Girl...KnoW More!

The proposed project, “Girl…Know More!” seeks to address the Center of Disease Control study (2008) which estimates that one in four young women between the ages of 14 and 19 in the United States is infected with at least one of the most common STIs. The project goal is to improve the health and wellness of urban girls ages 14-18 by reducing the incidence of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and STIs through a comprehensive community education model. The model is comprised of four components: teen prevention & treatment education, parent/community education (town halls), capacity building (girl serving providers) and a social media campaign created by urban girls. Dr. Virginia Bishop is the Academic Principal Investigator and spearheads the Town Hall meetings with a specific focus on HPV and vaccination. A total of 7,500 girls, 750 parents/community members and 100 services providers will receive STI prevention and treatment education through this project. Retrospective anonymous surveys will be administered to 1,500 girls participating in the project as well as town hall and capacity building participants.