The American Cancer Society recommends that boys and girls get the HPV vaccine between the ages of 9 and 12. Teens and young adults through age 26 who are not already vaccinated should get the HPV vaccine as soon as possible. Teens who start the series late may need 3 shots instead of 2.
Read moreInterview with the Playwright of Runneth Over Sabrina Jacob Washburn →
A Bay Area native, longtime New Yorker, and recent Los Angeles transplant, Sabrina Jacob Washburn is a multidisciplinary artist and educator. Her work with young people in various educational settings has ignited a passion for creating challenging work for emerging adults, as well as performances that span theatrical genres. Sabrina returns to the Elevate virtual stage as a playwright this time with her fantastic Runneth Over delivered in partnership with the American Sexual Health Association.
Read more"Where Did I Come From?" - African-American Edition →
An international and beloved bestselling children’s classic, Where Did I Come From? helps parents and their curious children get up close and personal with the intimate world of human sexuality in the form of a picture book. Told in an age-appropriate voice respectful of young people’s natural intelligence and warmly and relatably illustrated throughout, Where Did I Come From? creates a safe space where families can learn about the traditional facts of life—from the different parts of the body to orgasm to birth.
Read moreThe National HPV Vaccination Roundtable →
The National HPV Vaccination Roundtable is a coalition of ~70 organizations working at the intersection of immunization and cancer prevention.
Our mission: The collective mission of our organizations is to raise HPV vaccination rates and prevent HPV cancers in the United States.
Read moreHPV Myths and Facts
Unfortunately, there are many myths and misconceptions about genital HPV, and in some cases these can cause real harm. Bad information can cause a person to suffer terrible anxiety unnecessarily, to doubt a partner’s faithfulness, or even to undergo painful and expensive treatment that could have been avoided. Most dangerous of all, misinformation may lead people to neglect a very simple procedure that saves lives.
Read more"What's Happening To Me?": The Classic Illustrated Children's Book on Puberty →
This book answers the big questions, and explains the big changes. One look at the illustrations will tell you that this is not a dull medical textbook but rather it presents the facts of puberty, and it presents them with honesty, sympathy and a sense of humor. If you’ve been wondering how to have this talk with your children, look no further for a trusted resource that will give you the tools you need to share this critical information sensitively and factually.
The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) →
The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) was founded in 1996 as a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to serving women with, or at risk for, cervical cancer and HPV disease.
Our Mission is to help women, family members and caregivers battle the personal issues related to cervical cancer and HPV and to advocate for cervical health in all women by promoting prevention through education about early vaccination, Pap testing and HPV testing when recommended.
Read moreCDC website for HPV →
The CDC official website for HPV information
Read moreSociety for Adolescent Health and Medicine →
To promote the optimal health and well-being of all adolescents and young adults by supporting adolescent health and medicine professionals through the advancement of clinical practice, care delivery, research, advocacy, and professional development.
Read moreHPV Vaccines →
HPV vaccines help prevent infection from both high-risk HPV types that can lead to cervical cancer and low risk types that cause genital warts.
The CDC recommends all boys and girls get HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12. The vaccine produces a stronger immune response when taken during the preteen years. For this reason, up until age 14, only two doses are the vaccine are required. Women and men can get the vaccine up to age 45 but for those 15 and older, a full three-dose series is needed.
Millions of doses of HPV vaccine have been given in countries around the world. The most common side effect reported is soreness at the injection site.
Read moreHPV Vaccines
HPV is common—most sexually active people will have it at some point. But HPV vaccines can help prevent infection from both high-risk HPV types that can lead to cervical cancer and low-risk types that cause genital warts.
Read moreHPV and Cervical Cancer
The majority of people with a cervix who experience an HPV infection will not develop cervical cancer, but regular screening is very important. In most cases cervical cancer can be prevented through early detection and treatment of abnormal cell changes.
Read moreSex On Wednesday →
Sex is in the news every day whether it’s recent data on STIs, a new method of birth control, a survey on sexual behavior, an outcry over sex education that dares to mention masturbation, or a story about another one of those politicians who love to regulate women’s bodies but clearly have no idea how they work (no, grown men, a baby does not actually grow in its mommy’s tummy).
Sex on Wednesday is a newsletter that will bring all of these stories right to your inbox at least once a week. It’s a must read for sex educators, sexual health brand managers, parents trying to raise sexually healthy kids, and anyone who just wants to know what’s going on in sex (face it we’re all voyeurs at heart). Stay informed with our “Just the Tip” summaries of research; dive into political and social analysis; and shake your head in horror as we tell politicians, TikTokers, and others who didn’t get the sex education they sorely needed that “That’s Not How It F*&*#ing Works.”
