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Strange Illness
Youth Radio’s Denise Tejada talks about how her experience with contaminated water and food made her re-think what she can do to help keep the Bay Area environment clean. (March 23rd on KCBS)
By Denise Tejada

Teens React to CDC Study
A new study by the Centers for Disease Control finds that at least one in four teenage American girls is affected by a sexually transmitted disease. Youth Radio's Asha Richardson, Brandon Robbins and Susana Vuong shared their reaction to this "shocking" study. (March 12th on NPR's Day to Day)
By Asha Richardson, Brandon Robbins and Susana Vuong

Charity Walking
"I’ve seen her lie in bed all day while all I could do is bring her glasses of water or fold the laundry."
By Sarah Bufkin

Vanity Pounds
"Through dieting and exercise, Youth Radio’s Quincy Mosby – within a span of one year – has taken a dramatic transition in his life. Quincy receives a variety of compliments from his peers, but no matter what he does, his immediate family just won’t approve."
By Quincy Mosby

Cancer World
"Jake Silberg, a 15-year-old freshman at Columbia High School in New Jersey, was diagnosed with lymphoma while he was traveling in Italy last summer on vacation. He says “I’m forced to make myself stand out, instead of trying to fit in, like a normal teenager.”"
By Jake Silberg

Human Costs of Prescription Drugs
"For generations we've suffered from all kinds of pain - without the kinds of health services we needed to deal with addiction and depression."
By Natasha Watts

Medicine Grows on Trees!
"[As] a working class family, we didn’t have health insurance network. Our Kaiser was my moms backyard."
By Antony Jauregui

Cosmetic Surgery
"I was always on edge, constantly worried about being made fun of. So I addressed my classmates with harsh criticism..."
By Terry Taplin

An AIDS Quilt for the Digital Age
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the AIDS Memorial Quilt—a project designed to increase AIDS and HIV awareness and memorialize thousands of lives lost to AIDS. The original quilt--made up of over 40,000 colorful panels—has become so big that today, the complete quilt can’t even be shown in public. The good news is young people are continuing its legacy. They’re bringing the AIDS quilt into the 21st century... by making it digital. Youth Radio's Lauren Silverman talked to sixteen-year-old Kevin Ram of Project Stitch about the new multimedia memorial quilt. www.projectstitch.org

Smoking Advertisements
"I wish I had learned other ways to deal with my stress rather than smoking..."
By Sarah Smith

Killing Off Cancer
"I’m wondering – should I get the vaccine?"
By Alana Germany

Junior Year Insomnia
"I wondered whether junior year is more than just a college prep year. Is this also the prep year to the world of the eternally sleepless and stressed?"
By Pavithra Mohan

The Talk
"Parents shouldn’t be afraid to talk about sex. Get over it and try and be calm about the whole thing!!"
By Johanna Greenberg

Comfort Food
"Maybe, instead of depriving ourselves, we need to reevaluate our relationship with food."
By Alix Black

Healthy Eating
"A few months ago, you wouldn't have caught me filling up my grocery cart with fruits and veggies. But I've made the switch to veganism..."
By Karime Blanco

Unhealthy Eating Habits
"As for me, I know I can do it... I don’t want to be one of those people who becomes heavy and then stays that way for the rest of their lives."
By Kadesha McCastle

Get Tested
"I realize my stigma towards sex and its negative side effects came from my own ignorance. Not everyone who gets an STD is a ripper. Some people, like me, contract them involuntarily."
By Ashley Jones

Shooting Down HPV
"Bridget Marr, of the Family Research Council, reacted to the FDA’s announcement by declaring, 'Giving the HPV vaccine to young women could be potentially harmful because they may see it as a license to engage in pre-marital sex.'"
By Rachel Krantz

Losing a Limb
"If they do have to remove her leg, I hope losing a lower limb won’t result in the subtraction of her sweet, sweet personality. I love my grandma with all my heart. Anything she’ll ever need, if I can do it, it’s done!"
By Ayesha Walker

