youth

3 Fast Facts about Queer Women’s Sexual Health

3 Fast Facts about Queer Women's Sexual Health

During LGBTQ Pride Month, it’s important to remember that queer women—lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, or otherwise identified—are often excluded or erased from sexual health conversations. Young people have unprecedented access to health information online, and there are tons of opportunities to stay informed, whether through websites, apps, or […]

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#MyStoryOutLoud: Digital Storytelling for LGBTQ Youth of Color

#MyStoryOutLoud: Digital Storytelling for LGBTQ Youth of Color

YTH works to empower young people to advocate for health and social justice issues and give them a platform for leadership at YTH Live, the youth + tech + health conference. One of the most engaging campaigns featured at YTH Live 2016 was #MyStoryOutLoud, a digital storytelling […]

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Between 2 Screens: Privacy for the Snapchat Generation

Between 2 Screens: Privacy for the Snapchat Generation

Say hello to Between 2 Screens, a resource guide and video contest about privacy and online safety for teens 13-17 years old that helps them to live a happy, drama-free digital life. From managing app downloads to snapping selfies to disabling location-based services, Between 2 Screens helps […]

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ReDefy Youth Activist on Teen Pregnancy and Birth Control

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month is coming to a close. Rather than talk about the declining rate of teen pregnancy or calling out campaigns that shame teen parents, we wanted to hear directly from young activists working on the issue of teen pregnancy. How are youth working to […]

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#YTHLive 2016: Youth Taking The Lead

#YTHLive 2016: Youth Taking The Lead
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3 Must-Know Facts About Youth HIV/AIDS

3 Must-Know Facts About Youth HIV/AIDS

April 10 is National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, or #NYHAAD. Here are some important facts to know about HIV/AIDS and youth! Young people account for over a quarter of new HIV cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Alarming, yes. In some way […]

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5 Things to Know About Bisexual Health Awareness Month

5 Things to Know About Bisexual Health Awareness Month

Did you know that it’s Bisexual Health Awareness Month (#BHAM)? This month has been part of the Boston-based Bisexual Resource Center’s annual programming around health and wellness of bi+ populations for several years now, but this year’s theme, bisexual+youth, lends itself to the topics that YTH tackles […]

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From #NoTeenShame to Tech Leadership: An Interview with Natasha Vianna

From #NoTeenShame to Tech Leadership: An Interview with Natasha Vianna

We probably don’t have to tell you that women are marginalized in tech, but in case you’re not aware of how gender plays a role in these outcomes, women only hold 25% jobs in IT, make up just 28% of those who hold a BS degree in […]

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Youth Lead at YTH Live: An Interview With Emcees Past and Present

At YTH, we work in partnership with young people to advance health and support them as leaders in their communities. What better way to empower young leaders than to make them the face of YTH Live, the youth + tech + health conference? We’re thrilled to have […]

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YTH Live 2016 Sneak Peek

YTH Live 2016 Sneak Peek

Before I joined the YTH team, I remember anxiously awaiting to hear about upcoming speakers and breakout session topics for YTH Live, the youth + tech + health conference. YTH Live always hosts the most innovative leaders in the youth health field, and each year I walked […]

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3 Condom Month Videos that Break the Mold

3 Condom Month Videos that Break the Mold

Wondering how to engage youth in conversations about condoms? It doesn’t have to be tricky. Condoms are part of our modern culture, and young people follow the age old trend of being more comfortable about sex than previous generations (don’t even get us started on sexting and […]

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Show that #BlackLivesMatter on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Show that #BlackLivesMatter on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

The current #BlackLivesMatter movement, founded by three queer women of color, centers and critiques the experiences of police brutality and state violence faced by black people in America. In fact, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health are advocating for rates of police brutality and killings […]

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5 Cervical Health Awareness Month Resources for Youth

5 Cervical Health Awareness Month Resources for Youth

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about HPV, a leading cause of cervical cancer. Although 79 million Americans have HPV, many don’t know they have it or don’t have access to resources to find out or understand their status. Fortunately, cervical cancer […]

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Danielle Sepulveres Speaks Out for Cervical Health Month

Danielle Sepulveres Speaks Out for Cervical Health Month

January is Cervical Health Month, a time to spread awareness about HPV, which impacts over 79 million Americans, and is a leading cause of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, this issue has not received a lot of coverage in mainstream media, as actress, freelance writer, and comprehensive sex ed […]

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5 Resources for Engaging Youth in Reproductive Rights

