Ypulse Toolbox: Youth Health Sites To Know

To give readers a glimpse at the types of sites and services we’ll be highlighting in collaboration with the Kaiser Family Foundation at the Youth, Health & Social Media Marketing pre-conference at this year’s Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup, we thought we’d bring back the Ypulse Toolbox feature. Below we compile a few of the many online resources dedicated to helping youth deal with issues like mental health, sexual health, and physical fitness/nutrition. Feel free to leave more great resources we may have overlooked in the comments!

Sexual Health

MTV’s GYT - For some time now we’ve recognized MTV as a social issue promoting powerhouse and this latest initiative, GYT or Get Yourself Tested, out of the It’s Your (Sex) Life campaign only strengthens that case. To empower American teens and twenty-somethings to make informed decisions about their sexual heath, this campaign not only broadcasts an important message, but also calls upon a number of big names in music (Cobra Starship) and the non-profit space (Kaiser Family Foundation) for a true demonstration of strength in collaboration.  To hear more on how MTV 360 uses their on-air, online and mobile platforms to motivate Millennials, be sure to check out Youth, Health & Social Media Marketing Keynote Jason Rzepka, VP of Public Affairs, MTV Networks.

Scarleteen - As its tagline suggests, Scarleteen aims to provide young adults with a “Sex Ed for the Real World.” This translates into a comprehensive guide that adopts a direct, yet irreverent tone to address everything from the most basic of sex talks (“What’s sex?”) to more complicated discussions around sexual politics (“But really… what is sex?”).

Sex, Etc. -  Staffed by actual teens, Sex, Etc. covers a wide range of teen sexual health issues and still manages to come off as approachable. It’s not surprising that each year, seven million young people visit the site, and thousands read their national magazine for honest, accurate and helpful info on sex and relationships, pregnancy, STDs, birth control, sexual orientation and more!

ISIS, Inc. - SexInfo - First of its kind in the nation, SexInfo is a sexual health text messaging program for youth in San Francisco. By texting a simple message, youth can find out what to do if the condom broke, get help deciding if they’re ready to have sex, and more. Be sure to catch ISIS, Inc. Executive Director Deb Levine, who will be moderating the “Picking the right new media strategy for your mission” panel at the Youth, Health & Social Media Marketing Pre-Conference.

Planned Parenthood - Teen Talk - With so many myths and misinformation floating around the web when it comes to teen sexual health, it’s important to have an established name like Planned Parenthood in the space as a reliable, authoritative hub for the most common health topics and issues young adults need addressed. Don’t miss Planned Parenthood’s Vice President, Online Services Tom Subak on the “Picking the right new media strategy for your mission panel” at the Youth, Health & Social Media Marketing Pre-Conference.

Mental Health

Reach Out - If you didn’t check out this new suicide prevention website after our interview last week with Jack Heath, President & CEO of Inspire USA Foundation, go there now. A partnership with the Ad Council and SAMSHA (creative by DDB) the site not only provides a great resource for teens seeking help, but also offers comfort through community with a collection of very watchable visual interpretations of stories from real teens and young adults.

Lifeline Gallery - Another innovative approach to providing virtual space for discussions around experiences with suicide, Christopher Gandin Le, CEO and Co-founder of Emotion Technology, co-created the Lifeline Gallery with Jessica Haas. Visitors are invited to create an avatar, and then link that avatar to their voice or text story about struggling with losing someone to suicide, or recovering after their own suicide attempt.

To Write Love on Her Arms - More than a website, TWLOHA is a non-profit movement committed to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury and suicide. One of the reasons it has resonated so deeply with youth is by speaking to them through music. Between hosting their own events and getting involved with festivals, artists and bands have embraced TWLOHA and helped provide the perfect catalyst to starting difficult conversations. Check out our interview with 2010 Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup keynote TWLOHA Founder Jamie Tworkowski.

Physical Fitness/Nutrition

empowerME2b - Invites tweens to join the conversation around how to inspire young people to “eat healthier and move more.” I love that the messaging behind the site doesn’t just amount to a bunch of quick tips but through pledges and an easy guide to extending the movement at school, really strives to get young people to motivate each other, and “be the solution to America’s obesity epidemic.”

Get Fit, Get Right - Similar to ReachOut.com, this site takes a multimedia approach to connecting with teens. A collection of documentary-style videos of teens talking candidly about taking on the challenge to become healthier and share their struggles and successes. I like how the site fosters a community feeling by walking visitors through the GFGR cast’s journey to a healthier lifestyle.

Let’s Move - By now you’ve caught word of the Task Force on Childhood Obesity launched earlier this year by first lady Michelle Obama. While the actual Let’s Move site is mainly aimed towards parents (though it does also offer a portal to activity books for kids, games and a link to yourSELF magazine for 7th and 8th grade students), its the number of heavy hitting youth media partners (Disney, Nickelodeon, Scholastic) committed to the cause (read more on Cynopsis Kids) that give the initiative real potential to make an impact on-line, on-screen and on the ground.

We’re Fed Up - A website created and maintained by 40 youth leaders from South Los Angeles and Baldwin Park about ways to fight obesity - like how untruthful food marketing can be or not having safe places to be active affects health choices. The site was created in partnership with The California Center for Public Health Advocacy, Baldwin Park, The Accelerated School, South Los Angeles and The Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County. To learn more about the initiative, check out José Villa, Founder/President of the Sensis Agency, which created the We’re Fed Up site on the “Picking the right new media strategy for your mission panel” at the Youth, Health & Social Media Marketing Pre-Conference.