Would You Like Fries With That?
"We need to face the fact that fast food is jeopardizing our health and when the calories and the pounds start adding up, you know that it’s time to take a bite out of the food industry and put in its place."
By Hannah Efron

Black Market for Junk Food
"Students buy huge variety boxes of candy and chips or go to Burger King or Starbucks in the morning and then sell their supplies."
By Jennifer Obakhume

Latinos and AIDS
"By the afternoon I had a huge headache, I was drowsy, and my temper was through the roof."
By Luis Sierra

Innovative Approaches to School Lunches
Youth Radio reporters from DC, LA and Atlanta were featured on NPR's Talk of the Nation talking about innovative approaches to school lunches alongside renowned chef Alice Waters, founder of Chez Panisse and the Edible Schoolyard. Youth Radio is gathering youth responses to this new approach to school food, while also updating listeners on the reality of school lunches in cities around the country. (June 28 on NPR's Talk of the Nation) (June 28 on Talk of the Nation)

School Lunch
"Two years before, my dad was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I remember thinking I don't want anyone else in my family to die or to become sick."
By Miriam Archibong

Changing the Course of Sex Education
"Abstinence-only policy isn’t working, and America has the chance to adopt a policy that does."
By Carey Jones

The Future of Food, Starting Today
"As life and the stress of high school, friends, parents, and masses of homework worsened, so did my diet."
By Jennifer Miller

Hunger's Diary
"I was performing a disappearing act, but at first, people didn't notice I was vanishing."
By Lauryn Silverman

Polluting Our Food
"Now that fish are no longer safe to eat, will the rest of our food become poisoned by pollution?"
By Alex D’Agostino

Fast Food
"When we go into a fast food restaurant, we usually smell the appealing aroma and we immediately crave something."
By Genysys Sanchez

A Map of My Mind
"Being awake was overwhelming because I couldn't escape back into my own mental wilderness."
By Belia Mayeno

Asthma
"There's research showing oil refineries do produce toxic gases, which can affect your breathing and create problems like asthma."
By Donnell Parker

A Map of My Mind
"Being awake was overwhelming because I couldn't escape back into my own mental wilderness."
By Belia Mayeno

Sleep Deprivation
Meena Hartenstein wishes she could get more sleep.
By Meena Hartenstein

Caffeine Addiction
"When I started drinking coffee I didn't think I'd become addicted."
By Sophie Simon Ortiz

Fast Food Dieting
"In almost every fast food restaurant, where you used to find only burgers and greasy fries, you can find some sort of low carb dish."
By Lauren Blassengame

Overweight Teens
"There are a lot of teens simply ignoring the fact that it is possible to be a healthy weight."
By Steven Johnson

Chunky Monkey vs Yogurt
"I’m torn between the low fat raspberry yogurt and the Chunky Monkey ice cream."
By Tadina Ross

Junk Food
"Society would not be telling me to eat junk if I am supposed to look like a model."
By Tadina Ross

Bi-Polar Two Disorder
"I was experiencing intense mood swings--periods of mania and depression."
By Ashley Stewart

Diet Trends
"Weight-loss groups are offering an extensive variety of diets."
By Jonathon Simrin

Mania
"Mending the Mind and Body Divide"
By Ashley Stewart

Nutritionist
"My nutritionist acts like another mother."
By Simon Hadley

AIDS
"I imagine what will happen if he gets infected with HIV."
By Leah Chapple-Stingley

AIDS in Palestine
"Youth in Palestine who have AIDS are isolated from others."
By Raja'i Alabed

Fatty Foods
"It was my worst nightmare: A non-fat meal."
By DeSean Robinson-Walker

I Can’t Drive Right Now
"My freedom’s been signed away by an MD sitting at his desk."
By Nora Harrington

Death Cookies
"Should Oreos be banned in California?"
By Danny Lannon

Eating Disorders
"I started fainting and having blackouts."
By Christina Kwong

SARS Attacks!
"The media is making people scared to breathe air."
By Danny Lannon