5 Resources for Engaging Youth in Reproductive Rights

It’s been 43 years since the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade that made abortion legal in the U.S. Today, young people are leading the fight to protect choice and advocate for reproductive justice. Looking to get the young people you work with involved in protecting […]

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A Healthy Future for Youth in 2016

A Healthy Future for Youth in 2016

We’re working toward a healthy future for youth and are starting 2016 with fresh eyes, minds and hearts. From HIV education to stopping bullying to social justice, here’s what some our Youth Advisory Board members are looking forward to in the New Year: I’m looking forward to […]

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Health, Social Justice, and Tumblr: A Conversation with YTH Intern Laneka Vinay

Health, Social Justice, and Tumblr: A Conversation with YTH Intern Laneka Vinay

YTH’s internship program helps young leaders develop their skills and learn more about their personal passions and ideas in youth, tech, and health. I‘m a proud alum of the internship program, and I eventually joined YTH as the Communications Associate after graduating from college. I love how […]

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What You Need to Know About Teens and Online Privacy

What You Need to Know About Teens and Online Privacy

Today’s teens have tech-saturated lives. And although smartphones and social media offer young people unique ways to connect and share like never before, threats to online personal safety and privacy are still a risk. Do teens care about online privacy? Yes, but they think about it very differently than […]

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How I’ve Grown Because of the Youth Advisory Board

How I've Grown Because of the Youth Advisory Board

Dear YTH Youth Advisory Board, I remember it like it was yesterday. I was on the cusp of finishing high school and speaking at my first conference, YTH Live 2013. I was beyond thrilled to be attending a conference filled with young leaders who were changing the world, […]

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#YTHHIV Tweetchat 2015 Recap

#YTHHIV Tweetchat 2015 Recap

On Tuesday, June 23, we hosted the second annual #YTHHIV Tweetchat to commemorate National HIV Testing Day. Young people, organizations, and community members came together to discuss HIV prevention, education, and sexual health resources for youth. The Positive Women’s Network USA (@uspwn) and Youth, the Arts, HIV & […]

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YTHINFO: Educating Youth About HIV Prevention via SMS

YTHINFO: Educating Youth About HIV Prevention via SMS

YTH is pleased to launch YTHINFO, a SMS campaign reaching youth weekly with HIV prevention information and resources tailored to their needs and lifestyles. Eighty-eight percent of young Americans age 13 to 17 have their own cell phone or smart phone or daily access to one, and […]

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Four Online Projects that Rock LGBTQ Pride & Health

Four Online Projects that Rock LGBTQ Pride & Health

It’s June, and YTH is celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month by giving props to four groups that are doing great work online and offline to promote pride and health for LGBTQ youth.   Forty to None Project The Forty to None Project gets that homelessness is a big issue with […]

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Join the #YTHHIV Youth HIV Prevention Tweetchat

Join the #YTHHIV Youth HIV Prevention Tweetchat

Attention service providers! Community health workers! Educators! Medical professionals! Youth! National HIV Testing Day is coming up, and we’re leading the discussion about youth HIV prevention and sexual health through #YTHHIV, a live tweetchat hosted by YTH (@YTHorg) on Tuesday, June 23 from 10–11am PT. According to the Centers […]

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Three Ways Youth Are at the Heart of YTH Live

Three Ways Youth Are at the Heart of YTH Live

Young people are at the center of YTH, which is what makes YTH Live so special. Looking back at this year’s conference, I saw that once again, youth were involved every step of the way, from planning and moderating panels to presenting and participating as attendees. YTH’s Youth […]

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No Holds Barred in Tech and Sex Ed

No Holds Barred in Tech and Sex Ed

  I was honored to be one of several experts asked by the New York Times to write about the best way to get sex ed and health information to youth. You can read my opinion about whether smartphone apps and other technology should be used to […]

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Comfy Couches and My First Tweet with the #YTHLive Social Media Lounge

Need convincing on why you should come to the Social Media Lounge at YTH Live? Just ask Clarissa Herman—a Twitter n00b when she came to the Social Media Lounge in 2014. This year she’s returning to YTH Live to talk about delivering sexuality education online. This is […]

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New Youth Health Apps Featured at SXSW  

New Youth Health Apps Featured at SXSW  

Austin, Tex. just hosted the ever-popular South by Southwest (SXSW) conference where leaders in entertainment, technology and a wide range of fields convene to share and discuss the world’s freshest ideas. One SXSW competition caught our eye, the Impact Pediatric Health Pitch, in which four finalists showcased […]

