Girls in listening sessions nationwide shared what information would be most helpful to them. Here, read quotes from girls about what they think is important, and find links to more information.

Topics:

Self

On Self-esteem/Self-confidence

  • Help girls boost confidence; they are beautiful and can do it!
  • My self-talk impacts my self-esteem. I’m trying to not do negative self-talk that makes me fail.

Helpful Links

GirlsHealth.gov
Being a girl can be difficult. Sometimes self-esteem suffers. Visit the “Feeling Happy” tab to learn ways to boost your self-esteem and self-confidence while celebrating your identity!
girlshealth.gov/feelings/happy/just4me.cfm

Want to rate your self-confidence? Visit the “Your Feelings” tab and take the quizzes to learn more!
girlshealth.gov/feelings/quizzes/feelings.esteem.cfm

Communication and Relationships

On Friends
Girls say they need:

  • Real friendships that help them make good decisions.
  • True friends who will tell you when you are wrong or getting ready to make a bad decision.
  • Support from family and friends (positive influence).
  • Best friends who are positive and not negative—very hard to find because you cannot trust other girls. 
  • To surround themselves with positive people, but they are really hard to find. Especially in small towns … where everyone knows each other.
  • Activities, places to go. All I know is what I came from, my drug friends.
  • Support from friends—real friends that won’t peer pressure you into drinking or having sex or other bad things.
  • Contact with close friends.
  • Positive influences— family, friends.
  • Ways to talk to their friends who are headed for trouble.

On Communication
Girls say they need:

  • Chat rooms— secure ones for peers and mentors.
  • 24-hour chat with professionals and other teens.
  • Motivational talks that share success stories and pictures, NOT war stories.
  • People to talk to other than adults.
  • Peers who support you, listen to you, care about you, don’t judge you.
  • Blogs and other ways to communicate with other girls to get ideas to succeed.

On Dating
Girls say they need:

  • To learn about co-dependency so they can see signs in their relationships and avoid it.
  • Information on domestic violence and how to get out.
  • Information on co-dependency—with boyfriend/mom/family members—how to recognizeit/how to get help.
  • To learn about abusive relationships.
  • Facts about safe dating, sex education.

Helpful Links

CDC
Peer pressure is something every girl has to deal with. If you want help saying “no” to peer pressure, visit the “Grind Your Mind” tab in the “Your Life” section.
bam.gov/sub_yourlife/yourlife_grindyourmind.html

GirlsHealth.gov
Relationships are hard! To find information and advice on how to improve your relationships with friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, and parents go to the “Relationships” tab.
girlshealth.gov/relationships/conflict/i_statements.cfm

Find yourself fighting a lot? Take this quick online quiz to see how much you know about handling conflict in a healthy way.
girlshealth.gov/relationships/quizzes/quiz.conflict.cfm

Being a girl is hard: the pressure to be popular, trying to find the right group of friends. Visit the ”Friendship” tab under “Relationships” to find out more on peer pressure, popularity, cliques, and bullies. Click to learn tips for making new friends, helping old friends, and dealing with fights.
girlshealth.gov/relationships/friendships/index.cfm#new_friends

Having trouble in your relationships? Do you find yourself fighting with your mom, friends, or boyfriend/girlfriend? If so, visit the ”Relationships – Dealing with Conflict” tab to learn communication strategies.
girlshealth.gov/relationships/conflict/i_statements.cfm

Health

On General Information
Girls say they need:

  • Names and addresses of public health centers.
  • Information on how to get to the doctor and what to do when you get there.

Helpful Links

Women’s Health
For information and answers to health questions, visit the Women’s Health link or call them by phone at 800-994-9662.
womenshealth.gov/about-us/health-information-by-phone/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
Need healthcare but don’t have health insurance? Federally funded health centers can help even if you have no health insurance. Visit HRSA website and search by address or city for health centers in your area.
findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx

On Sexual Health and Pregnancy
Girls say they need:

  • Healthcare-themed months (HIV, STDs, etc.)
  • Information about sexual health, STDs, contraceptives.
  • Information about pregnancy and how to tell your mom you’re pregnant.
  • Teen pregnancy separate site for parenting girls
  • Videos aimed at teens about food, arts & crafts, music, college and college prep, coupons, peer pressure, sex, teen pregnancy, dealing with parents, and date rape.
  • Not to get pregnant. “Everyone here gets pregnant by the age of 14. In our schools we have all kinds of girls who are pregnant when they are 13 and 14 years old just like their mothers were.”
  • Information on adoption, abortion, and non-abortion choices.

