Peek into the human-centered design process behind three new resources on supporting the safety of sex educators and other youth-supporting professionals.

Charlie Blue Brahm, MA

FEBRUARY 5, 2026

Sex ed is powerful work, and you deserve to feel safe doing it—that is the premise of our three new Thrivology resources: Supporting Sex Educator Safety, Managing Your Personal Information Online, and Protecting Yourself from Hacking.

Many sex educators are currently navigating uncertainty around the evolving safety risks they face and how they can protect themselves.

Many sex educators are currently navigating uncertainty around the evolving safety risks they face and how they can protect themselves. We sought out to create resources that would target sex educators’ real gaps and support needs, while also honoring the ways they and their managers are already working to protect their safety. And we knew the only way to achieve that goal was to center the voices of sex educators, managers, researchers, and other subject matter experts.

Interested in using the resources but want to learn more about how they were made? Curious about human-centered design as a way to partner with local youth-supporting professionals and design tools of your own? Read on for a brief breakdown of our design process as a case study of one way that collaborative design can happen.

Deciding to focus on sex educator safety

Thrivology resources address a wide range of topics within adolescent sexual and reproductive health (check out some others here!). Our first step is always to take an informed approach to choosing the topic to focus on.

We decided to focus on sex educator safety by brainstorming with project staff, then widening the circle to include input from our Research Alliance members and expert trainers at Healthy Teen Network, who work closely with sex educators.

A clear theme that our discussions surfaced is that these are uncertain times in the field of adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

A clear theme that our discussions surfaced is that these are uncertain times in the field of adolescent sexual and reproductive health. A lot of sex educators are concerned about their safety and are unclear about what specific risks they face.

Some of our project team had specifically heard calls from the field for digital safety support: Sex educators can see that heated debates about sex ed are gaining increased attention online, but they don’t feel that they have the tech expertise and guidance to protect themselves. We also did background research that found that resources for supporting sex educators’ safety is basically nonexistent.

From these conversations, we saw a clear opportunity to support sex educators’ well-being and enable them to better show up for young people.

Understanding sex educators’ and managers’ needs

For our field research, we took a two-pronged approach of a survey and interviews.

Digital safety survey

Because we had already heard a direct need for digital safety tools, we decided to create a targeted survey aimed at filling gaps in information about sex educators’ experiences and concerns, rather than opening up new areas to explore. Thirty-five eligible respondents took the survey, including 15 educators and 7 managers. Over half of them were very or somewhat concerned about their digital safety, which aligned with our understanding. Others shared confusion about whether they should be worried.

“I do think there’s some reason to be concerned, but I haven’t put much thought into my concern personally. I do know other educators in my field and area who have been doxed, but I do not sense imminent threat of that. I should possibly be more concerned than I am.” -Digital safety survey participant

While many respondents expressed concerns about not being tech-savvy enough to protect themselves, almost everyone was able to name at least one way they were keeping themselves safe! The two main strategic areas were doxing and hacking protection. The survey also validated our belief that sex educators need more support for their digital safety. Over half had not tried to use any resources to improve their digital safety, and only 7% felt that existing resources were working well to keep them protected.

Safety interviews

In addition to digital safety, we knew we wanted to create a suite of safety-focused resources. We therefore took a more expansive field research approach to learn about what supports sex educators need for their overall safety.

We led six 60-minute interviews with five youth-supporting professionals and one policy expert, from across the country. For one portion of the interview, we created an interactive Miro board structure to encourage participants to get specific about their concerns.

After doing the first round of making sense of our interview data, we decided to focus on managers of sex educators as our main audience. We heard that sex educators are under a range of pressures right now, so feeling like their manager has their back makes a huge difference. An organization’s leadership can play a key role in putting policies and practices into place that can help keep their staff safer. We then led three additional interviews with managers to understand how they’re approaching safety concerns among their staff.

This information-gathering stage was crucial for informing our design process to center sex educators’ needs and existing strategies to keep themselves safe.

Using what we learned to come up with resource ideas

Our next step was to transform what we had heard into questions and goals that would spark our brainstorming of possible resources, and from there, we chose specific resource ideas to try out. For each set of data, we grouped information into broader themes and wrote up findings based on those patterns.

From survey data, we came up with a design objective to increase sex educators’ confidence in understanding and protecting themselves against key digital safety threats. We decided to focus on doxing and hacking protections to build on what sex educators shared that they were already doing to keep themselves safe online.

Using our interview data, we found a pattern of four steps for managing staff safety procedures and supports:

1. Proactively considering staff safety
2. Assessing risks and supporting staff in assessing risks
3. Taking action to update policies and procedures
4. Adapting after an incident occurs

For our resource aimed at managers, we decided to create a foundational resource focused on step 1—getting manager buy-in and increasing understanding of different types of safety.

