The MAX intervention worked with health care providers to address individual and structural barriers constraining sexual and reproductive health services and contraception provision in Kenya and South Africa.
The Tryst Network Campaign
The Tryst Network Campaign
Formalized sexual health education in the U.S. is fragmented. Only 28 states and the District of Columbia mandate teaching of both sex education and HIV education, and even more concerning, only 17 states require the program content to be medically accurate. Without access to comprehensive and medically accurate information, people seek information elsewhere, namely through peers, online, and in the media. Depending upon the source, this information can be biased, incorrect, or promote negative stereotypes about bodies, gender, power, and sex.
Providing a trusted source for accurate, inclusive and accessible sexual health information is a starting point for helping people to feel empowered to make informed decisions. We developed a pilot sexual health education platform called Tryst Network, with the goal of helping women (ages 18-34) and their partners to make informed and empowered decisions about their health.
In collaboration with actress and activist Jessica Biel, the Tryst Network created entertaining, funny, and provocative online content. The network also curated reliable resources, from the newest science on sex to below-the-belt health questions, revealing first-person stories, and discussions about critical issues like consent and equality.
Tryst Network launched in 2017 with a website, video series, and content via social media on the themes of sexual anatomy, self-exploration, pleasure, and consent. The platform was built in consultation with a research partner at the University of California, San Diego, and four advisory board members highly regarded in the field of sexual health. The pilot program ended in 2018.
During the launch, Tryst Network’s campaign was viewed over 561 million times, and included media outlets such as People, Women’s Health, PopSugar, Billboard, and more.
Countries:
USA
Project duration:
2017 – 2018
“In order to cultivate a culture of true gender equality, we need candid conversations and accurate, sex-positive information. Without this, pop culture and outdated cultural institutions fill in these gaps with unhealthy stereotypes and unrealistic expectations that center on male pleasure and leave women in a supporting role.
Through our willingness to speak openly about sex and to seek out empowering information, we can make more informed choices that will improve our sexual satisfaction, happiness and well-being throughout our lives.”
Shannon Bledsoe, Catalyst Global Executive Director
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