Highly commended in the Irish Podcast Awards 2023 (https://www.theirishpodcastawards.ie/results-2023) – Best Sex & Relationships podcast
Do you remember all the family gatherings spent discussing the joys of sex around the dinner table? Or the classes in school where your RE teacher showed you how to put a condom on a demonstrator? No? REALLY! If, like us, you didn’t have those cosy conversations about sex growing up, then this is the podcast for you! Big Sexy Talk is brought to you by Informing Choices NI. It is produced in mini-series format, with each collection of episodes focusing on a different area of sexual and reproductive health. We conduct in-depth interviews with key influencers, and provide information on sexual and reproductive health services. Join us on a journey as we create a culture of openness about sexual and reproductive health and empower people with the information they need to make informed choices. After all this is a sexual health podcast, so it is.
Publisher
Informing Choices NI
Category
health & fitness · health & fitness · society & culture
3.02: (Megan Turner) - "I'm Not Lady Bird Anymore"
To mark World Contraception Day, this episode of Big Sexy Talk was recorded live following a special screening of the film Lady Bird as part of Informing Choices NI's Open Conversations: Film, Rights & Cultural Change series. Host Ruairi Rowan is joined by Megan Turner, Education and Training Manager with Common Youth, to reflect on the film and its portrayal of adolescence, relationships, sex, family and growing up. Together they explore the experiences and expectations that shape young ...
7 Jul 2026
3.01: (Joe Walsh) - Pride, Protest and Progress
To mark 35 years since the first Pride parade in Belfast, this episode of Big Sexy Talk was recorded live following a special screening of the film Pride as part of Informing Choices NI's Open Conversations: Film, Rights & Cultural Change series. Host Ruairi Rowan is joined by Joe Walsh, former Heritage Project Officer with HERe NI, to reflect on the history of Pride in Northern Ireland, how LGBTQIA+ communities have changed over the past three decades, and why preserving LGBTQIA+ heritag...
15 Oct 2024
2.06 (Nick Mathison MLA) - Open conversations: taking the politics out of RSE
This episode features an in-depth interview with Nick Mathison MLA. Nick is an Alliance Party MLA representing the Strangford constituency, and the Chair of the Education Committee in the Northern Ireland Assembly. During the interview Nick reflects on the messages he received around relationships and sexuality growing up; his views on positive and negative depictions of masculinity; his experiences of working in England; his journey into politics; conversations on sexual health in th...
26 Sept 2023
2.05: (Joe Harris) - It's more than a condom demonstration
This episode features an in-depth interview with Joe Harris. Joe has worked in the field of sexual health for almost 30 years, during which time he has been employed in both the community and statutory sectors. He worked for the Family Planning Association in Northern Ireland as a Project Officer before joining the Belfast Trust Sexual Health Training Team. Joe is the sexual health lead for the Health Improvement Team within the Belfast Trust, and organises the Annual Regional Sexual Health C...
19 Sept 2023
2.04: (Yas Rodriguez) - A deafening roar of information
This episode features an in-depth interview with Yas Rodriguez. Yas was born and raised in Cuba, before moving to Northern Ireland in her 20's, and has now lived in Belfast for the past 25 years. She is a parent, and a teacher, and is involved in several local community campaigns. During the interview Yas reflects upon her childhood in Cuba; the messages she received around sexual health and relationships; the process involved in establishing a new Code for Families; accessing sexual health...
13 Jun 2023
2.03: (Ellen Taylor) - How do you get rid of a stigma?
This episode contains an in-depth interview with Ellen Taylor. Ellen is the Vice President and Community Relations Officer of the Secondary Students’ Union of Northern Ireland and chair of the Newry, Mourne and Down Youth Council. She is starring in season 2 of the CBBC sci-fi adventure series Silverpoint, and is currently studying her A-Levels. During the interview Ellen reflects on school life during Covid-19; her involvement with the Secondary Students' Union of Northern Ireland; establis...
