Research Symposium

BIO

Loren Wingate is an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) student for the 2025–2026 academic year. She is a graduate of Pace High School and holds a biotechnician assistant certification. Loren is currently a first year pre-nursing major at Florida State University. On campus, she is involved in Alpha Gamma Delta and Perfect Pair, an organization that pairs college students and older adults together based on common interests and hobbies, in addition to her participation in UROP.

Enhancing Adolescent Sexual Health via Digital Family Communication Activities

Abstract

Access to developmentally appropriate sex education is a key determinant in reducing adolescent sexual health risks. Despite its importance, many parents face significant barriers, including discomfort and a lack of tools when attempting to educate their children. Let's Talk is a digital program that was created to solve this problem by supporting communication and sex education between parents and adolescents ages 10-13. Let’s Talk utilizes a "stepping stone" path aligned with National Sex Education Standards. For the UROP program, my project specifically focuses on the development and refinement of family communication activities within the platform. These activities are designed to translate clinical health standards into engaging, low-pressure interactions that encourage conversations. Working as part of a newly-formed Youth Advisory Board, I assisted in creating new activity modules that center youth voice and foster interactive engagement. This included designing prompts for the family communication journal and developing activities that allow parents and adolescents to share questions and values in a supportive, digital environment. Building on these initial insights, a pilot study with 10 families is scheduled for Spring 2026 to evaluate newly developed content and further refine the platform's utility. By focusing on interactive communication activities, our goal is for the program to successfully strengthen family sexual health bonds and provide a scalable model for digital health interventions.

Keywords: Sexual health, Family, Let's Talk