and sector developer introduces a conflict of interest and skews the aerospace industry towards economic growth, at the cost of sustainability.
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Environment + Energy
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Robin Smit, University of Technology Sydney
Shifting transport from air and road to sea and rail has untapped potential to slash emissions.
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Arts + Culture
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Craig Barker, University of Sydney
In Netflix’s new series KAOS, Jeff Goldblum’s Zeus is a refreshing contemporary take on the mythical god.
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Business + Economy
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Kirsten Holmes, Curtin University; Leonie Lockstone-Binney, Griffith University
The Olympic and Paralympic games have been awarded to host cities in tandem since the early 2000s. But hosting the Paralympics can bring a city unique benefits that long outlast the games.
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