6 Jun 2023
2.02: (Professor Dirk Schubotz) - Conducting sexual health research with young people
This episode contains an in-depth interview with Professor Dirk Schubotz. Dirk is a professor in the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work at Queen’s University Belfast and has conducted vast amounts of research in the areas of sexuality, sexual health, and gender. He is a member of ARK, Northern Ireland's Social Policy Hub, and has directed the annual Young Life and Times survey of 16-year-olds since 2003. He is also a Trustee of Common Youth. Dirk reflects on growing up in ...
30 May 2023
2.01: (Mary Crawford) - 'Mummy said here’s a letter for you'
The opening episode of series two contains an in-depth interview with Mary Crawford. Mary was the CEO of the Brook Advisory Clinic in Northern Ireland for 25 years, and oversaw the organisations transition to Common Youth before retiring in 2018. She is a veteran pro-choice campaigner, and a Trustee of Informing Choices NI. Mary reflects on the sex education she received growing up; being involved in abortion rights campaigns as a student in the 1970s; running personal development courses at...
21 Mar 2023
1.06: (Dr Laura McLaughlin) - Providing safe and compassionate abortion care
The final episode of the first series contains an in-depth interview with Dr Laura McLaughlin. Dr McLaughlin is co-chair of Doctors for Choice NI, and a member of the Northern Ireland Abortion and Contraception Taskgroup. Following the decriminalisation of abortion Dr McLaughlin worked alongside healthcare professionals and Informing Choices to establish local early medical abortion services, and currently provides abortion care in Northern Ireland. Dr McLaughlin reflects on her experiences o...
14 Mar 2023
1.05: (Gráinne Teggart) - Achieving decriminalisation and law reform
This episode contains an in-depth interview with Gráinne Teggart. Gráinne joined Amnesty International in 2009 and is the Deputy Director of the human rights organisation in Northern Ireland. She has lead Amnesty’s campaigning and strategic litigation on abortion law reform and worked on a multitude of issues including human trafficking and legacy issues relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland. Gráinne is a Trustee of the Integrated Education Fund as well as Informing Choices NI. ...
7 Mar 2023
1.04: (Clare Bailey) - Running the gauntlet
This episode contains an in-depth interview with Clare Bailey. Clare is a former leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland and represented the South Belfast constituency from 2016 to 2022. During her time in the Northern Ireland Assembly, she spearheaded legislation to introduce safe access zones outside abortion clinics, the first law of its kind in the UK and Ireland. Clare was a founding pupil at Lagan College, and is a Trustee of Informing Choices NI. Clare talks about her memories of...
28 Feb 2023
1.03: (Dawn Purvis) - From the backstreets, to Great Victoria Street
This episode contains an in-depth interview with Dawn Purvis. Dawn is a former MLA, representing the East Belfast constituency from 2007 to 2011. Following a period in politics she was appointed Programme Director for Marie Stopes International and led the first integrated sexual and reproductive health clinic offering early medical abortion care in Belfast. She now works in the social housing sector and is chair of Positive Life NI. Dawn talks about her memories of abortion being discussed ...
21 Feb 2023
1.02: (Audrey Simpson) - What about the women?
This episode contains an in-depth interview with Audrey Simpson. Audrey joined the Family Planning Association (FPA) in Northern Ireland as their Director in 1988 and maintained this role until her retirement in 2015. She led the first ever legal challenge into the provision of abortion services in Northern Ireland and was awarded an OBE for promoting women’s healthcare. Audrey discusses her experiences of sex education in post primary schools; the firebombing and subsequent closure o...
14 Feb 2023
1.01: (Georgie McCormick) - Abortion in the Yellow Pages
This episode contains an in-depth interview with Georgie McCormick. Georgie joined the Family Planning Association (FPA) in Northern Ireland in 1986 and is an experienced trainer and facilitator in all areas of sexuality. Georgie discusses delivering sexual health workshops in community settings in the 1980s and 90s; the impact of the conflict in Northern Ireland on reaching out to groups; working with men on sexual health issues; the advancements in pregnancy testing; the formation of FPA'...
2 Feb 2023
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