Raise Your Voice Blog | Nicole Clark Consulting

5 Mar, 2012

Guest Post- HIV 101: Killing the Stigma Behind the Disease

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T17:42:19-04:00March 5th, 2012|Categories: Public Health & Social Work|Tags: Guest Posts, HIV|0 Comments

March 10th is National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and this week, I’m bringing you a guest post by novelist Diamond Cartel, speaking directly to young girls.

“Writing is not only my passion; it’s my purpose.” That is clearly evident in every novel, short story, article, and literary work produced by Diamond Cartel. Since the age of eight, writing has been a way for her to express what she’s feeling, thinking, and experiencing in life. With three novels, a compilation, and a motivational book all under her belt, Diamond utilizes her passion for words to tell a story to the hearts, minds, and spirits of everyone she comes in contact with. Adding her own twist to traditional storytelling, Diamond doesn’t just write to entertain, but also to empower and encourage. That is why she is the self-professed “novelist like no other.”

Outside her role as a novelist, Diamond also doubles as The Motivational Rockstarr. Under this persona, her goal is to motivate, inspire, and teach others the fundamentals of being successful and following your passion. Everyone has an artist within them. No matter if you’re a writer, painter, photographer, or entrepreneur The Motivational Rockstarr has something to fuel your drive, give you clarity, and provide you with the tools you need to progress along your path.

Diamond loves to simply live and experience life. An avid explorer, she loves to travel. No distance is too great or too small for exploring. She also loves to spend quality time with her children, get lost in a night of music and dancing, and make others laugh like there’s no tomorrow. Diamond truly lives to love and loves to live.

Keep in touch with Diamond by following her on Twitter, watching her motivational videos on YouTube, and checking out her Facebook page!

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Quick: What do you know about HIV and AIDS?

The look of confusion on your face says it all. Chances are you rattled off some myths that have been circling about the disease since it was discovered in the United States in 1981. Lack of information and inaccurate information are the breeding grounds which cause the virus to multiply and spread like wildfire. It’s time to seize some of these myths and put an end to the countless number of stigmas surrounding HIV and AIDS.

There are only three proven methods to which you can contract HIV and AIDS. They are through unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing of needles, syringes, or rinse water with an infected person, or from an infected mother to her unborn child. You cannot get it from kissing, physical contact (hugging, shaking hands, etc.), drinking after an infected person, breathing the same air, or from bodily fluids such as saliva, tears, or sweat.
You can’t tell if someone is infected by looking at them. There is no “look” solely dedicated to a person infected with HIV. You can’t tell the difference between a healthy person versus an infected person solely based on their appearance.
A positive diagnosis is NOT a death sentence! With the advances made in medical technology, people infected with HIV are living longer, healthier, more active lives than ever before.
HIV is not a “gay man’s disease.” The rumor that HIV was a disease for “gay people” has been dispelled years ago. While the rates among homosexual males are higher, they are by no means isolated to the gay community.
HIV is not a punishment from God. This was the predominant thinking of people in the 80’s and early 90’s. While it’s not as common today, some people still have this mentality. Despite all of the progress that has been made with HIV, in the minds of some it will always be classified as a “punishment from God.”

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29 Feb, 2012

What I Wish My Mom Would Have Told Me About Sex

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T17:41:38-04:00February 29th, 2012|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: Parent-Child Communication, Youth|0 Comments

[slideshare id=11801394&doc=whatiwishedmymotherwouldhavetoldmeaboutsex-120229112639-phpapp01]

Between February 13-24, 2012, I asked the following question:

If there is one thing you wish your mom would have told you about sex and sexuality while growing up, what would it have been?

I asked friends, family members, colleagues, Facebook friends, people who’ve “liked” my Facebook page, newsletter subscribers, and my Twitter followers this question, and I got some cool, interesting, funny, and thought-provoking responses.

Once again, I’m using SlideShare to present my results to you.

(Source: http://www.slideshare.net/)

Raise Your Voice: Did anything surprise you, inspire you, anger you? Maybe you’ll see yourself in the responses. If not, share what your experience was like in the comments below.

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8 Feb, 2012

10 Reasons Why Your Daughter Won’t Talk to You About Sex

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T17:40:24-04:00February 8th, 2012|Categories: Public Health & Social Work|Tags: Parent-Child Communication, Youth|0 Comments

In the work that I’ve done with young women throughout the years, I’ve come across one important thing: while young people may build their thinking and decisions based on their interaction with their peers, many young people would actually prefer to get facts about sex and sexuality from family members and other trusted adults.

When I was younger, my mom didn’t really talk to be me about sex and sexuality. When it came to sex, my mother spoke more of the consequences of pregnancy, compared to sexually transmitted infections, self-esteem, and even pleasure. As a young person, I wondered why my parents chose to put my sister and I in those classes where that focused more on showing pictures of people with STIs. (You know those classes!)

