Jenieya Peterson

As Sexual Health Specialist, Jenieya’s role includes supporting the Health & Wellness programming at OUTMemphis as a direct service provider for sexual health services to LGBTQ+ individuals. Her role also includes conducting HIV testing, PrEP/PEP navigation services, linking newly diagnosed clients to care, and leading off-site outreach events.

Jenieya’s days at OUTMemphis are devoted to enhancing the Health & Wellness program while always keeping the wants and needs of the community first in mind. Her mission and vision as the sexual health specialist is to ultimately provide comprehensive sex education. She hopes to do this through her conducting outreach and education for communities at highest risk for HIV, including gay and bisexual men of color and transgender women of color. As well as participating in local committees and conferences.

What makes Jenieya wake up and want to come to work is the opportunity to provide targeted educational and outreach efforts to specific marginalized communities and making contributions to the communities’ public health by completing data entry and case management for all sexual health initiatives, especially HIV testing, linkage to care, and PrEP/PEP navigation.

She decided to work at OUTMemphis to utilize her combination of social work education and previous reproductive justice advocacy skills. Working at OUTMemphis also gives her the chance to provide much-needed services to individuals who genuinely appreciate the hard work and dedication of the OUTMemphis team. Acknowledgment along with gratitude is very important to her.

In the future, Jenieya hopes to significantly impact the field of sex education through continuous advocation, destigmatizing, and supporting comprehensive sexual education. Her hope for the community is for everyone to have access to education and services that will allow them to make autonomous decisions for themselves that they can feel confident in.