Youth Sexual Health Program
Overview
Trailhead’s Youth Sexual Health Program supports organizations, collaboratives, communities, and school districts in increasing access to comprehensive sexual health education and resources for young people using an approach that is collaborative and community-driven.
The Youth Sexual Health Program operates and implements programming based on the belief that every young person has the right to receive medically accurate information so that they are empowered to make informed decisions about their own sexual health. Central to the program’s work and mission is the belief that youth sexual health education must be inclusive and intersectional, pleasure-based, aware of oppression, and accessible for all.
These foundational beliefs are practiced through centering youth voice, practicing authentic community engagement, and sharing power with people whose identities have historically been excluded from youth sexual health education and decision-making spaces.
Becoming a Program at Trailhead Institute
In 2018, Trailhead integrated the Youth Sexual Health Program formerly housed at Colorado Youth Matter (CYM) into its larger scope of work after CYM announced it would be closing its doors in December of 2017. Trailhead began this integration process by initiating a comprehensive, multi-sector environmental scan in January of 2018. The environmental scan engaged stakeholders, organizations, and young people most connected to and impacted by the youth sexual health field. This scan determined how to move the program’s work forward in Colorado, identifying numerous priorities for Trailhead.
The Priorities:
- Advancing statewide access to comprehensive sex education program implementation.
- Ensuring statewide coordination and partnership building among clinical and community providers engaged in youth sexual health education and care provision.
- Developing a centralized repository of youth sexual health resources and clinical and community services available across the state.
- Advancing integrated and authentic youth engagement.
- Advocating for and securing long-term, multi-year funding.
Adrienne Gomez (she/her)
Senior Program Manager
Ocean Candler (they/them)
Program Manager
Trailhead’s Youth Sexual Health Program partners with school districts, youth-serving professionals, and trusted adults to create custom trainings on youth sexual health-related topics. Each training is catered to fit the unique needs of school districts and communities across Colorado, may be tailored to cover a variety of topics.
Reducing Financial Barriers
Our team works to ensure trainings are available at a price point that is accessible and equitable based on your available financial resources. Learn more about our flexible pricing model and how to partner with us on training for your community.
Reimagining the State of Adolescent Sexual Health Report
For over a decade, the State of Adolescent Sexual Health (SASH) Report has provided a summary of up-to-date statistics on the sexual health of young people and a brief snapshot of how Colorado’s progress compares to national trends over time. While this quantitative data has value and can inform policies and programs that support the health and well-being of Colorado youth, it is also limited in its expression and depth, and fails to capture a nuanced, intersectional understanding of what young people experience and need from their sexual health education.
Evolving from what has been, the 2023 SASH report exclusively focuses on the systems that govern and influence the experiences that young people have with sexual health, recognizing that sexual health outcomes and personal development improve when the systems responsible for delivering care, access, and education reflect the humanity and diversity of young people. Reimagining the SASH would have never come to fruition without the generosity of numerous partners who are highlighted on the SASH report website.
Download Trailhead’s introduction to the 2023 SASH report, and learn more through the website below.
The Youth Sexual Health Alliance
Trailhead Institute has built a statewide Alliance of community-led organizations that include educators, district administrators, health care providers, local public health departments, advocacy groups and other key stakeholders. The Alliance was formed to better coordinate our efforts across the state and increase referral linkages between schools, clinics, and communities.
This is a co-facilitated space where community partners are encouraged to sign up to:
Share about their work.
Workshop and receive feedback on projects.
Share lessons learned and discuss challenges.
Receive deeper community support across the field of youth sexual health.
Join us! Reach out to YSH@Trailhead.Institute for information regarding membership criteria.
More from the Youth Sexual Health Program
Learn more about the Youth Sexual Health Program through our stories of impact and recent blogs. To stay up-to-date on program news, subscribe to our newsletter.
