Top ten recommended websites

We were amazed at the number of websites, and the vast amount of information available for you through Internet resources. The best part about using a website is you can look for information and answers to your questions in private.

To help give you a good starting point, we combed through the mountain of websites and selected a representative sample, which we call our "top nine". Before a website made it to our list, it had to pass our "yes" test.

Here are the questions we asked:

• Is the website for teens?
• Is the content complete, up to date, and correct?
• Are the people who put information on the website experts on the topic?
• Can you get answers to your questions? (In the descriptions of each website, we refer to this feature as "q & a".)
• Is it easy to use?
• Does it cover different viewpoints?
  
  

How should you decide which website to use?

We suggest that you think about what you are looking for in a website, both in terms of information as well as the climate and additional features. Make a list of your requirements, and then use that as a checklist to compare the sites. Pick a topic you are interested in, and conduct a search in each site to compare the results.

Look through the list to find Carole’s personal favorite. Her comparison search was on the topic of "peer pressure."

The whole purpose of this site is to answer your questions. You will find q & a about relationships, sexuality, sexual health, emotional health, and much, much more. In addition to saving all of the previously posted questions and answers, Alice gives you the latest ones every Friday. People associated with the Columbia University Health Education Program produce this site. They have also published a book by the same name.

The stated purpose of this site, which is produced by the American Social Health Association (asha), is “to answer your questions about teen sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases.” Some of the sections include, ask the expert, frequently asked questions, STDs, sex on the brain, puberty, prevention, a search capability, links to additional resources, and a useful glossary of terms. In the section “sex on the brain” you will find the headings: sex vs love, peer pressure, yes or no?, consequences, and gay teens. The article on peer pressure is clear and offers practical advice on ways to avoid peer or date pressure.

Here is what the producers of the site have to say. “SEX, etc. is a happening new teen-produced web site that answers the questions you'd only ask other teens. Written and produced by teens for teens, SEX, etc. talks about love, sex, abstinence, contraception, AIDS, STDs, drugs and drinking, violence and health topics, just to name a few. We know that teens need good solid info to make the right decisions in this wacky world. So here it is. Everything you needed to know but were afraid to ask, along with plenty of places to register your opinion and ask questions about important stuff."

The network for Family Life Education (affiliated with Rutgers University) produces the website. In addition to the doctors, teachers and social workers who provide information and answer questions, there is also an active Teen editorial board.

(PS This site is Carole’s personal favorite. Why? It gave big Yes answers to all our questions. It has lots of useful information. It is visually very pleasing. It is very easy to navigate through. It had the best response to my question on peer pressure)

The goal of the team of doctors who created this website in 1999 is to “give you the scoop on puberty, family, friends, drugs, sex and emotions.” The producers of the site say that two factors separate TeenGrowth from other teen sites:

1) all of the content is provided and reviewed by doctors and

2) it only focuses on teen health issues. The information is organized in a very clear and accessible format. There is also a free newsletter.

Offers articles, in-depth features, animations, games, additional resources, and q & a on a range of health related topics including sex and sexuality (for example, body changes, safer sex, STDs, pregnancy, date rape, etc.).

You can either read articles, or post questions, or do a search to find exactly what you are looking for. The Nemours Foundation, Center for Children’s Health Media produces the site.

Here is how the producers describe Teenwire.
"Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA)® created this web site to provide uncensored, unbiased sexuality and sexual health information on the Internet. The PPFA web site is a private, safe atmosphere where teens can learn and grow by reading reliable PPFA text resources as well as material submitted by their peers (and reviewed by us). Teens are also encouraged to contribute their opinions and ideas in certain areas of the site.

The information and activities on this site are constructed and presented to encourage teens from every possible background (e.g., religious, cultural, financial, national) to learn as much as possible about issues they face every day. Some of these issues include their changing bodies, choosing whether or not to have sex, protecting themselves from sexually transmitted infections, preventing pregnancy, and establishing relationships.”

The site is produced by The Coalition for Positive Sexuality (CPS), a grassroots, not-for-profit, volunteer, activist organization. Before you check out this website, we recommend you read their section “about us,” which has a detailed (9-page) description about the Coalition.

The Coalition is very passionate about its mission which they describe as:

“1) to give teens the information they need to take care of themselves and in so doing affirm their decisions about sex, sexuality, and reproductive control, and

2) to facilitate dialogue in and out of the public schools on condom availability and sex education.” The focus of the website is on topics for teens who are either thinking about having sex or are sexually active. The perspective is “no preaching. No moralizing. Just the facts.”

Topics include: whether or not to have sex, safe sex, birth control, sexual orientation, pregnancy and STDs. Additional features are: a forum for teens to talk about sex with each other, resident sexperts who can answer your questions by email, and links to other places where you can get more information and support. There is even a link to the magazine Teen Voices.

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The two websites listed below differ from the others in a couple of important ways. First, they are “for profit.” This means that you will see a lot of flashy advertising. We suggest you take a few minutes to read their Privacy statements.

You should be aware that even though the Producers have a policy of “protecting your personal information,” when you interact with some of the flashy advertisements or answer surveys and polls, information about your interests might be captured for marketing purposes.

The second difference is that both sites want to provide a “one-stop-shopping” approach where their site addresses all of your needs. We call this a “total online experience.”

The people who produce gURL say they want to provide a “safe” place where girls age13 and up can meet online to discuss issues that affect their lives, including topics that deal frankly with sexuality, emotions, body image, etc. gURL is one of the total experience sites. In addition to information on a wide range of topics (from sex to sports to college to fashion to movies, etc.), you can become a member (no charge) and use the other gURL features, such as their email service. This is a commercially produced site, done by the same people who publish 17 magazine.

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This website is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and created in partnership with PBS Kids. Young adults are invited to discuss issues relating to friends, family, school, and their bodies and emotions. Responses are from trained mentors and professionals. A unique feature of the website is celebrity comments on the topics.