Read moreMaria Trent, MD, MPH, FAAP, FSAHM
Maria Trent is a pediatrician, Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine Specialist, and Chief of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Children's Center. She is a Bloomberg Endowed Professor of American Health, Pediatrics & Nursing at Johns Hopkins University
She is an independent clinician-scientist whose research and clinical interest has been on reducing adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health disparities. Much of her work has focused on conducting clinical trials to reduce health disparities associated with complicated sexually transmitted infections such as PID.
Dr. Trent is a past president of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine and serves on the Board of Directors for the Pediatric Academic Societies for the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Board of Directors the American Health Association, the Board of Directors for Advocates for Youth, and the Trojan Sexual Health Advisory Council.
She has emerged as an important voice and forceful advocate for the health and well-being of young people and those who care for them.
Dr. Trent, originally from North Carolina, is a widow raising two absolutely amazing adolescents, Safi and Hodari Hampton.
Read moreDebbie Saslow
Debbie Saslow, Ph.D., is the Managing Director of HPV & GYN Cancers at the American Cancer Society (ACS). She is responsible for developing and updating ACS guidelines, including guidelines for cervical cancer screening and for HPV vaccination. She serves as the Society’s lead for HPV-related cancers and directs their HPV vaccination nationwide priority program of work, provides strategic direction and leads staff teams working on the implementation of HPV related activities, and provides evidenced-based guidance to the Society.
Dr. Saslow also directs the ACS HPV vaccination nationwide priority program. She is the Principal Investigator on two cooperative agreements to increase HPV vaccination, and serves as the Vice-Chair of the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable.
Read moreAlegra Woodard
Alegra Woodard is a cervical cancer survivor and advocate. She serves as a volunteer chapter leader with the National Cervical Cancer Coalition and an ambassador for Cervivor, a community of patient advocates.
"At age 36 I was diagnosed with stage 1 cervical cancer. For treatment I underwent surgery and embarked on a slow and lengthy road to recovery. Learning about the diagnosis crushed me. A dark cloud covered my family and took over our existence; for many years I felt paralyzed and unable to understand what was going on. Unaware of what to do and convinced that I could push through on my own, I chose silence and renunciation. Today I have a sense of empowerment to tell my story, recognize that I’ve been in denial for many years and I can acknowledge that I am a cervical cancer survivor! I am armed with the determination and the desire to assist other women, family members, and caregivers battle the personal issues related to cervical cancer.”
Read moreSafi Hampton
Safi Hampton is an honor roll student at Hammond High School in Columbia, Maryland. She is a gifted athlete, with skills in both soccer and volleyball. She currently plays for the Metro Volleyball Club of DC. Recent national honors include a 2nd place finish for her team at the National Junior Girls Volleyball Tournament in Las Vegas, where she was selected for the All-Tournament National Level Team. She was also among a select group to train this summer at the United States Volleyball Association's National Training Development Program.
Aside from sports and school, Safi is a visual artist with skills in drawing, painting, and photography. She also plays the upright bass with an affection for jazz. She is the oldest of two children born to Drs. Maria Trent and Gregory Hampton.
Petra Hinds
Petra Hinds is a rising sophomore at Williams college. Although she is a prospective political economy major there, she has been studying and performing theater her whole life. Some of her favorite past roles have included Rosalind in a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and Birdie in a workshop of a new play, Spitfire, by Lyndsey Bourne. She thinks that Elevate’s work is extremely important and exciting so she’s thrilled to be working with them, and she is also happy to be working with Sabrina Jacob Washburn again. She hopes that you enjoy and get something out of this performance!
Read moreAdrian Baidoo
Adrian is from Ghana, Africa by way of Steeler Nation Pittsburgh. Broadway: THE INHERITANCE. Off-Broadway: SEPARATE AND EQUAL (59E59); ROCCO, CHELSEA, ADRIANA...(HERE); PIRIRA (WEST END THEATER); ON STRIVER’S ROW (METROPOLITAN PLAYHOUSE). Broadway First National Tour: CINDERELLA. Regional: Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, MUNY, MTWichita WVPT. TV: “Royal Pains”. Numerous Commercials and Print. BFA University of Michigan and Moscow Art Theatre School Graduate. @AdrianBaidoo. www.AdrianBaidoo.com
Read moreLydia Riess
Lydia Riess is an actor, writer, and director born and raised in New York City. She is a rising sophomore at Brown University where she studies literary arts and education in addition to theater and film. Before that, she studied with the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater and participated in many productions with her high school’s theater company, headed by Sabrina Washburn. Favorite roles include Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lizzy from an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Kate Hamill, and Emma from People, Places, and Things by Duncan Macmillan. Lydia is honored to be welcomed into the Elevate community and excited to work with Sabrina again. Instagram: @Lydia.Riess
Read more