SHIFT NC mourns the murders of Black people by police in the United States. Most recently, these murders include those of Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Tony McDade. We also condemn the violence against Christian Cooper. Along with many others, we are processing the life-threatening police phone call made against him in Central Park. The white supremacy that fuels this violence permeates all aspects and every sector of our society. We all must seek to understand white supremacy and the violence it causes, and, as we are able, help our friends and neighbors in their ..read more

May is #SexEdForAll Month, a month to highlight the need to work toward sex education that is comprehensive, medically accurate, LGBTQ+-inclusive, and culturally responsive. The Coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on young people’s ability to access sex ed. It also provides a good opportunity to examine what sex ed really looks like – and how it could look in the future.  Listen to us talk about the impact of Covid-19 on The State of Things on WUNC.  The Impact of Coronavirus on Sex Ed School- and community-based sex education programs have been deeply impacted by the pandemi ..read more

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that cases of some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have reached an all-time high. Here in North Carolina, these increases are alarming – and they disproportionately impact young people, especially young people of color. In North Carolina in 2018, young people ages 15-24 accounted for: 66% of new Chlamydia diagnoses 48% of new Gonorrhea diagnoses More than a quarter of all new HIV diagnoses What does this all mean? It means that reducing STIs in North Carolina will require strategies designed speci ..read more

We have been closely monitoring the spread, impact of, and response to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in North Carolina. We recognize that the virus will continue to have an impact on you, your families, and your colleagues, as well as on the systems and organizations you rely on in your daily lives.  Our goal is to continue to provide services when possible, while prioritizing everyone’s safety and well-being. We are altering some of our upcoming events in response, and in consultation with our partners and funders.    Trainings, Meetings, and Capacity-Building Services Our project mana ..read more

  October is Let's Talk Month, a time to focus on the critical importance of talking about sexual health. In surveys, young people consistently say that their parents or guardians influence their decisions on sex, safety, and relationships more than anyone else - including friends or the media.  As powerful influencers, parents have a great opportunity to share information of lifelong importance. And, although there's so much emphasis on "the talk", most parents know that talking early and often, answering questions as they come, is the way to go - whether it's names of body parts or expla ..read more

Ten years ago, our state passed two critical pieces of legislation thanks to the efforts of thousands of young people, some amazing advocates, and a bipartisan group of legislators.The Healthy Youth Act put an end to North Carolina’s restrictive and unscientific abstinence-only-until-marriage education rules and required schools to provide medically accurate sex education that includes contraception, STIs, healthy relationships, and more. The School Violence Prevention Act expanded bullying protections for students, including bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Why celeb ..read more