Trans youth—like all young people—deserve to live in a world that affirms and celebrates them for who they are.By Charlie Blue Brahm, MA November 9, 2023It’s been almost four months since the Department of Education in my home state of Virginia released new model...
Defend LGBTQ+ Rights by Creating Inclusive Learning Spaces
Learn more—and get resources—about how to create affirming spaces for your students.By Allison Tomai Felsen June 15, 2023The onslaught of attacks on the basic human right for people to exist just continues to be exhausting. Banning books, censoring curricula, banning...
How to Use Storytelling as a Vehicle for Social Change
6 Storytelling Lessons Learned while Creating the Casey Young Parents Stories.By Patricia Natalie, MA June 8, 2023When I first joined Healthy Teen Network in March 2022, my first project was to “create stories about young parents that can affect policy change.” Wow, I...
May Is National Sex Ed for All Month (2023)
Community Leaders, Parents, and Guardians Lend Their Voice to Promote #SexEdForAllMay 3, 2023For Immediate ReleaseB altimore, MD — May is Sex Ed For All Month, a time community leaders, caring adults, and advocates call on local school boards, parent-teacher...
Sex Education Is Essential (Sex Ed for All Talking Points)
Together, by advocating in our communities, we can ensure Sex Ed for All.April 27, 2023As April winds down, and as we look ahead to the start of May next week, we wanted to take a moment to share with you the history behind May as Sex Ed for All Month. We also wanted...
Save the Date! May Is Sex Ed for All Month!
#SexEdForAll Month is an opportunity to raise awareness and call for real investment in sex education in schools and communities across the country. March 14, 2023The seasons are changing, and May will be here before you know it. That means it’s time to start getting...
How the Dobbs Decision Affects Youth in Care and Recommendations for Providers
How a post-Roe world affects youth in care: some general thoughts and suggestions for practitioners and researchers.December 12, 2022The United States has seen a dramatic reduction in the rates of both unintended pregnancy and childbearing among people of all races...
Zander Moricz to Receive Healthy Teen Network 2022 #Standing Strong Award
As a champion for all young people, Zander Moricz is #StandingStrong to create a world where every young person can realize their right to live their authentic sexuality. August 25, 2022H ealthy Teen Network is pleased to announce Zander Moricz as the winner of the...
What’s Next in the Endless Attack on Our Rights and Freedoms?
Our freedom, our rights, are being restricted by a radical minority that does not represent the majority of Americans. By Gina Desiderio June 27, 2022Like many of you, here at Healthy Teen Network, we’re feeling the weight of the Supreme Court decision last week to...
Anti-Fat Bias Is Pervasive and Insidious: Combating Its Harm in Sexual Health & Education
“Every time we point out stigma and name it as unfair, it loses its validity, and in turn, its power.” By Yesi Llerenas Daniel (they/elle) By Maria Peñas (she/her) Educators with Responsible Sex Education Institute June 27, 2022Content Warning: This blog mentions...
How Youth Development Professionals Might Want to Address “Parent Rights”
Perhaps these rebuttals to central themes in the “parent rights” movement will be useful to youBy Bob Reeg, MPA, CVA May 26, 2022(To be clear, I am not assailing the rights of parent’s writ large. This is a commentary on the latest set of restrictive and...
The Right to Bodily Autonomy Shouldn’t Vary by ZIP Code
Abortion is still legal. And we must fight to keep it that way. By Gina Desiderio May 3, 2022Bodily autonomy—the right to make decisions about your own body, including decisions about if, when, and how to parent—is a right. None of us are free to live our authentic...
May Is National Sex Ed for All Month (2022)
Community Leaders, Parents, and Guardians Lend Their Voice to Promote #SexEdForAllMay 2, 2022For Immediate ReleaseB altimore, MD — May is Sex Ed For All Month, a time parents, guardians, teachers, community leaders, and advocates call on local school boards,...
Demand IX
50 years later, we have much to celebrate with Title IX…but we still have a lot of work to support ongoing efforts for strong Title IX protections and enforcement.April 21, 2022"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation...
“Don’t Say Gay” Bill Means It’s More Important than Ever to Bring #HealthyTeen22 to Florida
Legislation that restricts young people’s rights isn’t a reason to stay away…it’s a reason to come and get loud.By Gina Desiderio March 22, 2022It’s more important than ever for us to bring #HealthyTeen22 to Florida. Our annual national conference, Dare to Dream of a...
