NCSD hosts Southeast Regional Adolescent Sexual Health Workshop in Atlanta, GA

On May 10-11, NCSD hosted a Southeast regional workshop at the Georgia Department of Public Health in Atlanta. The workshop brought together NCSD’s members from eight southeastern states – Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia – and many of their education partners to discuss the status of adolescent sexual health in their state.

The workshop topics focused on interpreting sexual health education and sexual health services policies, strategies and techniques for implementing sexual health education in challenging environments, including youth voices and perspectives in programing, and creating safe and supportive spaces for all young people. NCSD’s Board chair Michelle Allen provided opening remarks and welcomed attendees to Georgia and the workshop. Representatives from Albany Area Primary Health Care, Inc., Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential, GLSEN Atlanta, Teen Health Mississippi, the School-Based Health Alliance, the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, and two young people from Sister Love provided presentations and panel discussions. NCSD’s Senior Manager of Policy and Government Relations, Taryn Couture, presented and facilitated a session on mapping policy landscapes and messaging to decision makers. NCSD’s Adolescent Sexual Health team, Lilly Pinto and Sara Stahlberg, facilitated activities on sample case studies and resource mapping. Over the two days together, workshop attendees had the opportunity to connect with each other and learn more about what work is being done, and still needs to be done, around adolescent sexual health in their region.

By Lillian Pinto, Senior Manager, Adolescent Sexual Health