Teaching Real Health by Lydia

Teaching Real Health by Lydia - June 2025 Scholarship Essay

Title: Teaching Real Health—Understanding Our Bodies Beyond the Basics

If I could make one elective a required class for all students, it would be a gender-specific health course that focuses on helping young men and women truly understand their bodies. Not just the surface-level advice we get in health class, like “don’t do drugs” or “don’t get pregnant”—but a deep, respectful, and accurate education about how our bodies work, how to care for them, and how to advocate for ourselves when something feels off.

As a young woman, I’ve realized how little we’re actually taught about our own bodies. We learn about anatomy in health class, sure, but we’re never taught how to understand our menstrual cycles, track hormonal changes, recognize signs of imbalance, or speak up at the doctor’s office when we know something’s wrong. Pain is often brushed off as “normal,” and the only solutions we’re usually offered are antibiotics or birth control pills, sometimes without real explanations or alternative options.

I believe a required class like this could be life-changing for students, especially if it were separated by gender to allow for open, honest conversations without embarrassment or fear of judgment. For girls, the class could dive into hormone health, how nutrition, sleep, and stress affect our cycles, signs of conditions like PCOS or endometriosis, and how to feel confident in taking care of our physical and emotional well-being. For boys, the class could cover changes during puberty, emotional regulation, the importance of seeking help when needed, and how to support their health long-term—not just physically, but mentally too.

This class would go beyond reproductive health and prevention. It would give young people the tools to listen to their bodies, take early action, and not ignore symptoms just because no one has ever explained what they might mean. It would encourage respectful conversations around health, help reduce stigma around common conditions, and empower students to feel in control of their well-being. It would also teach students how to navigate the healthcare system, ask the right questions, and understand what options are available to them.

When students are better educated about their health, they’re more likely to make confident, informed decisions as adults. They’re also more likely to speak up when something feels wrong, instead of suffering in silence or being dismissed.

We often talk about preparing students for the real world, but understanding your body—how it works, how to care for it, and how to trust it—is one of the most essential skills a person can have. That’s why I believe this class should be required in every school.