Trying out possible solutions

After picking resource ideas, we moved into creating quick prototypes, which are initial resource versions that are built out just enough to spark discussion about key questions. These prototypes allowed us to try things out and get early answers, rather than spending a ton of time or energy on an untested idea. We met with at least one Research Alliance member for each resource to get feedback on formats and content.

Below is a screenshot of three prototypes for our resource aimed at managers of sex educators, alongside notes from a meeting with two Research Alliance members.

Getting iterative feedback throughout development

Finally, we involved our Research Alliance members throughout the process of developing the resources, in addition to doing quality assurance reviews within our project team. All three resources first went through a usefulness review; this review focused on questions like:

• Is the purpose of the resource clear?
• How well do you believe this resource would meet the needs of youth-supporting professionals?
• Is the content relevant and actionable?

After we made revisions, Research Alliance members shared their thoughts in a usability review, covering topics such as whether it’s easy to find the information you’re looking for, whether it’s organized clearly, and whether the language is accessible.

While involving youth-supporting professionals during the earlier stages of the design process was crucial for determining that we were creating the right resources, their involvement near the end helped us make sure that the resources included the right information in a usable format.

Conclusion

A key piece of advice in Supporting Sex Educator Safety: A Starter Guide for Managers is to collaborate with your staff to create solutions grounded in their needs, concerns, and goals. We worked hard to embody this practice ourselves when creating these safety resources. By incorporating perspectives from sex educators, managers, and other subject matter experts, we created three practical resources that address real needs and provide actionable guidance.

But don’t just take our word for it—try them out for yourself!

Charlie Blue Brahm likes to meander through a topic, asking “why” until they can see a full and vibrant picture, accepting complexity and contradiction rather than flattening people or situations for convenience’s sake. This worldview has taken them through a path of learning first how to understand and create technology, then how to understand and organize people who create technology, and now how to understand and design for the people who use and are affected by technology. Read more about Charlie Blue.

The post How We Partnered with Sex Educators to Create Tools that Help You Stay Safer appeared first on Healthy Teen Network.

Charlie Blue Brahm, MA

Arianna de la Mancha

September 30, 2025

The countdown is on for #HealthyTeen25! With the major changes and challenges our field is facing, this conference comes as a much-needed opportunity for connecting with each other and reconnecting with the heart of our work.

So, how can you prepare to make the most of it while taking care of yourself? Below, we share tips from our staff to help you feel present and grounded during #HealthyTeen25, whether it’s your first time attending or your tenth.

Ask for What You Need

One of the best things about being in a space full of sex educators? It’s literally our job to answer questions graciously. So don’t be shy about asking for help or directions. Healthy Teen Network staff (wearing the peach badges) are happy to help you out, or help you find someone who can. If it’s your first time attending our conference, asking other attendees who have been before can also be an informative way to connect.

Prioritize, and Pace Yourself

Let’s be real: You might not make it to every session you saved in your schedule. You won’t get to meet every interesting attendee (there are literally hundreds of us). That’s okay.

Taking time in advance to reflect on your intentions for the conference and check out the schedule will help you prioritize. You can add to your schedule any sessions that are most relevant for you and your work.

Our staff has learned from past conferences that taking breaks is non-negotiable. Step outside for fresh air. Go back to your room for 10 quiet minutes. Even if you’re the most extroverted educator out there, being “on” all day can be draining.

Whether you’re presenting, exhibiting, or attending sessions, you’re showing up in a big way just by being here. Give yourself grace to slow down, take a break, or say “not tonight” to evening plans.

Practical Outfits Are Key (Bonus Points If They’re Fun, Too)

Wearing something comfortable will help make sure you’re focused on content and connections, not your clothes.

Repeat after us: this is not the weekend to try new shoes, no matter how stylish. Whether you’re dashing between workshops, standing at an exhibit table, or dancing it out at our networking reception, your feet will be working overtime.

Additionally, bringing breathable layers will help you adjust to the sunny Atlanta streets, which can get up into the mid 80s in early October, as well as notoriously chilly hotel conference spaces. Did we mention that our conference t-shirts are a great base layer? Be sure to stop by and grab a fabulous In Solidarity t-shirt for $25 (cashless payments only).

That said, if fashion is your thing, bring it! Our staff has seen (and sported) some incredible outfits over the years. There’s space for all kinds of expression here.

The #HealthyTeen25 App Will Be Your Bestie

One of the best ways to set yourself up for a smooth, stress-free conference is by downloading and using the conference app! It’s free to use, and you can download it in advance by searching for “HealthyTeen25” in the app store. Instead of juggling printed schedules or searching for information, the app puts everything in one place—your sessions, your connections, and real-time updates.

