PrEP4Teens is a youth-centered , arts-inspired, collaborative community mobilization project in Chicago that amplifies the creativity, wisdom and lived experiences of local teens.
Chicago teens deserve access to accurate, relevant, and meaningful information related to PrEP for HIV prevention, as well as clear and empowering sexual health and wellness resources beyond HIV.
The PrEP4Teens project envisions a Chicago in which all teens are educated about sexual health, empowered to take charge of their health and overall well-being, and share this information confidently through art and advocacy.
We collaborate closely with youth, creatives, subject matter experts, healthcare providers, researchers, and a wide range of community stakeholders and leaders to ensure the information shared through the campaign is timely and the creative visions of Chicago youth are amplified and celebrated.
PrEP4Teens prioritizes the perspectives, needs and desires of Chicago youth between the ages of 13 and 17, particularly young people living in areas of the city with high rates of HIV.
These communities include young Black and Brown gay and same-gender-loving boys and men; bisexual and pansexual youth; transgender, gender fluid and nonbinary young people; queer youth; and young Black cisgender heterosexual women and girls.
PrEP4Teens has been conducting community research with Chicago teens and adult stakeholders since 2021. Learn more about that work here. After more than two years of planning, PrEP4Teens officially launched on November 15, 2023. As of 2024, the city-wide project is now being stewarded by TaskForce Prevention Chicago, a Black-led community-based organization in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood that has been serving the LGBTQ+ Black community for more than 30 years.
To date, collaborating organizations include:
Northwestern University’s Institute of Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing
Northwestern University’s Department of Communication Studies
The project continues to expand its network of allies, partners, and collaborators.
Current funders include:
Key components of the PrEP4Teens project include community designed murals, an informational website in English and Spanish, Instagram, TikTok, and Discord (coming soon!). Learn more about the project in this blog post.
Want to help support this effort?
You can donate to the project (select the LGBTQ Youth Health fund). Or if you’re interested in donating your time and/or talents, send us an email.