– Bronx high school senior
– gives back to community
– leading sex ed workshops
– Bronx Times
– exclude numbers
– word.
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Richeiny Pimentel-Soto, a final year student at a high school, takes charge of a group of seventh graders as they engage in a game of anatomy Pictionary on February 14, 2024.
Photo by Emily Swanson
Final year student Richeiny Pimentel-Soto has an unconventional after-school job. Instead of working at a fast-food restaurant or a retail store, she spends her time answering questions like “What is a vulva?” “Can individuals choose their sexual orientation?” and “What if a menstrual cup leaks?”
This is a typical workshop for Pimentel-Soto, who is a resident of the Concourse neighborhood and a Peer Facilitator with JAM (Just Ask Me), a program run by the non-profit organization WHEDco (Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation).
Since October, she has been involved in leading approximately 30 workshops. Interestingly, she herself went through the program when she was in middle school.
“Giving back to my community in the same way that was given to me is quite fulfilling,” Pimentel-Soto expressed while visiting a workshop on gender identity and sexual orientation on February 14, as reported by the Bronx Times.
JAM was initiated in 2009 by a group of teenage girls from the Bronx who were concerned about the lack of sex education and the high rate of teen pregnancy in their schools. When they were informed that the state did not have a set curriculum for sex education, they took matters into their own hands. Peer Facilitators at JAM continue to conduct workshops on various topics including gender and sexuality, healthy relationships, contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pregnancy, and anatomy.
Despite being a politically liberal state, the lack of comprehensive sex education in New York persists. According to surveys conducted by Planned Parenthood, 80% of parents want their children to receive sex education; however, New York does not mandate such classes, and only three states do.
The current period is an especially crucial time for individuals of all ages to be well-informed, according to the city Department of Health. The department recently released a report indicating an increase in the detection of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) from 2021 to 2022.
With the reopening of more testing facilities following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the detection of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Neighborhoods such as Hunts Point, Mott Haven, Crotona, and Tremont were identified as having particularly high STI rates in 2022.
Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan stated, “The data emphasizes the importance of sexual health support and services. As more people return to healthcare, our ability to detect STIs improves. However, we still have.
Bronx high school senior gives back to community by leading sex ed workshops
Bronx high school senior leads sex ed workshops for community.