With the conference app, you’ll be able to…

• Plan ahead. Browse sessions and activities, then add them to your personal schedule to map out each day in advance. Take this opportunity to plan breaks in between sessions or visits to exhibit tables.
• Find answers fast. Our handy FAQ section is built right in—and if you still need help, our team will be available at the registration desk.
• Build connections. Invite and chat with members in your contact list to spark conversations that go beyond the conference. There are chat features along with a QR scanner that allows you to view someone’s contact profile.
• Stay in the loop. The activity feed or “What’s Hot” keeps you updated on what’s happening in real time—and lets you share posts about what inspires you. Keep an eye out here for activity reminders in case you might’ve missed something in the schedule.

We’ve developed the conference app to support YOU and your experience. Our goal is to make it easier for you to plan ahead, stay informed, and focus on what really matters: learning, networking, and making the most of your time at the conference.

In short: We’re all in this together, and we can’t wait to learn alongside you.

See you in Atlanta!

Charlie Blue Brahm likes to meander through a topic, asking “why” until they can see a full and vibrant picture, accepting complexity and contradiction rather than flattening people or situations for convenience’s sake. This worldview has taken them through a path of learning first how to understand and create technology, then how to understand and organize people who create technology, and now how to understand and design for the people who use and are affected by technology. Read more about Charlie Blue.

Arianna de la Mancha is an artist, writer, sex educator, and Communications Designer at Healthy Teen Network. With a unique background in sexual wellness product development, and a passion for inclusive, queer sex education, they bring a distinct blend of creativity and sex-positive expertise to nonprofit communications and adolescent sexual and reproductive health. In their free time, you’ll find them tending to their plants or crate-digging for their growing record collection. Read more about Arianna.

The post Getting Ready for #HealthyTeen25 appeared first on Healthy Teen Network.

Whatever constraints you’re under, focus on how you can show up for LGBTQ+ young people (and uplift their peers along the way).

Charlie Blue Brahm, MA

JUNE 18, 2025

It’s Pride Month, y’all! In the United States, June is an annual time to celebrate LGBTQ+ communities. It’s also a time when we honor and continue our long tradition of fighting for our rights and standing in solidarity with others who experience oppression.

A big part of my journey as a queer person has been learning the difficult skill of holding both of those things at once: celebrating queer joy while letting myself feel the grief of the heartbreaking, cruel, systemic attacks on our lives.

In recent conversations with sex educators, I heard again and again how their balancing act feels especially precarious at the moment. I know that so many youth-supporting professionals want to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ young people they work with, but that they are also managing the fear of ever-changing repercussions and trying to protect their own safety—all on top of meeting the normal demands of their jobs. I heard how upsetting and overwhelming it is to feel that their hands are tied, that they have to compromise on how they aim to support young people to stay in the work. This balance is of course doubly complicated for educators who are themselves LGBTQ+ and navigating the personal as well as professional impacts of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and legislation.

As a designer, I know that when we feel stuck is a crucial time to get creative and bring in new perspectives.

As a designer, I know that when we feel stuck is a crucial time to get creative and bring in new perspectives. Because the truth is, no matter your constraints, there is always something you can do to observe the spirit of Pride month.

If you have legislative, administrative, or community support, this is your time to go big! Team up with other supportive adults in your community to start a Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), bedeck your space with LGBTQ+ youth-created art, highlight LGBTQ+ heroes throughout history, play music by LGBTQ+ artists, or offer to chaperone young people to LGBTQ+ rights protests.

On the other hand, if you’re working within a lot of restrictions, talk about how you can show up with local peers, with friends, even with former young people you’ve worked with who identify as LGBTQ+. Remember that there have been subversive celebrations of queerness for time immemorial, even when folks couldn’t be “out” about it.

As one perspective to get you started, below are three of my ideas for how to uplift LGBTQ+ young people, regardless of the restrictions you’re facing.

A great first step? Learn what your actual restrictions are!

Amid an onslaught of legislative debates targeting LGBTQ+ rights, many educators and other youth-supporting professionals are holding back on talking about crucial political and social issues. This chilling effect extends far beyond actual existing censorship laws and restrictions. A recent survey by the RAND Corporation found that 55 percent of teachers who weren’t under any restrictions on what topics they could cover still decided to limit what they addressed in class.

If you’ve been feeling tentative about addressing subjects like LGBTQ+ history with young people, it’s time to get clear on what you’re being prevented from doing versus what restrictions you’re placing on yourself.

Good places to start are the National Education Association’s article What Educators Should Know About LGBTQ+ Rights and the LGBTQ+ Curricular Laws map from the Movement Advancement Project. From there, make sure to look into local restrictions as well, as these may have an even stronger influence on many educators’ decisions than state legislation.

After you’ve untangled the fear from the reality, get real about your values and risk tolerance. In what ways are you holding back from openly showing up for LGBTQ+ young people? Do you have enough stability, including legislative and community support, to be bolder in your support?

Focus on supporting well-being and mental health.

