Advocates for Youth champions efforts that 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. Advocates focuses its work on young people ages 13-24 in the U.S. and around the globe. Advocates for Youth envisions a society that views sexuality as normal and healthy and treats young people as a valuable resource.

The YMSM Project

The goal of the YMSM Project is to reduce the risk of HIV and STD infection in YMSM students (ages 13–19) with a focus on black and Latino YMSM. To accomplish this goal, the project works to:

• Increase the number of teen YMSM who are tested and treated for HIV and STD
• Decrease sexual risk behaviors among teen YMSM
• Reduce absenteeism and school drop-out among teen YMSM

For this project, “YMSM” includes young men who identify as gay or bisexual, are attracted to other males, and/or engage in sexual behavior with other males.

Local Education Agencies

• Los Angeles Unified School District
• San Francisco Unified School District
• Broward County Public Schools

 

Newsletters

• April 2015
• May 2015
• June 2015
• July 2015
• August 2015

Webinars

• Best Practices for School-Based Health Services for YMSM June 2015 (powerpoint)
  

 

Resources

• Factsheet: HIV/STI Prevention and Young Men Who Have Sex with Men
• Testing Makes Us Stronger
• National HIV AIDS Stragety Document
• Infographic: NATIONAL HIV/AIDS STRATEGY: UPDATED TO 2020 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Infographic: NATIONAL HIV/AIDS STRATEGY: UPDATED TO 2020, 5 MAJOR CHANGES SINCE 2010
• CDC: YMSM Project Page

 

For more information, please contact:

Louis Ortiz-Fonseca
Senior Program Manager for LGBTQ Health & Rights
louis@advocatesforyouth.org
202.419.3420 ext 25

Wesley Thomas
Program Coordinator, LGBTQ Health & Rights
wesley@advocatesforyouth.org
202.419.3420 ext 19