Research indicates that when youth feel connected to community and family and have access to sexual health information and services, they are better able to delay sexual initiation and to use contraception, including condoms, when they eventually initiate sexual intercourse. Young people need opportunities to discuss issues important in their lives, to feel safe and valued, and to contribute to their communities.

Regardless of the policy environment in your community, there are things you can do to help young people feel valued and safe and to become sexually healthy adults. Encourage them to value themselves and promote the values of tolerance, equity, and responsibility among the youth you serve. Involve young people as full partners in the design, planning, and implementation of projects intended to serve them and their peers. Encourage youth to be educated, active, and involved. How can you bring the values of Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^® to your program or project?

1. Hang Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^®posters. 
2. Demonstrate respect for young people's abilities by partnering with them in creating and running programs. 
3. Encourage youth to identify achievable goals—including academic, artistic, vocational/career, and interpersonal goals—and the steps to achieving those goals.
4. Give youth a genuine voice in policies within the agency and opportunities to advocate for public policies that affect them.
5. Actively oppose gender discrimination and gender-based violence.
6. Outspokenly oppose discrimination and violence directed at youth of color, at gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth, and at young people who may be perceived as GLBT.
   
7. Avoid making assumptions about young people's abilities, history, and sexual orientation or based on their appearance, race/ethnicity, or gender.
8. Give youth a safe space for discussing issues of importance to them and bring in experts when a topic is beyond your expertise.
9. Encourage young people to search out and post teen-friendly sources of accurate information and youth-friendly services, such as Web sites, hotlines, substance abuse treatment centers, and crisis centers.
   
10. Post a list of free and low-cost health care providers in the community offering confidential services to teens.
11. Provide travel vouchers to enable teens to access health and social services in the community.