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Oregon Health Authority

Youth Sexual Health

Sexual health is more than just sex

Sexual health includes your physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being. It is about promoting healthy relationships, consent and preventing sexual assault and violence. When youth are provided with accurate information, given time to develop and practice skills, and have resources available, they can and will make thoughtful choices about relationships and their health. Sexual health looks different for everyone. Our goal is to support the sexual health goals and priorities of youth, their families and communities.


Oregon State Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP)

Oregon State PREP projects support comprehensive sex education programming that serves youth across Oregon. Projects replicate effective, evidence-based program models that are proven to help youth make healthy decisions when it comes to relationships and sexual behaviors.


Youth Sexual Health Research and Data

Research and data are used to track progress, highlight disparities, and offer strategies for achieving health equity. Data are available at the state and county levels about sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pregnancy, school climate, sexual and intimate partner violence, and access to comprehensive sex education.


Youth Sexual Health Resources

A number of services are available to help young people access resources and live happy, healthy and connected lives.


Oregon Youth Sexual Health Update

The Oregon Youth Sexual Health Plan 2023 Final Report briefs address the five overarching goals of the 2009 Oregon Youth Sexual Health Plan: 

  1. Youth use accurate information and well-developed skills to make thoughtful choices about relationships and sexual health,
  2. Rates of unintended pregnancies are reduced,
  3. Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are reduced, and
  4. Non-consensual sexual behaviors are reduced.

The fifth goal—sexual health inequities are eliminated—is incorporated throughout the four Final Report briefs.


The Oregon Youth Sexual Health Plan

The Oregon Youth Sexual Health Plan was coordinated by the statewide group currently known as the Oregon Youth Sexual Health Partnership (OYSHP), a coalition of state, county and community advocates and non-profit organizations. Released in 2009, it is a holistic action plan to address all aspects of youth sexual health.

Built on a foundation of scientific evidence, incorporating findings of current health and youth development research, Oregon youth-lead research, and community forums with hundreds of participants, the Plan emphasizes our responsibility to provide youth with accurate information and skill-building opportunities to support healthy relationships, prevent unintended pregnancies and decrease risk of sexually transmitted infections.

The plan provides a resource for communities to identify effective strategies, collaborate with local partners, and find the latest research and language that can be used to seek grants and other resources for new and existing programs.


rational enquirerThe Rational Enquirer

An annual publication of the Oregon Adolescent Health Alliance