Whether or not you can openly talk about attacks on LGBTQ+ lives and rights with young people, you likely can talk openly about wellness. That means making space for young people to express grief and fear, as well as creating space for joy and celebration.

Can you integrate any healing-centered practices into your work? Check out the Flourish Agenda’s resources on Healing Centered Engagement for more information. Maybe you want to add in some Grounding Exercises to a meeting or event?

Can you create any regular spaces for young people to share positive things happening in their lives with one another? What about things they’ve done that they’re proud of? Can you throw a summer celebration and let each young person share what they want to celebrate?

Think of ways to explicitly let them know that you want to show up for all young people and to be an askable adult. Can you set up regular office hours when they can come to you for support (and remind them regularly about it)? Can you set up a bulletin board with health and wellness support resources and encourage young people to add to it?

Although it’s especially important during Pride Month to focus on showing up for LGBTQ+ young people, remember that many young people hold multiple marginalized identities. It Gets Better has a list of resources for LGBTQ+ Youth of Color. Can you share these resources alongside any local support that exists?

Struggles for liberation are interconnected, and Pride is a reminder of how crucial solidarity is. Check out our #HealthyTeen25 Conference to dig deeper into solidarity.

Encourage their imaginations.

I’ve been reading Dr. Ruha Benjamin’s Imagination: A Manifesto (which, by the way, I highly recommend). She talks about how imagination is a central force for change. It’s not frivolous, and it’s not a luxury that should only be afforded to some. She asks how “could any of us survive, without the ability to envision a world […] where we are free simply to be?”

This Pride, make space for all the young people you work with to imagine something different, and to know that there is power in their dreaming. Can you reorient your work towards interest-based learning and let young people more fully guide their own areas of exploration? Can you use arts integration to make space for LGBTQ+ young people and their peers to express themselves?

This Pride Month, figure out the restrictions you are under and what your priorities are, and then find whatever ways you can to support LGBTQ+ young people. Get creative in figuring out how to celebrate.

I’ve been seeing the Dan Savage quote below circulating in my queer circles recently. It reminds me that we can’t find our way through difficult times without celebrating queer lives, queer resilience, and queer joy.

“During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for. It didn’t look like we were going to win then and we did. It doesn’t feel like we’re going to win now but we could. Keep fighting, keep dancing.”

-Dan Savage

The post You Don’t Need a Rainbow Flag to Celebrate Pride appeared first on Healthy Teen Network.

This Transgender Day of Remembrance, let’s honor those we’ve lost and redouble our commitments to giving trans young people the affirming support and care they need to thrive.

Charlie Blue Brahm, MA

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

Immediately following Transgender Awareness Week, in which we are invited to uplift transgender people’s stories, November 20, 2024, marks the 25th annual observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance. On this day, people around the world will come together to mourn all those we’ve lost to anti-trans violence.

Whereas the first Pride was a riot, the first Transgender Day of Remembrance was a vigil. In 1999, transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann began the observance in memory of Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman who was killed the year before. 

The ongoing epidemic of anti-trans violence continues the need for observing Transgender Day of Remembrance. 

It’s heartbreaking that Transgender Day of Remembrance is still needed 25 years later, as transgender and nonbinary people continue to experience an epidemic of violence. This violence is most acute for people at the intersection of multiple systems of oppression, especially transphobia, racism, and misogyny. In any given year, the majority of people who have been killed are BIPOC transgender women, with Black trans women facing the highest rates of violence. 

To date, there have been 28 reported deaths in the United States due to anti-trans violence in 2024. Twelve of these people were 25 years old or under. However, the number of trans deaths in any given year is widely believed to be undercounted, as many trans people are deadnamed and misgendered in media, making their deaths hard to track. The Trans Remembrance Project includes additional transgender and non-binary people lost in 2024, including eulogies to honor their lives. 

These lists also do not include young people who died by suicide after experiencing anti-trans violence or discrimination, like Nex Benedict. Nex was a 16-year-old nonbinary high school student whose mother is a member of the Choctaw Nation. He died in February a day after he was reportedly attacked by classmates on school grounds, following months of persistent bullying. His death was ruled a suicide. 

Tragically, transgender and nonbinary young people experience depression and suicidality at disproportionately high rates, in large part due to the discrimination, stigma, and violence they experience. As with trans lives lost to violence, the intersection of racism and transphobia doubly impacts BIPOC transgender and nonbinary people. According to a recent report by the Trevor Project, 58% of Black transgender and nonbinary young people seriously considered suicide and 1 in 4 (25%) attempted suicide in 2023. 

This mental health crisis is not inherent to transgender and nonbinary identities: it is a result of all the ways that trans people are mistreated, now and historically. In 2023, the Human Rights Campaign declared a National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans in response to having more than 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced across the country, more than 80 of which were passed into law. Well over half of these bills specifically target trans young people. And we know that more are on the way. These bills and hateful rhetoric portray deviance from cisgender norms as monstrous, deranged, and dangerous. They take away transgender young people’s agency; spur physical violence against transgender people; remove discrimination protections in housing, employment, and health care; and create a sense of despair. 

