Our Story

Pride Health Youth Initiative was founded by Max Levine, a 21-year-old college student from Chicago. Growing up as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Max observed how society often disregards the communities healthcare needs.  Furthermore, Max experienced how misinformation is incredibly prevalent in LGBTQ+ health, most notably with HIV stigma and a lack of proper HIV education. Not only is this misinformation omnipresent, but there is a lack of resources for LGBTQ+ youth to obtain accurate information about LGBTQ+ health that is accessible to young readers and all in one place. 

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Pride Health Youth Initiative was created to serve as the hub for accessible LGBTQ+ health resources that Max wishes he had growing up. This includes: Providing the facts about HIV and Monkeypox in an easy-to-understand manner, mental health and antibullying support, and more. Importantly, everything is developed for youth by youth. Pride Health Youth Initiative has also been presenting at schools in the Chicago area to provide instruction and support to all young students and combat misinformation.  At PHYI, we hope to contribute to a better future for the LGBTQ+ community in healthcare.