Adolescent Health Disparities Program
Adolescent STD Prevention Program
(PI: Grace X. Ma, PhD, funded by DHHS)
The overall goal of the project is to reduce sexually transmitted diseases among Asian American, African American and Latinx youth in the high poverty communities of greater Philadelphia. This research project provides Philadelphia’s highest-risk youth communities with evidence-based risk-reduction and risk avoidance intervention. We collaborate with a large network of partners to deliver an intervention model of evidence-based programming to schools, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and adolescent health centers. The intervention aims to reduce adolescent risk behaviors by building life skills, healthy relationships, adopting positive attitudes, confidence/self-efficacy; developing optimal health in balancing emotional/mental and social well-being, as well as physical health that includes empowering youth to make responsible decisions about their sexual health to prevent STD transmission (e.g. HIV, HPV, Hepatitis or Chlamydia).