The situation isn’t hopeless: Receiving affirming care and support from youth-supporting professionals can be crucial for keeping trans young people alive.

The situation isn’t hopeless: Receiving affirming care and support from youth-supporting professionals can be crucial for keeping trans young people alive.

Many trans young people are scared right now, but your presence as a trusted adult can make a big impact in supporting transgender and nonbinary young people’s well-being. Research by the Trevor Project has consistently found that transgender and nonbinary young people who feel affirmed in their gender identity have lower rates of depression and suicidality.  

You can show up for transgender and non-binary young people when you… 

Learn more about LGBTQ+ identities.

LGBTQ+ young people, and especially young people who aren’t cis, often face the burden of educating the adults who are supposed to be supporting them. While it’s important to avoid assumptions and recognize that every young person has a unique experience, learning more about transgender and nonbinary identities can provide a foundation for providing grounded support. Check out this guide from the Trevor Project on being an ally to transgender and nonbinary young people. 

Get clear on local laws and restrictions.

Many youth-supporting professionals are facing laws and regulations that restrict how they can support LGBTQ+ young people right now. The onslaught of anti-trans laws can cause fear that keeps people from supporting LGBTQ+ young people in their area. Remember that of the 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in 2023, only 80 passed. Understanding your local laws regarding LGBTQ+ rights ensures that you’re able to make decisions to protect yourself while still providing transgender and nonbinary young people with all the support you can. 

Use LGBTQ+ affirming care best practices.

These practices include using young people’s chosen name and pronouns wherever it is safe to do so (make sure to check with them, so you don’t unintentionally out them), creating spaces that are visibly LGBTQ+ friendly with flags and posters, and supporting LGBTQ+ organizations like Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs). If you can’t do any of these things, you can still try to be a supportive, askable adult in one-on-one conversations and be transparent about how much you can maintain confidentiality. We encourage you to check out our Guide to Inclusive Language for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health to learn more about best practices and terminology recommended by experts. 

Advocate to protect trans rights and support youth activists.

Learn more about the young people who are changing the narrative and leading the fight against anti-trans bills that affect them, and amplify the voices of young people in your community. Call your representatives to advocate for LGBTQ+ protections and against emerging anti-trans legislation. In a time when many of us are hurting, figure out how you can sustainably support trans rights while caring for yourself and your loved ones. 

On Transgender Day of Remembrance, let’s not forget all the people who were lost too young to anti-trans violence. Let’s turn towards the grief and hold each other in it. And most of all, let’s keep fighting to create a world where all trans young people are safe and get the love, support, and care they need to thrive. 

And to any transgender or nonbinary youth-supporting professionals who are reading this: Thank you for your work. Thank you for being present in young people’s lives. I know you’re probably scared, too. 

Below are the names of the transgender and nonbinary young people in the United States who have been lost to violence to date in 2024:

Pauly Likens, 14

River Nevaeh Goddard, 17

Tayy Dior Thomas, 17

Jazlynn Johnson, 18

Dylan Gurley, 20

Alex “Boo” Taylor Franco, 21

Kenji Spurgeon, 23

Meraxes Medina, 24

Tai’Vion Lathan, 24

África Parrilla García, 25

Michelle Henry, 25

Redd, 25

We invite you to honor the memories of all the transgender and nonbinary people who were lost to anti-trans violence in the United States this year by participating in local Transgender Day of Remembrance events, gathering with loved ones for a private vigil, or lighting a candle and taking a moment of silence to reflect on how you can keep showing up for trans young people.

The post We’re All Needed in the Fight to Protect Trans Young People appeared first on Healthy Teen Network.

Approach these conversations in a way that is affirming, inclusive, and nonjudgmental.

By Charlie Blue Brahm, MA

June 28, 2024

The stigmatization that exists culturally around having multiple sexual or romantic partners makes it all the more important for youth-supporting professionals to address conversations in ways that feel affirming, inclusive, and free of judgment. The first step to supporting young people with multiple sexual or romantic partners is to be able to name the societal default: monogamy. A monogamous relationship is one in which a person has only one partner at a time, rather than multiple partners. Although this is generally understood to be about sexual exclusivity, monogamous couples often implicitly expect to be the most important emotional connection in one another’s lives as well. We live in a culture that is built around monogamous relationships. The Sexual Health Alliance defines mononormativity as “the social narratives according to which monogamous relationships are the only acceptable relationships, and all other ways of structuring our relational lives are […] in some way deviant, deficient, defective, or delusional.”

Because of societal norms that prioritize monogamy, it can be hard for young people to feel comfortable opening up about having multiple sexual or romantic partners.

