Many groups are doing something about the sobering STI rates amongst youth around the world. It’s hard to discuss education disparities without discussing health disparities and more specifically the lack of informed sexual health action amongst youth/young adults. With World AIDS Day not too far in the rearview it seems pertinent to mention the infection statistics for youth, LGBTQ and women of color. The following sources were used for the statistics and organization links below: http://www.mysistahs.org/ ; http://www.avert.org/usa-transmission-gender.htm ; http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/youth.htm ; http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/sexualbehaviors/index.htm ; http://www.avert.org/worldstats.htm ; http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/about-us/mission
46% of high school students had ever had sexual intercourse
14% of high school students had had four or more sex partners during their life
34% of currently sexually active high school students did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse.
Approximately 19 million new STD infections each year (almost half of them are among youth aged 15 to 24.)
Worldwide:
Estimated 2 million people under 15 living with HIV in 2007,[3]
AIDS is the second most common cause of death among 20-24 year olds (globally).[4]
RESOURCES:
Groups questioning why sexual health awareness amongst young adults is lacking and actually speaking to youth and driving awareness around STI prevention (in general or just HIV/AIDS) have been highlighted below.
UNISEX
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/
Established in 1980 as the Center for Population Options, Advocates for Youth (AFY) champions efforts to help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates (AFY) believes it can best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health.
Sex::Tech, hosted by ISIS, is the premiere event for health and technology professionals, parents and youth, and community leaders to share insights and strategies for youth sexual health education and disease prevention.
Centers for Disease Control STD Hotline
Provides facts and information on STDs.
The hotline is 1-800-227-8922 (English)
1-800-344 7432 (Spanish)
1-800-243-7889 (TTY).
Go Ask Alice
Produced by Columbia University's Health Education Program, this site has questions and answers on relationships, sexuality, and sexual health issues.
Health Initiatives for Youth (HIFY)
Works to improve the health and well-being of all young people. HIFY gives information about health in a non-judgmental, straightforward kind of way, so that young people can make their own decisions about what affects them.
It's Your Sex Life
Sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation, this site offers information on STDs, birth control, abstinence, and how to talk with your partner or your parents about sexual health issues.
I Wanna Know
A project of the American Social Health Association, this site provides information on STDs, body basics, and advice on how to deal with peer pressure.
National HIV Testing Resources
This Web site contains many resources on HIV testing including a national database of HIV testing sites and answers to many questions about HIV/AIDS and testing.
Not Me Not Now
A site for teens who are choosing to wait, with articles, quizzes and a safe space where you can chat with other teens like yourself.
Planned Parenthood
Believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual's income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence. Planned Parenthood clinics offer medical services, STI, HIV and pregnancy testing, and counseling. To find a clinic in your area, please go here. Teen Wire
This site from Planned Parenthood gives great information on body basics, how not to have sex if you don't want it, safer sex, and dealing with breaking up. It also provides referrals to local clinics.
Scarleteen
A resource for sex information for teens as well as a supplement to in-home and school-based sex education to allow teens to make their own choices, and develop their own systems of ethics and values from themselves and their families.
Scenarios USA
This site allows you to watch films—written by and for teens—that address important topics such as relationships, communication, sexual identity, teen pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS.
Sex Etc.
Written by teens, this Web site offers information on sexual health issues for young people.
Teen Pregnancy
Created by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, this site has information for young people and adults who want to prevent teen pregnancy.
WOMEN
4 Girls Health
Developed by the Office on Women’s Health in the Department of Health and Human Services gives girls between the ages of 10 and 16 reliable, current health information.
Black Women’s Health
An online forum for African American women that provides information and strategies targeted at improving health and wellness.
Center for Young Women's Health
The mission of their website, YoungWomensHealth.org, is to help teen girls, their parents, teachers, and health care providers improve their understanding of normal health and development, as well as of specific diseases and conditions. They want to empower teen girls and young women around the world to take an active role in their own health care.
Feminist’s Women’s Health Center
Providing women of all ages with information so they can freely make their own decisions about their bodies and sexuality.
National Women’s Health Information Center: Minority Women’s Health
A Web site to help you learn about the most common health risks and concerns of minority women
Native Shop
A project of the Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center, to address pertinent issues of health, education, land and water rights, and economic development of Native American people
Not-2-Late
This Web site provides information about emergency contraception, to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex.
Pro-Choice Public Education Project
The Pro-Choice Public Education Project (PEP) puts choice on young women's radar screens, educates them about threats to their reproductive rights, and helps young women identify with pro-choice ideas. PEP is energizing a new generation of pro-choice leaders.
FYI (America)
The Ford Foundation awarded grants totaling $4.1 million to six organizations to design and undertake innovative research on youth sexuality in the United States. http://www.fordfoundation.org/
Ford Foundation Grant recipients:
The Public Health Institute (Center for Research on Adolescent Health and Development)
The University of Arizona/Gay-Straight Alliance Network/YWCA Tucson
The University of Illinois
The University of Michigan
San Francisco State University's Health Equity Institute
The Face Value Project[1] CDC. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2009. [pdf 3.5M] MMWR 2010;59(SS-5):1–142.
[2] Weinstock H, Berman S, Cates W. Sexually transmitted diseases among American youth: Incidence and prevalence estimates, 2000. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 2004;36(1):6-10.
[3] UNAIDS (2009), '2009 AIDS epidemic update'.
[4] Patton G et al (2009, 12th September), 'Global patterns of mortality in young people: a systematic analysis of population health data' The Lancet 374(9693).
the sexuality in our time has changed in a great way, now people start their sexual relationship at an early age, for that reason the number of non desire pregancy is increased day after day.
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