What's Happening

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | May 4, 2022

It’s May the Fourth again when Star Wars fans like me celebrate the franchise. This feels like a terrible time to celebrate when there are ongoing active threats to health care and human rights. And still, if we don’t pause to think strategically, we may well repeat mistakes and challenges of the past. On this day, I will still take the opportunity to think about how this prolific franchise causes me to reflect on life and leadership. This reflection is not intended to dismiss my grief and anger, but because it will help fuel my fire to continue on in this fight for health equity. Fueling me today is the newest installment in the Star Wars franchise, The Book of Boba Fett, and how it has helped me think about our past and progress toward the future.

By The ETR Team | May 26, 2022

This World No Tobacco Day, our team is reflecting on the commercial tobacco industry’s impact on the health and well-being of people across the nation. ETR envisions a world where all people have the information, skills, and opportunities to lead healthy lives. We are driven by our mission to improve health and increase opportunities for youth, families, and communities.

By Rebecca Erenrich, MPH and Kristin Kennedy, MS, MPH, CPH | May 27, 2022

The United States is experiencing rising rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, fueled by the nation’s growing opioid crisis. This issue is particularly acute in Appalachia, where the increase in injection drug use led to a more than three-fold rise in new cases of hepatitis among young people between 2006 and 2012. As we close out Hepatitis Awareness Month, recognized each year in May, ETR remains committed to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and combatting the spread of HCV. As part of our fight for health equity, ETR offers science- and evidence-based resources on sexual health and safer drug use and works and maintains a portfolio of community-driven projects rooted in harm reduction, including HepConnect.

By Kristin Kennedy, Li Lock, and Adrian Neil Jr. | July 20, 2022
HIV & Sexual Reproductive Health at ETR

In July of 2012, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved Truvada® for PrEP, pre-exposure prophylaxis. While this advancement was a huge breakthrough in HIV prevention, many health equity barriers still exist for clients/patients that prevent PrEP from becoming an accessible and engaging aspect of their sexual health. As public health and health education professionals, we still have a lot of work to do and we can’t do it alone. We’re excited to share this resource with you to help your teams.

By Lauren Ranalli, MPH | August 9, 2022

What do you remember from your own experience of going through puberty? For many of us, it was a time of confusion, excitement, embarrassment, anxiety, anticipation, and a mix of other emotions. Here are 5 messages we as trusted adults can use to help our students, patients, or program participants get through this challenging time.

By The ETR Team | October 26, 2022

Evidence-based pregnancy and STI prevention programs are programs that have been shown, in at least one program evaluation, to have a positive effect on reducing unplanned pregnancy or associated behavioral risk factors, such as delaying sexual activity, or increasing condom or contraceptive use. Providing young people with evidence-based pregnancy and STI prevention programs is one strategy to help address the disparities that persist in the United States. With schools and service organizations facing limited time and resources, these programs serve as an effective option for reducing risk behaviors.

By Brittny Bol, MPH, CHES | November 18, 2022

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in the United States. Lung Cancer Awareness Month is observed in November and is a perfect time to raise awareness, learn what signs to look for, and make changes to help lower your risk.

By Sarah Han, MPH & Rebecca Braun, DrPH, MPH | December 14, 2022

The INSPIRE+ project empowers and collaborates with California youth to design innovative, creative, and youth-led solutions that address unhealthy substance use and promote community healing, using ETR’s Trauma-Informed Youth-Centered Health Design framework. 

By The ETR Team | March 10, 2023

On December 21, 2022, Proposition 31 went into effect in California, banning the sale of most flavored tobacco products. This ended a two-year referendum of senate bill 793 (SB 793) signed into law in August 2020. The passage of this law has sparked conversation across the state as the tobacco industry adapts its product lines, and residents and public health advocates work to understand what the flavor ban will look like in practice. Let’s explore key facets of the law, and how it promotes health equity and empowers local policy efforts.

By Yadira Friday, MPH | April 20, 2023

Earth Day, which is held every year on April 22^nd, is an observance that encourages individuals to think about the impact that they make on the larger environment. This blog will describe the impact of tobacco product waste, as well as recommendations for how to dispose of it properly.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | May 4, 2023

May the Fourth, an annual celebration of the Star Wars franchise, is a day where fans around the world like me show our appreciation for this amazing body of work. Like Star Wars, we’ll continue innovating and providing science-based solutions in support of youth, families, and communities in a variety of formats.

By Nasbah Ben | May 22, 2023

In honor of World No Tobacco Day 2023, ETR's Director of Tribal Projects Nasbah Ben shares reflections on the importance of tobacco education and prevention that is rooted in a health equity framework -- especially for the numerous recognized and unrecognized Tribes throughout the US.

By Li Lock, PhD, MEd | June 16, 2023

HIV services have historically been split into prevention and treatment, often with additional services, such as primary care and housing, more readily available to those on the treatment side. However, there’s a new topic emerging in HIV services that can help change the landscape of HIV prevention and care, as well as your direct work with your community: status neutral. 

By Kaleigh Cornelison, MSW | July 21, 2023

Headlines about the risks and negative impacts of social media use for adolescents are seemingly everywhere, which can lead to daunting conversations for caring adults. As you lean into these conversations with young people, consider these five strategies to open those lines of communication.

By Lauren Ranalli, MPH | August 2, 2023

Virtual visits and telemedicine have become more readily available since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As with in-person health care visits, the key elements of adolescent-centered care should be implemented when seeing patients remotely. By doing this successfully, we can empower young people to actively participate in their health care.

By Sarah Han, MPH | August 25, 2023

Young people face multiple challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, with stigma from providers and staff and compromised confidentiality and privacy as key barriers. Learn more about Sarah Han's experiences as a part of a globally representative advisory group of young professionals at Women Deliver 2023 in Rwanda for the Measuring Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (MY SRH) Initiative led by Metrics for Management.

By The ETR Team | August 31, 2023

When it comes to evaluating and disseminating research, many organizations will often play multiple roles in the process. For example, in the field of public health, organizations may develop a new product or curriculum, serve as the evaluator to test the effectiveness, or take the lead in disseminating the findings or product to a large-scale audience. In any of these roles, there is a potential for real or perceived conflicts of interest.

By Kelly Gainor, MEd, Li Lock, PhD, MEd, & Lauren Ranalli, MPH | September 21, 2023

With over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pills now a reality for people across the United States, adolescents will soon have greater access to contraception- a huge step forward in reducing unplanned pregnancies and managing ongoing health conditions! But even with this expanded access, there are still significant roles that educators, healthcare professionals, parents, and other trusted adults can play in helping young people navigate their sexual health choices.