A safe space model for STD intervention for at-risk youth of ages 13-21. The program provides youth with leadership and decision-making authority to promote sexual health testing directly to their peers. Many of the underserved youth in our communities are homeless or housing insecure and statistically at high-risk for STDs. Lack of familial and school support, combined with a lack of comprehensive in-school sex education means our initiative is essential for STD prevention, education, testing, and linkages to care.
Through these mentoring relationships, CAN Community Health’s Youth Initiative, aims to promote resiliency and social capital among sexual and gender minority youth with multiple vulnerabilities and risk factors for adverse psychosocial and biomedical outcomes, including social marginalization, victimization, substance abuse, mental health concerns, school dropout, poverty, and persistent homelessness, which contribute substantially to elevated risk for HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, and adverse physical and mental health outcomes.
