Addressing Sexual Consent: Youth Participatory Action Research with the New York City Department of Health

Background: The adolescent sexual health program of the New York City Department of Health conducted a Youth Participatory Action Research project. Objectives: To partner with youth and community leaders in the design of a public awareness campaign on sexual consent communication. Methods: In the research phase, youth served as co-researchers for twelve focus groups with 113 New York City youth. Youth-centered thematic analysis of transcripts was conducted. In the action phase, youth participated in concept development, scripting, and filming to produce three videos. Results: Youth-partnered research identified how “awkward” it can be for youth to communicate sexual consent verbally or non-verbally while navigating factors like relationship dynamics, substance use, technology, and social media. The action phase leveraged findings to design videos which garnered more than 100,000 views. Conclusions: This paper provides an overview of a Youth Participatory Action Research project conducted with a health department, highlighting some lessons learned and recommendations.