Adolescent Health
IWES supports youth in navigating their adolescence, exploring their self-identity and forming healthy peer relationships. Across programs, IWES creates safe spaces for youth to learn medically-accurate information about their bodies and deepen their understanding of the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, decision-making, and actions. Through the development of social, emotional, and cognitive competencies, youth build healthy self-esteem, confidence, coping skills and resilience.
Learn more about getting involved with IWES Adolescent Health:
17, 330+
SINCE 2010, IWES Adolescent Health Programming HAS REACHED over 17,000 YOUTH IN LOUISIANA.
820+
SINCE 2010, Adolescent Health Programming HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN over 820 DIFFERENT PARTNER SITES.
Student Resource Guide
We know that just because a class has ended, it doesn't mean a young person's questions have ended, too, so we've created a digital Student Resource Guide that includes testing locations for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), text lines and hotlines for sexual and reproductive health information, and other web-based resources. It also has a youth mental health services one-pager highlighting options for young people to support their mental wellness. You don't have to have been in class to get the guide, it's free and available online, so follow the link below to download it and share with your friends!
LOUISIANA PARENT ATTITUDES ON SEX ED
Since Louisiana state law doesn’t require schools to offer sex education, IWES partnered with the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) and other local organizations to conduct a statewide polling project of parent attitudes and beliefs around school-based sexual health education. We surveyed 600 parents throughout the state of Louisiana and collected surveys with an additional 187 parents and conducted focus groups in the Public Health Regions 1 (Greater New Orleans), 3 (the River Parishes) and 8 (Monroe).
The response was overwhelmingly positive in support of comprehensive sexual health education in Louisiana schools. 84% of parents surveyed believe sex ed is an important part of a school curriculum, and 74% believe schools should be required to offer sex ed. Overall, 80% of parents believe that a sex ed program which emphasizes abstinence but also provides information on birth control should be taught in schools. Louisiana parents also overwhelmingly believe in a trauma-informed approach to sex education, with 87% of parents reporting an interest in including a focus on improving mental health and emotional wellness. We also found a clear gap between what Louisiana parents value and what is happening in schools. 61% of parents surveyed believe their child has received or will receive sex ed in schools; however, state law does not require sex ed instruction or monitor its delivery in schools, so that perception is likely incorrect.
Student & Partner Feedback
Scroll through to see what our partners and students think about our programming!! Participant feedback is collected by IWES staff from post-assessments and site feedback conversations after an implementation cycle is complete.
