Adolescent Health
IWES supports youth in navigating their adolescence, exploring their mental health, and forming healthy peer relationships. Across programs, IWES creates safe spaces for youth to learn medically-accurate information about their bodies and deepen their understanding of the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, decision-making, and actions. Through the development of social, emotional, and cognitive skills, youth build healthy self-esteem, confidence, coping skills, and resilience.
Get involved with our current Adolescent Health programming:
LOUISIANA PARENT ATTITUDES ON SEX ED
IWES partnered with the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) and other local organizations to conduct a statewide polling project of parent attitudes and beliefs around school-based comprehensive, age-appropriate sexual health education. We surveyed 600 parents throughout the state of Louisiana and collected surveys with an additional 187 parents and conducted focus groups in the Public Health Regions 1 (Greater New Orleans), 3 (the River Parishes) and 8 (Monroe).
The response was overwhelmingly positive in support of comprehensive sexual health education in Louisiana schools. 84% of parents surveyed believe sex ed is an important part of a school curriculum, and 74% believe schools should be required to offer sex ed. Overall, 80% of parents believe that a sex ed program which emphasizes abstinence but also provides information on birth control should be taught in schools. Louisiana parents also overwhelmingly believe in a trauma-informed approach to sex education, with 87% of parents reporting an interest in including a focus on improving mental health and emotional wellness. We also found a clear gap between what Louisiana parents value and what is happening in schools. 61% of parents surveyed believe their child has received or will receive sex ed in schools; however, state law does not require sex ed instruction or monitor its delivery in schools, so that perception is likely incorrect.
Student & Partner Feedback
Scroll through to see what our partners and students think about our programming!! Participant feedback is collected by IWES staff from post-assessments and site feedback conversations after an implementation cycle is complete.