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Creating a Mobile App? 6 Privacy and Ethics Points to Discuss with Your Developer

Creating a Mobile App? 6 Privacy and Ethics Points to Discuss with Your Developer

Is There an App for That? Connecting to the Internet is increasingly happening through apps and less through web browsers today — your bank, your gym, your grocery stores and your kids’ school may all have their own mobile apps for you to quickly and easily connect […]

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Behind the Bedroom Door: The Real Sex Lives of Denver Youth

Behind the Bedroom Door: The Real Sex Lives of Denver Youth

The average American loses his or her virginity at age 17, during a stage of life that is marked by fluctuations in hormones that change our bodies, emotions and perceptions of ourselves. It can be a confusing time for many teens as they explore many new feelings […]

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#TeenMomsTalkBack: Teen Mom NYC disusses Reproductive Justice

#TeenMomsTalkBack: Teen Mom NYC disusses Reproductive Justice

Teenage parents live at the nexus of several reproductive justice (RJ) issues. Many pregnant and parenting teens are forced out of school, pushed into low-achieving schools, low-paying jobs, and lack access to affordable housing. What’s more, teen parents are often ridiculed, shamed and stigmatized by their community, […]

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YTH: Igniting Impact in 2014 and Beyond

YTH: Igniting Impact in 2014 and Beyond

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, the YTH team is grateful for another amazing year of advancing technology for youth health and wellness. As you know, time flies when you’re having fun. It’s been a busy year for YTH, as we commemorate our 1-year anniversary with our Executive […]

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Spaces for Youth: Why I got rejected (rightfully) on my 20th birthday

Spaces for Youth: Why I got rejected (rightfully) on my 20th birthday

On April 7th, 2014, I turned 20 (eek!). I also tried to register as a member of an online sexuality and sexual health resource for teens and got rejected. They explained why: I’m no longer a teenager. I’m now in that murky area of young adulthood where I’m […]

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#Back2SexEd: Expanding Sexuality Education for Young People

#Back2SexEd: Expanding Sexuality Education for Young People

On August 14th, Bay Area Communities for Health Education hosted a #Back2SexEd Tweetchat to bring together sexual health educators, health providers, community organizers, and other advocates to have a discussion on supporting and enhancing comprehensive sex education for youth. The chat was co-hosted by multiple partners working […]

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IGNITE: 10 Overexcited YTH Live Participants

IGNITE: 10 Overexcited YTH Live Participants

YTH Live 2015’s theme is IGNITE. We’ll inspire one another to switch on, generate energy and ideas, and shine brighter in this world. Some folks have been taking the theme a little seriously though, and have been igniting their lives in, um, different ways… We’d love to […]

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10 Reasons Why You Need to Attend YTH Live

10 Reasons Why You Need to Attend YTH Live

I’ve been in attendance at YTH Live for the past two years and I have to say that it’s one of the most interesting, dynamic conferences I’ve ever been to. Not only does it engage you on an academic level (trust me, you’ll learn a lot!), but it […]

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Girl Zone Challenge!

Girl Zone Challenge!

GirlZone is an online community where teenage girls can be themselves. Members play games and take quizzes to build a unique floral profile. There are articles and advice on crafts, fashion, sex, movies, and so much more. Girl Zone recently came out with a new app, the Girl […]

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Why The SCOTUS Hobby Lobby Decision Matters for Youth

Why The SCOTUS Hobby Lobby Decision Matters for Youth

By Erin McKelle and Gloria Malone You probably have heard about the recent Supreme Court case involving craft retailer Hobby Lobby (Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby),which now allows employers to deny people contraceptive coverage based on their own religious beliefs. Hobby Lobby owners believed that Plan B, Ella, […]

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Textually Active: The Power of Mobile

Textually Active: The Power of Mobile

With Snapchat, WhatsApp, and more, texting almost feels like old news for some youth these days. In a landscape where everyone, from tweens to grandparents are texting, health professionals are just starting to scratch the surface of the many applications of mobile engagement. One of the most exciting developments […]

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#YTHHIV Recap: A Conversation on HIV Prevention and Education

#YTHHIV Recap: A Conversation on HIV Prevention and Education

On June 25th, just two days before National HIV Testing Day, over 30 healthcare professionals, educators, and providers convened online to have an engaging, fast-paced discussion on resources for youth HIV prevention. Participating in the national collaborative tweetchat coordinated in partnership with YTH, National Library of Medicine and […]