National HIV and STD Testing Resources
Want to know your HIV status? Visit this website to search for testing sites in your area.
hivtest.org/Results.aspx?Zip=33160&SearchRadius=10&SrvcSTDTestCodes=True

Body and Mind
You’re not the only one confused about being a teenager. The Body and Mind website shows what other girls and boys are going through. Click on the “Your Body” tab to learn more about puberty and what your body is going through. Click on the “Your Life” tab to get more information on stress and peer pressure.
bam.gov/sub_yourlife/yourlife_grindyourmind.html

Let’s Move
First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative is dedicated to helping Americans get healthier. Find information about eating healthy and getting active.
letsmove.gov

Drugs

Girls say they need:

  • A hotline for asking questions about drugs anonymously.
  • Alcohol awareness information—real facts not scare facts.
  • A place to get advice about alcohol and drugs.
  • Online workshops to address important issues that impact females.
  • Being here helps us stay away from the drugs and alcohol and the friends we were doing it with—it is hard to make new friends
  • Information about meth, gateway drugs, “E,” IV drugs smoking cessation help.
  • Narcotics Anonymous (NA) schedule of meetings and phone numbers.
  • A six-month drug program on the “outside” that allows girls to see family and learn how to live on the outside while getting clean.

Helpful Links

NIDA for Teens
NIDA for Teens is an interactive website that offers teens facts on illicit and prescription drug use and abuse. Through peer resources, activity guides, and online games, teens can learn about the chemistry of drug use, creative ways to fight drug abuse, and ways to advocate for awareness. In addition, it provides an opportunity for teens to blog about their thoughts on substance abuse.
teens.drugabuse.gov/drnida/index.php

Need to learn the terms of drug abuse? Visit the Glossary under the “Utilities” tab for an explanation of terms.
teens.drugabuse.gov/utilities/glossary.php

Need to know more? Visit the Resource page under the “Utilities” tab to link to other websites on drugs and alcohol.
teens.drugabuse.gov/utilities/resources.php

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Looking for drug or alcohol treatment programs? Click the Substance Abuse Treatment Locator for help.
findtreatment.samhsa.gov

Education and Jobs/Careers

Girls say they need:

  • Information on the economy, job openings, college life, life with a child (parenting classes), sex.
  • Jobs to keep busy during the summer and after school.
  • Meaningful jobs that meet our interests like daycare, eldercare, or working in an animal shelter; and mentoring jobs to help other girls stay out of trouble.
  • Help getting through school. “ Understanding why school is important and if we want to go to college, we need help figuring out how that works. But a lot of us cannot go to college so we need help finding other educational things we can do to help us get a good job. We know there are a lot of schools and colleges out there but we really don’t know anything about it.”
  • Jobs for girls that do not require a diploma.
  • Tips for getting a job.
  • Information on going to college and the kinds of careers a girl/young woman can do.
  • Help to get apartments and jobs.
  • Opportunities and open doors. Support for finding jobs, material goods, and opportunities to travel.
  • More involvement in sports and school, and a good job.
  • Goals and jobs—a focus on the future, not just the past.
  • Alternative schools and internships.
  • The ability to have to have a job, “especially if you’re older and will be out on your own soon.”

Helpful Links
OSHA
Visit the OSHA website’s “Young Workers” section for more information about safety and rights of working teens.
osha.gov/SLTC/teenworkers/index.html

ED.gov
Want to get a college degree, but a four-year school isn’t right for you? Check out the U.S. Department of Education’s tab about “Career Colleges and Technical Schools” for information about alternatives to traditional. universities
www2.ed.gov/students/prep/college/consumerinfo/index.html

GirlsHealth.gov
Applying for jobs? Need help writing a resume? Visit the “Getting Experience – Get a job” tab for help.
girlshealth.gov/future/experience/job.cfm#resume

Is getting organized difficult for you? Print out the “To-Do List” to help organize school, work, and home responsibilities.
girlshealth.gov/future/organized/todo.cfm

Job Corps
Look at this flyer for information about job training for 16–24-year-olds. Read the stories of girls who have bettered their lives by going to a trade school.
recruiting.jobcorps.gov/Libraries/pdf/female_one_pager.sflb

Want a free education or training program to help you learn a career and find a job? Visit Job Corps to find out more.
jobcorps.gov/home.aspx

MyFuture.com
On this tab of the Girls Health website, girls can learn about the impact of drugs and alcohol through fact sheets and quizzes. There are also tips on how to prevent using and ways to stop using for girls struggling with substance abuse.
myfuture.com/my-pathway/#

USA Jobs
Looking for a job working for the government? USA Jobs is a search engine that lets you search for jobs in your area.
usajobs.gov

U.S. Department of Education
Want to go to college but don’t know how to pay for it? Visit the Department of Education website for information on applying to colleges and federal student aid.
www2.ed.gov/finaid/landing.jhtml

Kids.gov
Visit kids.gov for information about different jobs.
kids.gov/6_8/6_8_careers.shtml

 

Community

Girls say they need:

  • Local services for those who don’t have food or a place to live.

Community Resources
Figure out what type of service(s) are needed.
This is the first step in connecting to the right resource. Do you need help with educational/vocational resources, daycare, food, clothing, or housing (among other services)?

Locate Local and National Resources
United Way
211.org
United Way shares information that helps people connect to local services within their community. There are two options for finding services through United Way:

  1. Call “211” from your telephone; or
  2. Visit their website and start searching.  Enter your location and click on the local “211” web link. From there a link will connect you to the type of services you need. (For instance, it may say “click here to search for help.”)

You can also look in your yellow pages phone book under “family services.”