How Do Teens Learn About Sexual Health?

Starting in their teenage years, young adults make a myriad of life-changing sexual and reproductive health decisions. Their choices largely rely on the perspective they have developed about sexual health from their social networks (caretakers, siblings, peers, coaches, teachers), formal education, and information in the media. The contemporary information landscape includes a broad spectrum of channels, ranging from formal sexual education in schools to social media influencers and fictional films. The short-term goal of this project is to develop an in-depth understanding of how teenagers learn about sex, to understand where and from whom they get their information, and to identify potential gaps in information channels. We will pursue this goal through developing strong partnerships with faculty and community-based organizations in Boston and Oakland to ensure that our team has trusted partners to implement our project in diverse geographic areas. The long-term goal is to leverage the seed grant data and partnerships to develop a competitive grant application to design and test a digital platform that will provide a supportive environment for teenagers to access reliable sexual health information.