Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health

In 2015, MOASH collaborated with the National Institute for Reproductive Health in an effort to repeal Michigan’s parental consent for abortion law. ⁴

In 2021, MOASH opposed Michigan Senate Bill 218, a proposal to prevent transgender athletes from competing in a league that did not match their sex at birth. A MOASH youth representative expressed the belief that men are not inherently better at sports than women, and thus there would be no issue allowing biologically male transgender women to compete against women. ²

Programs

Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health offered trainings through the Sex Education Collaborative, available in grades K through 12. Examples of Sex Education Collaborative program titles include: “Fat Acceptance as Queer Acceptance,” “LGBTQIA+ Student Rights and Advocacy in Michigan Schools,” and “Abortion Access Training.” ¹ The nonprofit also educated young people on safe access to sexual content found online. ⁵

MOASH maintains programs in 16 areas, ⁶ including consent and gender-based discrimination, access to sexual health care, expectant and parenting youth, sex-education, and sexual orientation and gender identity. ⁶

MOASH programs include the Michigan Youth (MY) Voice Youth Advisory Council, which educates students on sexual health. Members of the Advisory Council have tried to persuade school districts to include “inclusive and anatomically-correct language” in their curricula. ³

Collaborations

Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health collaborated with the Michigan Public Health Initiative (MPHI) on three different initiatives. “YEAH!” focused on HIV prevention for adolescents in Detroit. The Michigan Sexual Violence Prevention Program established education initiatives to reduce sexual violence. The collaboration on the STEP 2.0 program provided sexual health education on issues such as prevention of gender-based violence. ⁷

MOASH collaborated with the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) on the Michigan Young Parent Advisory Council (MYPAC). MYPAC is a “cohort of expectant and parenting youth in Saginaw, MI.” MYPAC educated these young parents so that they can influence relevant policy. In 2015, MOASH and the NIRH used MYPAC to oppose Michigan’s parental consent for abortion law. MYPAC advocated for the law to be repealed. ⁴

Activism

In 2021, Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health hosted a town hall event to oppose Michigan Senate Bill 218, a proposal to prevent transgender athletes from competing in a league that did not match their biological sex. A MOASH advocacy director stated that the legislation “is very harmful, especially to transyouth who are forced see their identities and their experiences being negotiated.” ² The news article also quoted a transgender teenager and MOASH youth representative as saying that men are not inherently better at sports than women. Although the teenager was a youth representative for MOASH, it was not explicitly stated that he spoke for the non-profit. ²

MOASH endorsed the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2021. ⁸ If passed, the bill would prohibit funding of abstinence-based sex education and would also require the coverage of LGBT-related topics. ⁹

Finances

Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In fiscal year 2020, MOASH had a total revenue of $1,245,510. The group’s net assets totaled $550,493. ¹⁰ MOASH received $903,797 in federal and state grants in 2020. In additions, it received $284,771 in other grants. Other sources of revenue were fees for service ($16,628), contributions ($40,314), and in-kind donations ($26,919). ¹¹ MOASH finished the year with net assets of $550,493. ¹¹ The organization has been tax-exempt since January 2009. ¹⁰