If We Build It, Will They Come? Social Media Contest to Engage Young Adults to Talk About Safer Sex Online

Engaging young adults to talk about safer sex online can be challenging. HOPE Online, which comprises the HOPE website, Facebook, and Twitter pages, is no exception. After all, we are asking young African American adults to 1) go online, which may be in itself a potential barrier, and 2) open up about their own sexuality, ask questions, and express […]
New Publication: The Relationship Between Young Adults’ Online Social Networks and Alcohol Use
We’ve known for many years that young adults’ alcohol and drug use is influenced by their peers. It turns out this holds true in an online environment as well. The latest publication from the Virtual Networks Study, found in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, reveals that the images and updates on one’s […]
Collecting Data from Young Adults Using Web-Based, Respondent-Driven Sampling (webRDS)

The popularity of the internet and social media, particularly among young adults, has created new opportunities for collecting public health data. A new PRC/MI article just published in the September issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, describes a novel approach to collect data from young adults aged 18-24 years regarding alcohol […]
My Internship: Promoting Healthy Sexuality through Social Media

By Alex Turner This summer was an incredibly busy time for me, but I certainly enjoyed working on the HOPE Project. My primary area of interest is health communication, specifically tailoring messages to help people decide to change their behavior on their own. This is especially relevant to safer sex practices. One of my goals […]