Because of societal norms that prioritize monogamy, it can be hard for young people to feel comfortable opening up about having multiple sexual or romantic partners. This is true for young people who identify as polyamorous and non-monogamous, but also for young people who are interested in monogamous relationships but who are currently dating or having sex with multiple people.

Build trust and center the young person’s experience, values, and journey.

As a youth-supporting professional, we know you work hard to be a trusted adult. When working with young people who have multiple sexual or romantic partners, building trust requires centering their experience, values, and journey. It requires learning how they want their relationships to look. Making space for them means avoiding assumptions, checking your own biases, and questioning stories you might have internalized about people who have more than one sexual or romantic partner. Centering a young person’s experience means giving them all the information they need to support their own decision-making rather than deciding what is best for them. For example, we know you want to help young people stay safe, and because of that it may be tempting to focus on the fact that having multiple sexual partners can put a young person at increased risk of contracting an STI.

However, it’s crucial to honor young people’s agency in deciding what is most important to them and what is an acceptable level of risk-tolerance for them.

However, it’s crucial to honor young people’s agency in deciding what is most important to them and what is an acceptable level of risk-tolerance for them. Plus, if you focus only on STI risks instead of letting a young person guide the conversation, you might unintentionally be shutting down topics that they want to cover like healthy relationships and consent. To create a safe environment for young people to share potentially sensitive details and feel comfortable asking questions, it’s important to leave your own personal values out of the conversation and respond in nonjudgmental ways. Check out these trainings on “Should I share my personal opinions?” and “How do I avoid coming off as judgy?” from Healthy Teen Network’s Sex Ed 101 for Educators series for more information. These e-learnings are primarily designed for sex educators, but the guidance on affirming and supporting young people is relevant for youth-supporting professionals across fields!

In addition to avoiding assumptions and judgment, it can also help young people to feel heard if you reflect the ways they talk about their sexual and romantic connections. For example, if a young person tells you they have a partner and a girlfriend, use those words when discussing their relationships. Additionally, youth-supporting professionals must recognize that stigmatization around having multiple sexual or romantic partners can be even more pronounced when a young person is not straight and cisgender. Queer and trans identities still bear the burden of harmful cultural narratives of deviance on top of those associated with non-monogamy. This double stigmatization that LGBTQ+ young people with multiple sexual or romantic partners may experience in other areas of their lives makes having a trusted adult all the more important. To create a safe space for these young people, make sure to always use affirming, gender-inclusive language.

Remember that a person’s gender is not tied to their anatomy.

This applies to both the young person you’re working with and the ways you ask questions about their sexual partners. Remember that a person’s gender is not tied to their anatomy. If you want to dive deeper, you can check out certification programs like this one from the Sexual Health Alliance on Consensual Non-Monogamy.

Be prepared to get into the nitty gritty.

In order to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health, young people who have multiple sexual partners need much more than vague guidance on deciding about fluid bonding or increased risk of STIs with multiple partners. As a youth-supporting professional, it’s crucial that you can either answer their questions in detail or direct them to resources where they can find more information (or ideally both!). For example, you might run into some of these scenarios when supporting a young person with multiple sexual partners…

• Encouraging a young person to think about the safety practices of their metamours—the people that their partners are partnered to or sexually active with—when making decisions about STI testing routines or fluid bonding.
• Providing guidance on which sex toys are safe to share among partners (or in different orifices) and how to clean them properly.
• Giving specific information about STI transmission rates from different forms of sex (oral, vaginal, anal) and with sexual partners who have different anatomies to help a young person decide when to use barriers based on their level of risk tolerance.
• Sharing information on the time it takes for different STIs to show up on tests to help decide on safety practices like using barriers or avoiding certain sex acts when one of their sexual partners has sex with someone new.
• Clarifying that for some STI tests, it’s useful to get swabbed in different areas (throat, vagina / front hole, anus) to catch localized infections based on the types of sexual activity they are engaging in.

Stay up-to-date on the latest clinical guidelines for PrEP.

Finally, we also encourage you to check out the new clinical guidelines for PrEP. Rather than screening for certain risk factors, the new guidelines recommend that providers “[i]nform all sexually active adult and adolescent patients about PrEP” and “prescribe PrEP to anyone who asks for it, including sexually active people who do not report HIV risk factors.”

Be prepared to answer questions.

Beyond just getting more familiar with the facts, it can also be helpful to prepare for answering questions that you might find challenging or uncomfortable. For more guidance, check out this free training from Healthy Teen Network’s Sex Ed 101 for Educators series. We believe every young person has the right to be who they are and love who they love. For the young people who don’t fit societal expectations of loving and having sex with only one person, being able to have affirming, informative conversations with a trusted adult can make a world of difference.

