7 hours ago
No one said having important health conversations with teenagers was going to be easy, but does it have to be so hard?
It doesn’t, and Teen Health Arkansas (THAR) launched this year to expand access to the skills and teen-specific health knowledge that help make meaningful conversations possible and impactful across the state.
We all have our own experiences of getting “the talk” as teens. But for a lot of us, it was probably getting bits and pieces from friends and pop culture and then doing our best to piece it together. Maybe you look back and laugh about the challenges you overcame. Or maybe wish you knew more about your health as a teen so you could have made better choices.
Teen Health Mississippi’s expansion into Arkansas sparked from Arkansans telling us directly, “We need you here!” We’ve spent more than a decade working with teens through a 360-degree strategy: building information, awareness and shared responsibility. We help communities understand and engage young people with guidance that’s more effective, at a time when young people need it most.
The teen years are defined by rapid physical changes and the developmental period when teens learn to make their own choices. And while everything is changing, young people are locking in many of the behaviors and beliefs that will stick with them through adulthood. This period of life presents challenges for teens to navigate.
Hope CrenshawSome youth will ask a parent or a trusted adult for help when they need it. But for others, no matter what they’re experiencing, will choose to stay private rather than ask a trusted adult for help. We cannot let social media, AI or a friend on the bus teach our teens how to care for themselves. Instead, we must change our approach to health education.
Last year, we led a series of pilot Teen Talk Arkansas sessions across the state, where teens and parents met in peer groups to discuss mental health, relationships, consent and sexual health in honest, judgment-free ways. From church halls to community rooms, we had honest conversations about the challenges of teen health and what teens need to feel safe and healthy.
Here’s what we learned: Teens want reliable information. They’re tired of being told to wait until they’re “grown” to understand. Teens said they’re looking to us (parents and trusted adults) to show up ready to educate and engage. Let’s put this invitation into context: Usually at this age, teens look more to their peers for guidance. But for their health, they want us around and to be taken seriously.
Done well, “the talk” about preventing pregnancy and STIs, navigating difficult social situations and building strong mental health is more than one awkward conversation. Teens need an open line of communication with adults who they can trust to guide and support them. Establishing this connection can have lasting effects. A recent study linked more positive relationships with parents in adolescence to better health outcomes in young adulthood. The bottom line: Parents play a critical role in teen health.
That’s what Teen Health Arkansas is all about: creating spaces to learn, reflect and plan for a healthier future. It’s a place to get more comfortable with fears and fill knowledge gaps for teens and adults, creating the foundation for ongoing health communication.
We’re also training young people and adults to co-lead these conversations in their own communities. When we leave a session, we’re not leaving anyone empty-handed. Communities have the skills, expertise and connection to continue this work.
It all starts with a conversation. We’re here to facilitate powerful connections that reshape the teen health experience in Arkansas. Healthy teens become stable adults. Stable adults build thriving communities. Thriving communities strengthen Arkansas.
Let’s do this work together.
Editor’s note: Hope Crenshaw, Ph.D., is the executive director of Teen Health Mississippi, which recently expanded into Arkansas as Teen Health Arkansas. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
