TECHSex USA: Youth Sexuality and Reproductive Health in the Digital Age
This white paper, which was completed in March 2011 and funded by the Ford Foundation takes a deep dive into how youth, particularly youth of color, use technology for their sexual and reproductive health. It also identifies opportunities for new digital programming.
Click the image to watch the video presenting the context and inspiration for this research, and then download the paper.
The video reads:
"The good news? Teen pregnancy in the U.S. has been declining. The bad news? It's greater in Hispanic teen populations, than for all US teens. And that's not all. 50 percent of all STI's in the U.S. happen in 15-24 year olds. Chlamydia is 9 times higher for young African American women, and more than half of all those between 13 and 24 years old infectede by HIV are African American.
What is going on here?
We've been in the business of sex education for decades. We've added it to grade school, middle school, and high school curriculums. We've run ads, sponsored campaigns, and provided tools to parents, teachers, and clergy. We've funded programs at the community, state, and local levels. We're reaching some, but we're not reaching the most vulnerable.
The average 13 -24 year old spends anywhere from 11 to 84 hours a week in front of "3 screens" simultaneously: TV's, computers, & mobile phones. 93 percent of teens are online, 80 percent use social networks, and 87 percent sleep with their phones. All of this media deeply affects their attitudes and behaviors about sexual health.
89 percent have researched sexual health questions online, and most don't feel satisfied with the results.
Great opportunities exist to improve sexual and reproductive health by leveraging all types of multimedia, but we still have work to do.
Youth are also talking with friends, family, health and school professionals--and even non-profits--to navigate their world of sexuality. Using multimedia channels to reach youth (with messaging that relates), reinforced by trusted adults, has the most potential to impact the sexual health of vulnerable youth populations.
Technology isn't a panacea, but it it isn't just a passing fad either. Don't you want to get it right? Take a deep dive into how youth use technology for their sexual and reproductive health."
Fore more info on this topic, check out this New York Times article, which offers an overview of the ways ISIS and other innovative organizations are using text messaging, social media and other online tools to help young people access this vital information.