Charlie Blue Brahm likes to meander through a topic, asking “why” until they can see a full and vibrant picture, accepting complexity and contradiction rather than flattening people or situations for convenience’s sake. This worldview has taken them through a path of learning first how to understand and create technology, then how to understand and organize people who create technology, and now how to understand and design for the people who use and are affected by technology. Read more about Charlie Blue. 

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It’s been almost four months since the Department of Education in my home state of Virginia released new model policies that made my stomach drop. These policies’ promise to “Ensur[e] Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools” has proven worse than empty: the policies have been widely criticized for how they “will harm and endanger trans youth.”

Despite learning about the new model policies from the relative safety I enjoy in Seattle, as a trans non-binary adult, my heart ached for all the young Virginians who would inevitably suffer at a time when they so desperately need broad social support and protections.

Although many Virginia school districts have since committed to implementing these model policies, not all have complied. In mid-August, Fairfax County Public Schools—the largest school system in the state and the one from which I graduated in 2014—released a statement refusing to adopt the new policies. They are among a small number of school districts that have refuted the Youngkin administration’s discriminatory policies, instead keeping their existing model policies which contain strong protections for transgender and gender expansive students and staff. I was deeply moved by this assertion that my former school district aims to stand in support of its trans students.

During my time in a Fairfax County high school in the early 2010s, I didn’t feel such clear support or visibility for the LGBTQ+ community. I have no recollections of learning any LGBTQ+ history, and I am positive there was no discussion of queer or trans identities during the limited sexual health education courses that primarily left me feeling confused and embarrassed. I knew my school had a GSA, but I didn’t participate for fear of social ramifications. I didn’t know if there was a way for me to access counseling without my parents being alerted, and I wasn’t ready for whatever discussions that might prompt.

With nobody to talk to, my mental health suffered. My sense of self became increasingly fragmented as I tried to explore and cope in secret. This is what happens when LGBTQ+ young people have to exist without social supports: they don’t stop being themselves, but they likely will grow to bear the scars of having to figure it out on their own.

After I graduated, I moved out of state to a college where I was able to develop a queer community and experiment with identity labels and presentations. Alongside my work to heal and understand myself, I watched from afar as my home state slowly grew more supportive of LGBTQ+ youth. In 2018—the year I graduated college and moved to Seattle—Gov. Ralph Northam was elected, and his administration began strengthening LGBTQ+ protections.

In April 2020, the Virginia Values Act was passed, making Virginia “the first Southern state to enact comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people.” In 2021, the Virginia Department of Education created model policies that were “trans-affirming and were created in collaboration with various stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and transgender students.”

Within that same timeframe, Fairfax County Public Schools formally recognized October as LGBTQ History Month, celebrated June as Pride month, and passed Regulation 2603 to provide “gender-expansive and transgender students with an equitable, safe, and supportive school environment.” Although not all school districts in Virginia adopted the new trans-affirming model policies, they were still a huge step in the right direction.

The anti-LGBTQ, “parental rights” agenda pushed by the current administration under Gov. Glenn Youngkin marks a dramatic departure from the progress Virginia had been making over the past few years.

The anti-LGBTQ, “parental rights” agenda pushed by the current administration under Gov. Glenn Youngkin marks a dramatic departure from the progress Virginia had been making over the past few years. The new 2023 model policies block trans students from using restrooms and participating in sports teams consistent with their gender identity. These policies create more barriers to trans students accessing counseling services and prevent schools from protecting students against forcibly being outed to their parents. The policies also require written parental consent for students to use affirming names and pronouns in school, and allow teachers and staff to “disregard parent’s written instruction and misname and misgender students in the classroom based on their own personal beliefs.” These policies were enacted in spite of thousands of students participating in walkouts and tens of thousands of comments filed in opposition.

It makes sense that parents would want insight into what their children are learning about and how they are developing, but this insight must not come at the expense of a young person’s safety and well-being. In high school, I wasn’t yet ready to explore other names or pronouns, but many trans and nonbinary young people are and should absolutely have the support they need to do so—regardless of whether their parents are on board.

Robbing young people of the opportunity to come out on their own terms can also be devastating. It was a key point of development for me to be able to navigate coming out to different people in my life when I felt ready for it, after first getting space to explore with supportive peers and accessing counseling services in college.

Rather than being made to “out” students who aren’t ready, counselors, teachers, and staff could be encouraged to work with them to determine whether it would be safe to involve parents and create a plan for how to get parental support.

Finally, instead of fearmongering around incredibly rare instances of trans young people assaulting peers to justify blocking their access to appropriate bathrooms and facilities, schools could focus on implementing trauma-informed approaches to prevent the massively more prevalent issue of sexual violence among the broader student body.

In this post, I’ve taken a closer look at the circumstances in Virginia, but similar anti-LGBTQ+ policies are rampant across the country. Trans youth deserve to not only live without threats to their safety and health care; trans youth—like all young people—deserve to live in a world that affirms and celebrates them for who they are and ensures every young person has the agency, opportunity, and equitable access to make informed decisions about their bodies, relationships, and futures.

