Program Areas

Because of discrimination and marginalization; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning and queer (LGBTQ) people are at greater risk for health disparities. Services that are not inclusive may impact care-seeking behaviors and health outcomes among LGBTQ people. LGBTQ youth who do not receive adequate education about their need for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and contraception, are at increased risk of poor health outcomes such as:

• Unintended pregnancies

• STIs, including HIV

• Depression and substance addiction

 What We Do:

• Empower LGBTQ youth to seek sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception and testing for STIs through inclusive, comprehensive sexuality education.

• Strengthen health services by training clinicians and health center staff on best practices for working with LGBTQ clients.

• Partner with organizations to integrate LGBTQ inclusivity into sexuality education and training.

Comprehensive sexuality education offers a medically accurate curriculum that provides young people with positive messages about sex and sexuality as natural, normal, and healthy parts of life. Planned Parenthood is a leader in providing sex education in the U.S. Our Global Programs draw upon this expertise to provide technical assistance to our partners to help ensure that their young people receive reliable information about sexuality and reproductive health.

What We Do:

• Assist curriculum development for comprehensive sexuality education that is evidence-based, medically accurate, inclusive, and trauma informed.

• Implement training of trainers for school-based sexuality education.

• Support peer-led sexuality education programs in Vietnam, Dominican Republic, and the Marshall Islands.

• Adapt curricula and trainings for working with all ages from young adolescents to young adults.

Planned Parenthood has a long history of offering compassionate care, backed by medical experts, and more than 100 years of research in reproductive health. We provide high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health services in settings that protect the dignity, privacy, and rights of each individual. This is achieved through training to ensure services are delivered in a compassionate and culturally-appropriate manner. Our Global Programs utilize the expertise of our staff that work on the operational side of health services to provide capacity building and technical support to our partners.

What We Do:

• Provide content area expertise on sexual and reproductive health education and services.

• Develop training, resources, and guidelines for working with youth.

• Trained health care workers in Malawi to provide youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services.

• Develop community-based solutions to improve young people’s access to family planning in the Dominican Republic.

Globally, there are a variety of reasons individuals encounter barriers in accessing critical sexual and reproductive health services. Some face significant geographic barriers or time constraints. They may live in remote areas or may have difficulty leaving work during hours when clinics are open. Others may face challenges finding safe or affordable transportation. Access to communication technologies -- especially mobile phones -- is rapidly expanding worldwide, making digital health services an increasingly viable opportunity to reach those who need health information, counseling, and care.

What We Do:

• Train health hotline workers on sexual and reproductive health messaging and youth-friendly services in Malawi.

• Implement a virtual support group for adolescent mothers in the Dominican Republic to improve health and wellbeing for the mothers and their children.

• Develop virtual sexual education programming with educators in the Dominican Republic during COVID-19.