In 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the STI National Strategic Plan. This ground breaking document is intended to “provide a roadmap for a broad range of stakeholders—including public health, health care, government, community-based organizations, educational institutions, researchers, private industry, and academia—to develop, enhance and expand STI prevention and care programs at the local, state, tribal and national levels over the next five years.” The Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan – PDF (STI Plan) (1.8 MB) sets a vision as ..read more

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the STI National Strategic Plan. This ground breaking document is intended to “provide a roadmap for a broad range of stakeholders—including public health, health care, government, community-based organizations, educational institutions, researchers, private industry, and academia—to develop, enhance and expand STI prevention and care programs at the local, state, tribal and national levels over the next five years.” The Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan – PDF (STI Plan) (1.8 MB) sets a visi ..read more

As educators are getting ready to return to their classrooms this school year, the Sex Education Collaborative, which TPPP is a part of, has put together a list of simple tips to help you ROCK your sex ed curricula. You can use one or more of these ideas to improve your sexual health curriculum and prepare for a great year! The tips include: Review what you’ve got – including your curriculum, materials and policies. Open the door for opportunities to engage Connect with others Keep in touch with rocking resources – from TPPP and the Sex Ed Collaborative   Check out this new video and on ..read more

Trigger Warning: Abuse and Sexual Abuse Help is available – if you or someone you know needs assistance, please visit https://www.essential4kids.org/helplines At TPPP, we emphasize the many positive benefits of comprehensive sexual health education. Healthy relationships! Better physical health and health outcomes! Positive school climate with less gender-based bullying! It is one of the most fun warm-up exercises we do at TPPP when we invite educators to brainstorm all the important ways sex ed impacts students – the list goes on and on. New research from Drs. Eva Goldfarb and Lisa Lieberman ..read more

Change can happen any number of ways. Sometimes it is grand and abrupt, even traumatic, as we saw in 2020. At other times, it is slow and steady. It can even sneak up on you! TPPP’s Board has been carefully considering the changes in the field of sexual health for several years now and took on the significant task of revising our organization’s mission, vision and values in 2020. The beginning of a new year always brings reflection and hope which makes it the perfect time to share these updates and celebrate the opportunities we have to adapt and change to better serve young people in Missouri ..read more

Each October, TPPP recognizes Let’s Talk Month to emphasize the importance of young people and the adults they trust talking about sex. This October may feel very different than past years. While the seasons are changing and kids are back at school (at least virtually), many of us are spending significantly more time at home to stop the spread of COVID-19. This brings us new opportunities, and challenges, for Let’s Talk Month. Back in May, Power to Decide found that “a majority of adults (57%) agree that sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic has provided increased opportunities for ..read more

          Back to school season may seem like an unusual time for Sexual Health Awareness Month, but it allows all of us to think about starting fresh. A new school year, even for those of us who aren’t in a classroom, is full of possibilities. We can try new activities and start new groups. (There are even a few new evidence-based programs to review!) The theme for TPPP’s Annual Conference this year was 2020 Vision: Innovating, building resilience, and advancing equity in a new era and we ended the day with a panel of young leaders from Teen Advocates for Sexual Heal ..read more

Like many organizations, TPPP has often wished for a magic portal or crystal ball to see the future in this uncertain time, but maybe it is time to throw predictions out the window and focus on the here and now. Data, nationally and locally, shows that visits for medical care (of all types) dropped significantly this spring. More recent reports from the Commonwealth Fund detail the rebound in many sectors but the rebound has been smaller for pediatrics, where many teens still receive services such as wellness visits and immunizations. Even without a pandemic, many adolescents faced significan ..read more

Today, the Teen Pregnancy & Prevention Partnership (TPPP) is proud to join over 50 organizations across the country in demanding LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education for all young people in the United States. TPPP is participating in a series of virtual events as part of the LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sex Education Week of Action, led by SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, taking place June 22-26, 2020. LGBTQ+ young people are valued members of every community in the country, yet only nine states mandate that sex education be inclusive of their experiences and contain information relevant to their sexual a ..read more

Right now, less than half of the states require sex education to be medically accurate – Missouri doesn’t require sex education at all and schools that provide it can choose medically accurate or abstinence-only lessons. Missouri’s statutes also don’t address LGBTQ+ students which means few receive information specific to their health. Even as our country and our world respond to a global pandemic, we must acknowledge that young people deserve better.  SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change reminds us that “with sex education, we have a golden opportunity to create a culture shift – tackling t ..read more