In a time of widespread legislative assaults on the rights of trans youth, it’s crucial that youth-supporting professionals, families, and other trusted adults step up to advocate and care for young people. Even without a supportive school environment, research shows that “for an LGBTQ young person, having at least one accepting adult in their life can lower odds of suicide risk by 40%.”

If you’re a parent, guardian, or trusted adult of a trans young person, The Cut just released The Transgender Family Handbook, which includes 144 specific suggestions from trans young people and their loved ones.Anyone who cares about trans youth can also use their voice by signing the ACLU’s national pledge, and Virginians can take the Pride Pledge to receive updates on the model policies and action opportunities. For those with the means to do so, donating to organizations like the Trevor Project and Trans Lifeline can help to ensure young people across the country have someone to call if they are in crisis. Finally, you can read more about Maryland’s efforts to protect trans youth and young adults as a protected state via the Trans Health Equity Act, and pressure your representatives to enact similar legislation.

For any trans and other LGBTQ+ youth reading this, please know that you matter, and that your expression and resistance are powerful. Although student protests in Virginia didn’t stop the Youngkin administration from pushing its harmful agenda, I can personally attest to the power of seeing that you are not alone, that people care about you and your rights.

For any trans and other LGBTQ+ youth reading this, please know that you matter, and that your expression and resistance are powerful. Although student protests in Virginia didn’t stop the Youngkin administration from pushing its harmful agenda, I can personally attest to the power of seeing that you are not alone, that people care about you and your rights.  Even if you’re not getting support from your families, communities, or schools, there are resources out there built by people who care about you. If you’re looking for resources to explore your identity and support your mental health, check out imi‘s guides. OkaySo also provides an anonymous, text-based way to ask questions of trained health experts and get connected to local agencies that can provide support. Finally, if you are ever in crisis and need someone to talk to, you can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling (877) 565-8860 or access the Trevor Project crisis hotline by either texting START to 678-678 or calling 1-866-488-7386.

My heart goes out to all the young LGBTQ+ people in Virginia and across the U.S. who are facing the consequences of discriminatory policies. My heart goes out to the families, teachers, and school staff who care for these young people and want to do their best to support them. And to the school boards in Virginia counties who have refused to implement the Youngkin administration’s model policies, I want to offer a sincere thank you from a proud alumnus. Please keep fighting for your trans students.

Charlie Blue Brahm likes to meander through a topic, asking “why” until they can see a full and vibrant picture, accepting complexity and contradiction rather than flattening people or situations for convenience’s sake. This worldview has taken them through a path of learning first how to understand and create technology, then how to understand and organize people who create technology, and now how to understand and design for the people who use and are affected by technology. Read more about Charlie Blue. 

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June 22, 2023

We’re excited to have Charlie Blue join Mila, Nick, Patricia, and Kaitlyn in our Innovation and Research department as a Design Researcher.

Before starting at Healthy Teen Network, Charlie Blue worked with the University of Colorado’s Digital Identity Lab to conduct human-computer interaction research about online suicide bereavement support communities and lead design efforts on end-of-life planning for online accounts and data. They bring extensive program management and facilitation experience concerning complex technical systems from their time on Microsoft’s Operating Systems Security team.

Charlie Blue Brahm’s approach to their role as a Design Researcher combines their design training, technical background, and program management experience with a central focus on collaboration and facilitation.

Charlie Blue Brahm’s approach to their role as a Design Researcher combines their design training, technical background, and program management experience with a central focus on collaboration and facilitation.

As a Design Researcher, Charlie Blue primarily utilizes an approach based on Human-Centered Design principles to create products and resources that support adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Their process centers the needs and lived experiences of young people and professionals by using frameworks such as community-engaged research and participatory design.

Charlie Blue also specializes in designing processes, systems, and services with a critical perspective on the values that are embedded in them.

Charlie Blue Brahm

We asked Charlie Blue what they wished they had learned in sex ed growing up but didn’t, and they shared, “I deeply wish that I had been taught even the basics about sexual orientation and gender identity in an affirming, non-judgmental way. I don’t think I learned the word ‘nonbinary’ until partway through college, and having a starting point to learn more might’ve saved me a lot of pain.”

Outside of work, Charlie Blue enjoys doting on their cat and exploring Seattle by way of long bike rides with partners and friends. In the summer, they also love exploring Seattle and the Pacific Northwest through biking, hiking, and long walks. A goal of theirs this summer is to go bike-packing for the first time!

Welcome to the crew, Charlie Blue!

PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

At Healthy Teen Network, we believe that every young person has a right to live their authentic sexuality. And we see you, the professionals and caring adults, helping them do this. We know you do your best when you’re connected to great opportunities and resources. That’s why we’re here…to help make those connections and support you. Read more about us.

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