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Consider Before Consuming

How Young People Are Learning About Sex (And What They're Getting Wrong)

Consider Before Consuming

Fight the New Drug

Education, Sexuality, Health & Fitness, Social Sciences, Science

4.8 • 779 Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2026

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This episode includes discussion of sexual violence, coercion, and experiences of assault among young people. Listener discretion is advised.

In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, we sit down with Chanel Contos, founder of Teach Us Consent, to talk about how one Instagram post led to thousands of young people sharing their experiences, and ultimately helped drive mandated consent education across Australia. Chanel shares what it was like reading through testimony after testimony of peer-on-peer sexual violence, and how those stories revealed patterns around coercion, misunderstanding, and the way many young people are navigating sex without a clear understanding of consent.

We also explore what’s shaping young people’s expectations around sex and relationships today. How are teens actually learning about intimacy? What role does pornography play in shaping ideas about consent, boundaries, and what’s considered “normal”? And why are rates of youth-perpetrated sexual harm rising in some areas, even as other forms of abuse decline? Chanel breaks down how early, age-appropriate consent education can help address these gaps, and what it looks like to teach consent in a way that builds empathy, communication, and respect from a young age.


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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Here at Fight the New Drug, we talk a lot about the impact pornography can have on mental health,

0:06.6

relationships, sexual health, and the world around us. And if you've felt that impact personally,

0:12.5

it's important to know this. You're not alone. That's why Relay exists. Relay is an app designed

0:18.6

to give you real support as you work toward lasting change. It connects you

0:22.6

with a small, private group of people who understand what you're going through, people who show up when it matters.

0:28.6

Relay isn't about shame or judgment. It's about accountability, encouragement, and learning how to move

0:33.9

forward together. And if anonymity matters to you, Relay has you covered, no names, just support.

0:40.2

If you're ready to stop doing this alone,

0:42.3

try Relay for free today at FtnD.org

0:46.1

forward slash join Relay. In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, we're joined by Chanel Contos, founder of Teach Us Consent,

1:08.3

an organization that helped make consent education mandatory in schools across

1:13.5

Australia.

1:15.0

Chanel shares how a single Instagram post led to thousands of testimonies from young people,

1:21.6

what those stories revealed about how teens are experiencing and understanding consent,

1:26.9

and how online influences like pornography

1:30.3

are shaping expectations around sex and relationships.

1:34.3

We also explore what effective consent education actually looks like,

1:39.3

and why early ongoing conversations can make a meaningful difference.

1:45.2

With that, let's jump in.

1:47.9

We hope you enjoy this episode of Consider Before Consuming.

1:53.0

Well, Chanel, thank you so much for joining me today on Consider Before Consuming.

1:57.0

We're so excited to have you here.

...

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