HiTOPS, Inc.
Teen Health and Education Center
21 Wiggins Street
Princeton, NJ 08540

Telephone: (609) 683-5155 (ext. 211)
Fax: (609) 683-9507
Contact: Sandra Friedman, Director of Health Services
E-mail: sandy@hitops.org
Website: www.hitops.org

Organization Description and Mission

HiTOPS (Health-Interested Teens' Own Program on Sexuality) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Princeton, New Jersey whose mission is to promote adolescent health and well-being.  Its goals are to help teens understand their sexuality, avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, clarify their values and make responsible decisions regarding their sexual health.

HiTOPS began in 1987 as part of Familyborn Birth Center to educate teens about their sexuality. In the decade and a half since, we have developed a model that combines health services with educational outreach as an exciting and successful approach to lowering rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Our collaborating partners, national and statewide, rely on our expertise in adolescent health promotion for education, training, and consultation. We are known as an organization that engages and listens to teenagers, and involves them in the development and implementation of programs. HiTOPS has been cited and praised by regional school systems, local and state government, national media and the World Health Organization. HiTOPS seeks to promote rights, respect and responsibility for and among adolescents.

HiTOPS addresses its goals by:

• Offering innovative, comprehensive sexual health education programs, including a model peer education approach;
• Providing primary reproductive healthcare in a "teen-friendly" clinic;
• Offering psycho-educational support groups; and
• Providing training and consultation to local, regional, state, and national organizations serving the holistic health needs of adolescents.

HiTOPS' activities are numerous:

• Health services for adolescent and young adult males and females  ages 13-26
• Educational programs for teens and parents
• Support groups for gay and lesbian youth, their parents and families, and female survivors of sexual assault
• Continuing professional development and in-service workshops for educators and counselors, and training and consultation for youth-serving organizations
• A variety of peer education programs where high school students receive extensive training in human sexuality, group facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Publications and products in health education.

Volunteer Opportunities

• HiTOPS is working with the library to provide an interactive afterschool program to promote healthy lifestyle choices for middle and early high school students.  This can be either a drop-in program, each session can stand alone, or a student could commit to being a part of the planning process for all three sessions (constituting a semester-long project).  The work would include figuring out what a fun, interactive curriculum could look like.  Topics for sessions often include health and nutrition.  Please contact Sandra Friedman if you are interested.
  

Community and Population Served by the Organization

HiTOPS serves all adolescents ages 13-26- straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youth.  Its services are aimed at providing adolescents with the knowledge and risk reduction strategies they need to make responsible decisions about their sexual health and to promote respect for themselves and others.

Research Questions

• There is an HPV vaccine for men.  HiTOPS would be interested in the collection of information for boys on the scope of the problem and the need for the vaccine. HiTOPS is also interested in a study of trends in the history of male contraception.
• What are the factors that would draw someone to seek preventative care? How can HiTOPS encourage young men to seek preventative care?  What are the behavior patterns, in terms of preventative care, based on gender? How can HiTOPS address these patterns to encourage males to value prevention?

• HiTOPS would like a policy review and analysis of emergency contraception.  Currently, males and females over the age of 18 can purchase emergency contraception behind the counter (with ID).  Should the FDA also approve the sale of emergency contraception over the counter (with ID) to adolescents 17 and under? 
• What kinds of innovations in healthcare are appropriate for a technology-savvy adolescent population?  What works best for adolescents constantly on the move?  Students can consider how clinics could use Facebook or other social networking sites to educate youth about access to sexual healthcare.  Do adolescents want to e-mail their healthcare providers and do virtual visits?  How does movement and travel affect youth access to care?  How can access to healthcare be made more consistent?
• HiTOPS needs a student to do a policy review and analysis of both Title 10 funding for family planning services and funding for abstinence-only programs.  If the government cuts Title 10 funding for family planning clinics, adolescents will have decreased access to contraception, and centers like HiTOPS will be required by law to hire even those clinicians who indicate they will refuse to distribute birth control.
• HiTOPS would like a student to analyze the new cultural definition that sexual health has acquired in America.  How has the concept of “pleasure” changed over time?

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