At the same time, I remember not being comfortable speaking with my mom about sex, sexuality or anything remotely close to it. I perceived that she would shut me down, that she would think I was having sex even when I wasn’t, or I believed that I would be lying and not telling the truth.

Given that I do most of my work with women and girls, today’s post is focused on the mothers and other female caregivers in a young girl’s life. Young people are more likely to open up to parents and caregivers when they feel valued, respected, and that their voices and opinions are going to be heard. Here are 10 reasons your daughter* may not be comfortable talking with you (and some tips you can take to help her open up to you when she’s ready.) (more…)

30 Jan, 2012

Parent-Child Communication: Keepin’ it Real Around the Kitchen Table

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T17:39:51-04:00January 30th, 2012|Categories: Program, Service, & Campaign Design|Tags: Parent-Child Communication, Youth|0 Comments

Several years back, I co-facilitated a workshop called “Keepin’ It Real Around the Kitchen Table: Sparking the Discussion About Sex Between Teens and Families”. I’ve facilitated this workshop on and off throughout the years, and while the audience dynamic changes every time I facilitate this workshop, one thing remains the same: 1) Adults feel that young people don’t listen to them, and 2) young people feel that adults don’t listen to them either.

As a subject matter, sexuality requires consistent discussion tailored around the young person’s developmental level. A young person’s family can be a resource that is often underutilized and underdeveloped as an avenue for intervention. In general, when trust and mutual understanding are at the forefront, young people are more likely to talk with their parents, guardians, older siblings, and other trusted adults, and in turn it builds the confidence necessary to discuss more serious subject matters. When these elements are missing, it’s easy for young adults to get involved in activities that can put their health at risk.

Why Keepin’ It Real is Important

In many cultures, sitting around the kitchen table to share meals opens up the opportunity to share what’s going on in our lives. This can lead to frank and honest discussion about a variety of topics (often referred to as keepin’ it real). When it comes to having conversations that can shape how we view our bodies and our lives, keeping it real is required, and should be tailored in such a way that it respects the sexual emergence of young people at various developmental levels. The family dynamic (birth and chosen) can provide a safe space for these conversations. Talking about sexuality can be extremely difficult, but with patience, understanding, and a willingness to learn, adults can be viewed as a beneficial and accessible resource for young people (and they can also learn from young people in the process).

Before any type of discussion on sex and sexuality comes up, it’s important to see just how…“askable” you really are. Advocates for Youth created this nifty guide called “Are You an Askable Parent?” that I tend to highlight as a resource for youth and adults alike. I tend to notice that adults oftentimes will wait until their young person brings up the subject of sex and sexuality before they decide on how best to approach the conversation. By that time, the adult is so flustered that the conversation goes nowhere, leaving both the adult and the young person with no clear sense of what just happened. I give some tips here on how to speak with a young person when the topic of sexual health comes up. If you’ve read those tips, awesome! If not, click the link (this link right here), read them, and come on back. I’ll wait…

Good!

Now that we have the tips in mind, let’s put them into action. (more…)

18 Jan, 2012

2011 Blog Reader Survey: The Results

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T17:39:04-04:00January 18th, 2012|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: Blogging, Feedback|0 Comments

[slideshare id=11135993&doc=2011blogreadersurveyresults-120118090120-phpapp01]

From December 28, 2011-January 13, 2012, I conducted a short survey to get feedback from my readers on how my blog is doing and where my readers would like to see the blog and my consulting services go in the future.

I wanted to just type of a regular blog post to show the results, but I wanted to try something different.

I came across this awesome service called SlideShare, where you can share PowerPoint presentations in a cool format beyond sending people an email with an attachment.

Ta-da! Above are the results! (Make sure to click the four arrows on the right bottom portion of the screen to view the slideshow in fullscreen.) Have any questions or comments? Share them with us in the comments section below!

Also, congratulations to Chanel Marshall of Jaali, Co. for completing the survey and being chosen as the winner of two pairs of beautifully designed earrings by Colored Girls Hustle. (I put everyone’s name on pieces of paper, tossed the pieces in the air, and picked….a very scientific way of doing things.)

Guest Post- HIV 101: Killing the Stigma Behind the Disease

What I Wish My Mom Would Have Told Me About Sex

Raise Your Voice: Did anything surprise you, inspire you, anger you? Maybe you’ll see yourself in the responses. If not, share what your experience was like in the comments below.

10 Reasons Why Your Daughter Won’t Talk to You About Sex

Parent-Child Communication: Keepin’ it Real Around the Kitchen Table

2011 Blog Reader Survey: The Results

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