I’m Just a Bill: The Untold Story
I’m Just a Bill covers how a legislative bill makes its way to law. As a public policy advocacy practitioner for over 30 years, let me just say that how a bill becomes a law is more complicated than the short film conveys. By Bob Reeg, MPA, CVA June 3, 2021The I’m...
Sexual & Reproductive Health, Rights, & Justice Organizations Applaud Introduction of Legislation to Improve the Health & Well-Being of Young People
All young people deserve access to high-quality sex education and sexual health careMay 18, 2021For Immediate ReleaseWashington, D.C — Today, champions in Congress are introducing the Real Education and Access to Healthy Youth Act of 2021 (REAHYA). The bill, which is...
Sexual and Reproductive Health Policies Affecting Youth: A Look at What’s Ahead
Newly-inaugurated President Joe Biden has reversed several policy decisions of former President Trump that had curtailed the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls.Bob Reeg, MPA, CVA February 2, 2021As the saying goes, "elections have consequences." No...
President Biden’s Executive Actions on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Are a Good First Step
Repro Blueprint First Priorities lays out more to do to advance access January 28, 2021For Immediate ReleaseHealthy Teen Network applauds President Biden for taking the first steps to undo the harms of the previous administration’s dangerous and restrictive policies...
Fear and Loathing in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Strange memories on this nervous night near Scranton, in coal-scarred, Appalachian foothills filled with autumn color and political angstBy Nicholas Sufrinko November 2, 2020Strange memories on this nervous night near Scranton. Five years since Obergefell. Four since...
Too Much and Not Enough
Ginsburg’s death showcases how so many members of Congress and our government branches are failing us. She was more than enough. They are nowhere near enough. By Gina Desiderio September 22, 2020It feels like too much. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died...
Legislation to Reauthorize Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) Introduced
PAF provides vital support services to empower young parents and their children to thrive. June 26, 2019For Immediate ReleaseW ashington, DC — Yesterday, July 25, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Robert Casey (D-PA) introduced legislation (S.2296) to reauthorize the...
Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) Reauthorization Sign-On Letter
PAF provides vital support services to empower young parents and their children to thrive. Updated December 02, 2020For Immediate ReleaseDear Member of Congress: The undersigned organizations express our support for the Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) and urge...
May Is Sex Ed for All Month (2020)
This preamble and call to action were developed by partners at Advocates for Youth, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Power to Decide, SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, and URGE as part of the larger Sex Ed For All Month coalition. May 4, 2020 This May, sexual...
Coronavirus and the Lack of Access to Abortion
During the pandemic, many places are deeming abortion a "non essential" service. We know that abortion is essential healthcare.By Minyan Watson-FaulknerApril 16, 2020D uring the COVID-19 crisis, I have heard so many different things around what is essential or...
Happy New Legislative Year!
We wanted to update our members and supporters on our priorities when it comes to public policy this year.By Bob Reeg, MPA, CVA January 23, 2020The new year provides an occasion for Healthy Teen Network to update our members and supporters on the status of (y)our...
Education Legislation Will Empower Young People
Introduced during Sex Ed for All Month, education legislation will empower young people with information and accessMay 16, 2019For Immediate ReleaseW ashington, DC — Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the Real Education for Healthy Youth...
Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Groups Launch Sex Ed for All Month (2019)
Key education legislation to be introduced during month of May May 1, 2019 For Immediate ReleaseW ashington, DC — Today, reproductive health and rights groups dedicated to improving sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice for all, launched Sex Ed For All...
Today, I choose to be hopeful.
There were some small wins in this midterm election. They might help us get a little bit close to dismantling the patriarchy and adjusting an imbalance of power.By Gina Desiderio September 28, 2018Today, I choose to be hopeful. Maybe it’s naïve. Maybe it’s a...
Some Thoughts on the P-Word
Let us show you how we are centering pleasure in adolescent sex ed with the #HealthyTeen18 Design Challenge. By Nicholas Sufrinko July 31, 2018 I have a thought. What if, despite the continued attacks from an administration hostile to providing adolescents with...
Discover the magic of the Network.