Youth Voices

What do youth have to say about health issues? Across the state, people are working with youth and collecting their perspectives on health issues through interviews, focus groups, surveys, youth-led assessments etc. Unfortunately, others usually only see this information after it has been summarized in a report by adults.
This section of our web site presents the original voices of youth on various topics. It is designed to enable us all to learn directly from youth by sharing their voices on health-related issues. This section of our web site is designed to make it easier for adults to hear what youth have to say on health-related topics, directly from youth themselves. These youth voices are a captivating and refreshing change from conventional adult-written reports.

How you can use this information:

1. Gather new ideas for programs and services by hearing youth perspectives.
2. Learn more about a specific health topic by reading what youth have to say about it.
3. Review what others have done before designing your own questions for youth. Build on the work of others and don’t reinvent the wheel! Follow-up for more information if needed.
4. Use quotations from youth in publications or other written materials (please cite the source appropriately).

Advocates for Youth

This organization has several web sites designed and run by young people for young people.
www.youthresources.com By and for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth.
www.ambientejoven.org By and for Latino GLBTQ youth
www.mysistahs.org By and for young women of color

Sex, Etc. — Sex Education by Teens, for Teens

Created by teens for teens, this site is devoted to topics surrounding sexual health with section on topics such as sexual identity, abuse, STDs, pregnancy and abortion, prevention and protection, and love and dating.

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.

It’s Your (Sex) Life

This site provides reliable, objective sexual health information for young adults. The It’s Your (Sex) Life campaign is part of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

“Pos or Not” – Online HIV/AIDS Education Game

mtvU, MTV’s Peabody and Emmy Award-winning college network, and the Kaiser Family Foundation, in partnership with POZ Magazine, today unveiled “Pos or Not,” an online game that challenges stereotypes and breaks down the barriers that may prevent people from talking openly about HIV/AIDS, getting tested, and using protection.