What can we do to improve these dismal statistics? Let’s start at the source. Let’s start by asking the ones these statistics are about: the young people themselves.
Teen Health Mississippi has spent years proving what’s possible when you put teens at the center of the work. When teens are trusted as leaders instead of treated as problems, outcomes improve. Through youth councils, advocacy training and policy engagement, Mississippi teens have researched community health challenges, spoken directly to lawmakers and helped shape local solutions. Imagine what is possible because these young people believe in themselves.
That model is now expanding into Arkansas. And it couldn’t come at a better time.
Teen Health Arkansas launched to shift the narrative for teens. And it’s a shift Arkansas adults need to hear. If we’re not going to help the future of our state, then who is?
When adults shrug and say that some conversations are too uncomfortable we lose ground to silence, misinformation and shame.
Recently, at New Bethel Church of God in Christ in West Memphis, we hosted a Teen Talk session that brought parents and young people together to discuss sexual health, relationships and mental well-being. What unfolded wasn’t chaos or controversy. It was clarity.
The most striking realization that night was simple: young people want our help. They want information, and they want to be prepared.
In our session, without judgment, we discussed abstinence as the only guaranteed way to prevent pregnancy, but we also discussed the importance of contraception, consent and communication.
Because while abstinence may be our preferred choice, we know this is not always the reality. We can support our teens’ commitment to abstinence while also preparing them for when plans change and life happens.
And the youth showed up ready to listen and learn.
They asked informed questions about their health, including what resources are available and how to have conversations with their friends and parents about healthier decision-making. They shared gaps they see in school health education. They discussed how policies enacted at the Capitol affect them in classrooms and clinics.
They didn’t come to be rebellious. They came to be heard.
In a recent report on health education in 184 Arkansas school districts, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families found that only 3% had a curriculum of “highly comprehensive” sexual health education, and 36% of the districts analyzed didn’t have a sex education curriculum at all. Per state law, sex education is not mandatory for Arkansas school districts.
That’s the “if not us, then who?” moment Arkansas is facing.
If adults won’t create spaces for honest dialogue, who will? If churches won’t engage in conversations and action around hard issues affecting families, who will?
Faith communities, in particular, face a choice. A church should be a refuge. When young people know they can ask questions without being judged, they are far more likely to seek guidance before a crisis.
This isn’t about promoting promiscuity. It’s about promoting preparation. Teenagers live in a world saturated with information, and trusted adults can help them interpret it.
As the child of a teen mom and as someone who became a mother at 19, I know firsthand how limited information and resources can lead to life-altering realities.
Teen Health Mississippi’s track record shows that youth-centered engagement works. Now, Arkansas has an opportunity to build on that success and invest in young leaders, invite them into policy conversations and treat them not as liabilities but as assets.
Our teens are navigating complex realities. They are forming opinions and influencing each other. And they need us. Even when they act like grown adults, our role isn’t to judge. It’s to listen, understand, guide and connect.
When teens have a voice in shaping policy through conversations with parents and local leaders, their health outcomes improve, and whole communities benefit.
If we want our youth to grow into healthy adults, we need to do everything we can to make it possible, even if it makes us uncomfortable. Because, if not us, then who will step up to listen, teach, and partner with our youth?
Ursula Walls is the community liaison for the New Bethel Church of God in Christ in West Memphis, Arkansas.
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