Introduction
I am very happy to bring my mentor to the attention, Dr. Laura Widman, who recently presented on Sha’s sexuality company Summit To share how she has transformed years of groundbreaking research into a successful company.
Laura is a researcher, professor, author, psychologist and around Badass who focuses on improving the health of adolescents, with the emphasis on the development of sexual communication skills. In many of her work, she records digital technologies to deliver health programming to teenagers and families.
She is co-author of the Bestseller Non-Graduated Textbook Our sexualityA professor at the Institute for Digital Health and Innovation of Florida State University in the College of Nursing, and founder of Teen Health ResearchA small company that is owned by modernizing sex education.
With almost 100 peer-reviewed publications cited more than 6,500 times, Laura’s research includes HIV and STD prevention, sexual communication and digital health interventions. In this blog I will look at some of her research results and how she translated them into real-world solutions.
Research focus
A consistent finding in Laura’s decades of research: sex education in the US does not work. Programs differ greatly between states and districts, so that many adolescents leave clear gaps in knowledge and support.
To better understand these gaps, Laura immediately went to the source: Laura and her team asked adolescents what they want to know about sex and relationships In a research study published earlier this year. Her team investigated a diverse group of adolescents, including more than 20% trans -adolescents and more than 60% who identified themselves as queer. Their questions varied from:
“How do STDs spread?”
“Is everyone’s first time terrible?”
“How do you say no to a partner who thinks you owe them sex?”
“Is pornography an accurate representation of sex?”
These questions fell in six themes: relationship, sexual activity, opinions and attitudes about sex, health and communication, LGBTQ+ topics and sex education.
The findings showed that teenagers still do not miss important sexual health knowledge. Why does this matter? The consequences are huge: young people are good Half of all STI infections in the US are unintentionally more than four in five teenage pregnanciesAnd One in six children experiences sexual violence. Not all teenagers are influenced in the same way; Marginalized groups are often the most affected.
From research to business
Laura saw the opportunity to tackle these gaps in sex education by supporting older-teen conversations. Her research consistently shows that when parents talk openly with their children, teenagers use condoms, have previous contraception, have faith in their sexual decision -making and communicate with partners.
Parent-Teen Sexual Communication is related to:
Yet these conversations often do not happen early enough. By the last year, Only 70% of adolescents once report on sexual health topics with parents And 40% only has these conversations after he has become sexually active.
To bridge this gap, Laura turned to digital health solutions. This approach is accessible and interactive and has the ability to go to the individual.
The solution: let’s talk!
Laura’s Business, Teen Health Research, launched Let’s talk. This online program is designed for parents and children to complete and developed with psychologists, pediatricians and researchers. The program offers:
Expert guidance
Conversation starters
Practical tools and sources
Age suitable, interactive lessons for children
The goal: enable parents to have real, trusted conversations that prepare young people for healthy relationships and safer sexual decision -making.
Journey of development
After decades of exploring trends in the sexual health of adolescents and family communication through her research, Laura founded Teen Health Research In 2021. Since then she has:
Completed entrepreneurship training
Competed for financing options
Developed and tested prototypes with 35 families
Collected feedback from participants
The pilot studies were overwhelmingly positive. A child shared: “I think it’s great that I know what to expect if I hit puberty.”
The new Let’s talk Website launched in July 2025 And already has more than 500 subscribers. The entire product is set to release this fall.
Tips for professionals in the field of sexual health care
On Sha’s annual Business Summit, Laura shared valuable tips for anyone who wants to start a company in this area:
Growing a company is difficult and slow. Laura almost still for money, learns new lessons and expects it unexpected
The progress is not linear. Development of your company, product is not done in a straight line. Expect changes and setbacks, but don’t let you stop what you want!
Innovation in sexual space is needed. The field for sexual education remains under -financed and underexposed – your ideas are important.
Surround yourself with good people. Sha offers Extensive certification programs And Conducted events To help grow, connect and network with colleagues, mentors and leading experts such as Laura.
Do you want to grow your own company?
SHA focuses on expert presenters and teachers to our community all year round. These events are designed to help you acquire the knowledge, skills and connections that can bring your work to a higher level. View Sha -Events that can support you in growing your company.
Looking for more personalized support? The SHA Business School 2025–2026 Cohort Offers mentoring, business -oriented guidance and practical tools to help you change your ideas in impact. This program is built to enable entrepreneurs like you to shape the future of sexual health.
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