D.C. teens provide education on safe sex

Alexis Franklin, 18, and Devon Tuner, 19, are two teen ambassadors with Metro TeenAIDS. The group, based in Capitol Hill, provides information and resources for individuals fighting AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Franklin and Turner have made it a mission to educate their peers about sexual health.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that over 19 million people are infected with a sexually transmitted infection each year. Most victims are between the ages of 15 and 24.

Metro TeenAIDS attempts to combat this issue by training teens to go out into the community and teach others about the risk of sexually transmitted infections and spread the message of safe sex. The ambassadors speak at schools, clubs, recreations centers, etc.

Turner explains that the ambassadors do not hold back when sharing information because they have a different influence than parents do. “We keep it real, keep it honest, we just tell it like it is,” he says.