Advocates for Youth—Rights. Respect. Responsibility.®
Who We Are
Established in 1980 as the Center for Population Options, Advocates for Youth champions efforts to help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates believes it can best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health.
What We Believe
Advocates for Youth envisions a society that views sexuality as normal and healthy and treats young people as a valuable resource.
The core values of Rights, Respect, Responsibility® (3Rs) animate this vision—
RIGHTS: Youth have rights to accurate and complete sexual health information, confidential reproductive and sexual health services, and a secure stake in the future.
RESPECT: Youth deserve respect. Today, young people are largely perceived as part of the problem. Valuing young people means they are part of the solution and are included in developing programs and policies that affect their well-being.
RESPONSIBILITY: Society has the responsibility to provide young people with the tools they need to safeguard their sexual health, and young people have the responsibility to protect themselves from too-early childbearing and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.
How We Are Different
Advocates for Youth is the only organization that works both in the United States and in developing countries with a sole focus on adolescent reproductive and sexual health.
Advocates for Youth occupies a unique niche because it—
- Brings youth development strategies to the field of adolescent sexual health and sexual health strategies to the field of youth development
- Integrates strategies related to STIs, HIV/AIDS, and teen pregnancy prevention, fields that often operate in isolation from one another
- Uses its domestic and international work for learning about and disseminating lessons across borders
- Provides printed and electronic resources, technical assistance, and training to promote research-based best practices in the field of adolescent sexual health
What We Offer
Information on:
Initiatives focusing on:
Constituencies We Serve
- Activist Youth—Providing training and support around policy issues, peer education, working with adults, community participation, and non-governmental organizational (NGO) management
- Entertainment Industry Professionals—Offering technical advice and information on sexual health trends and attitudes among and affecting young people
- Health Care Providers, Educators, and Advocates—Providing clearinghouse services and training on youth-friendly services, HIV/STI prevention, sexuality education, emergency contraception, cultural competency, effective programs, and working with youth
- News Media—Offering data, research, background information, and interview opportunities
- Parents—Providing training and supportive materials on talking with young people about sexual health
- Policy Makers —Offering statistics and information on what works, drawn from peer-reviewed, published research
Our Rights. Respect. Responsibility Campaigns
Our Rights. Respect. Responsibility.® campaigns are for those working to secure young people's right to sexual health information and services
Web Sites We Offer
How We Make a Difference
"I think [the information] has the potential to help teens and women throughout SC and contribute significantly to reducing the numbers of unplanned pregnancies.”
—Susan Boyd – the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
"As a new teacher in a primarily Latino and African-American populated high school, I find your website tremendously valuable. I have been given an insight into a world I must understand.”
—Cathy Lyn Harrison, High School Teacher
"I love the spirit of collaboration and youth empowerment that Advocates for Youth brings to the arena.
—Lawrence Lewis, My Voice Counts! Advocate
"The conference inspired, energized, and literally blew me out of the water. I applaud your incredible organization…among the few leading organizations that actually walks the proverbial talk [and] truly believes that young people are smart, capable, committed, and more."
—Elizabeth Schroeder, Trainer & Consultant
"The State Coalition Partnership…strengthened MOAPPP's capacity to serve the state, increased our connection to other state and national organizations, and increased awareness of MOAPPP as the resource to go to. Thank you."
—Former Executive Director, Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention
"The information [Advocates provided] will help us to guide youth, equip them with life skills and involve them in addressing social problems, challenges, and other youth-related issues. Thank you."
—Olivia Mugabirwe, Namilyango College, Kampala, Uganda
Advocates for Youth
2000 M Street NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20036 USA
P: 202.419.3420
F: 202.419.1448
Web: www.advocatesforyouth.org
e-mail: information@advocatesforyouth.org
The Media Project
3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd., # 237
Studio City, CA 91604 USA
P: 323.318.0825
F: 323.650.6558
Web: www.themediaproject.com
e-mail: healthytv@themediaproject.com
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