Menstruation! Periods! Tampons!
Youth Radio interviews Vinnie the Tampon Case distributor.
By Margarita Rossi

Vegetarianism
"I’m often hounded by people, asking whether I’m eating enough protein, calcium, and fat."
By Charlotte Silver

Cutting
"It was a relief to make my emotional pain physical."
By Sarah Richardson

Curvy Girls
"I may be curvy, but my weight is not an issue."
By Nora Harrington

Losing Weight
"I worry about gaining weight again and my life going back to what it was before."
By Patty Villareal

Gordita
"It’s very hard for me even now to accept myself, and society doesn’t make it much easier."
By Carolina Herrera

Healthy Food
Basil Fraysse believes it's hard to avoid unhealthy eating habits.

The Conversion
"My Year of Meats convinced me to do something I never thought I would do: become a vegetarian."
By Christina Appleberry

Junk Food Ban
"It's not like they can take all our chips and soda and lock them away somewhere."
By Stacey Leung

Self-Image
Fighting anorexia and a low self-esteem
By Anjali Mohlajee

Being Tall
"You get called bigfoot, the giraffe or a giantess."
KCBS version
By Thessaly La Force

AIDS
"World AIDS day just passed, and I’m sure many Americans didn’t even notice."
By Leah Chapple-Stingley

Under Pressure
"I have lots of classmates trying to stop me from going to class just so I can smoke with them."
By Tariq Ikharo

AIDS: I Didn't Understand
Thessaly La Force didn't understand the impact of AIDS until it hit close to home

Caffeine and Teens
"When I go to work I expect to see teenagers and adults come in and order coffee, but not kids."
By Andrina Thomas

How Safe Are We?
"In September it was, 'I'm never flying again.' Now it's, 'Should I open this letter?'"
By Andrina Thomas

Anthrax 101: The Evolving Science
"I never considered what it would be like to live in fear."
By Matthew Scherzer

Medical Trials
Leah Chapple Stingley finds out what it's like for young people who lend their bodies to science and sign up for pediatric medical trials.

American Beauty
How Euro-centric standards of beauty are affecting the body image and eating habits of one woman of color
By Brooke Wilson

The Diet to End All Diets!!! Right?
My experience with the Atkins (all protein) diet
By Jason Valerio

Vicodin
Meena says students at her school are trading prescription drugs like Vicodin, a narcotic painkiller.
KCBS version
KQED version
NPR version
By Meena Hartenstein

Body Image
Morgan describes how her friends influenced her body image until high school.
By Morgan Marshall

Double Eyelids
"Why would anybody pay thousands or even hundreds of dollars just to get creases on their eyelids?"
KQED version
KCBS version
By Felicia Wu

Underage Drinking
Ben says he knows underage drinkers, but it doesn't seem fun to him.
By Ben Simrin

Vegetarianism
Isabelle describes what it's like to be a teen vegetarian.
By Isabelle Willson

Zits
Shaniqua describes the endless zit remedies she has tried with her friends- to no avail.
By Shaniqua Clark

Meningitis
Julie say the outbreak of Meningitis just adds to the long list of dangers teenagers have to worry about.
By Julie Kusnir

Suicide
Emily says she's learned the truth about suicide, after watching a friend try to commit suicide -- and survive.
By Emily Koehl

Body Image
Allison describes growing up obsessed with her body image thanks to fashion magazines.
By Allyson Day

Jaw Surgery
"I always thought that I would hate to loose a leg, an arm or an eye. But what I regret taking for granted the most was something that never entered my mind…"
By Cesar Z.

The Message is Meat
"I realized meat is everywhere. I can't avoid it."
By Victor Vazquez

I Can't Sleep
Confessions of an insomniac
By Trevaj Siller

Tobacco Lawsuit
Tobacco companies may be evil, but they shouldn't be sued.
By Mike Gadd