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Build Your Toolbox: Tech Solutions for HIV/STD Prevention and Treatment

Build Your Toolbox: Tech Solutions for HIV/STD Prevention and Treatment

Youth between the ages of 13 and 24 account for 17% of the US population, but 26% of its new HIV infections each year. 60% of those infected don’t even know it. How can we combat this epidemic? With the rise of computer and mobile phone use, […]

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#YTHHIV: A Conversation about Youth HIV Prevention

#YTHHIV: A Conversation about Youth HIV Prevention

Attention service providers! Community health workers! Educators! Medical professionals! Youth! You are all invited to participate in #YTHHIV, a live tweetchat hosted by YTH (@YTHorg) on Wednesday, June 25 from 10:30 – 11:30am, to discuss the many questions surrounding youth HIV prevention and sexual health. According to the […]

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YTH Youth Advisor Interviews Jackie Emerson of She’s So Boss

YTH Youth Advisor Interviews Jackie Emerson of She's So Boss

 Jacqueline “Jackie” Emerson is by no means a typical nineteen-year-old. Within the span of less than two decades, she has starred in a major Hollywood blockbuster alongside Jennifer Lawrence, started two organizations, and sang in a band! We were so fortunate to have her moderate the opening plenary on Youth […]

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Ever Feel “Out of Your League”?: On Impostor Syndrome and Youth Innovation

Ever Feel "Out of Your League"?: On Impostor Syndrome and Youth Innovation

Here is the opening plenary from YTH Live: This video captures the first panel at YTH Live, featuring six bright minds and young leaders making a difference in health and tech. When I saw it, I was awestruck and mostly speechless. It was absolutely thrilling to learn about my […]

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Preventing Violence with Youth Health Technology

Preventing Violence with Youth Health Technology

What is “violence” and how do we stop it? As a society, we often answer that question with the obvious: war is violent; we try diplomacy and economic sanctions. Football is violent; we give the players helmets and padding. Sexual assault, verbal assault, harassment, intimate partner violence, […]

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Youth-Driven Innovations in Health

Youth-Driven Innovations in Health

“Self-centered.” “Short-sighted.” “Can’t concentrate.” These words and more have been used to describe the latest group of adolescents, which many have taken to calling “the Selfie Generation.” It’s true that those of us who have grown up with cellphones and social networks have developed certain habits: we […]

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Welcome, Treva! Get To Know Our New Intern

Our Executive Director Jamia Wilson interviewed the newest addition to the YTH family, our intern Treva Obbard. Treva is a rising sophomore at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD and quite possibly the world’s biggest The Colbert Report fan. Jamia and Treva discussed social media, stereotypes about […]

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You Can Do It! How YTH Live’s Social Media Lounge Helped Me Own My Expertise

You Can Do It! How YTH Live's Social Media Lounge Helped Me Own My Expertise

Are you a millennial?  Have you ever interviewed for a position where potential employers expected you to have an inherent ability for all things social media (but you’ve never blogged before or you’ve only used Twitter for keeping up with friends and celebrities)? I feel you. As a […]

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New Campaign Draws Attention to Microaggressions

New Campaign Draws Attention to Microaggressions

Microaggressions: small, common acts of aggression that can be verbal, behavioral, or environmental, often committed without the aggressor being aware. They happen to everyone on a daily basis, especially LGBTQ communities, women, and people of color. They are acts that do not need to be tolerated or accepted by […]

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Go Off “The bEATen Track”: Volunteering for A Youth Health Hackathon Is Worth the Effort

Go Off "The bEATen Track": Volunteering for A Youth Health Hackathon Is Worth the Effort

People often cringe when I tell them that I love teaching adolescents. If they could have been a fly on the wall at the YTH Health Hackathon, they would have understood my inclinations. Two hours after meeting each other—most of us for the first time—our group of […]

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YTH Youth Advisor Interviews Alex Medina of Answer

YTH Youth Advisor Interviews Alex Medina of Answer

If there is one person in the world who is the most passionate about working with youth, it is Alex Medina. Alex is currently the Coordinator of Web Content and Social Networking at Answer. Answer is an award-winning, national organization that provides invaluable sexuality education resources to […]

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ZonaSegura ZonaSegura is a trauma-informed youth-centered innovative mobile solution to address teen dating violence in Honduras. Learn more about ZonaSegura on our program page.