September 2011 Issue

Essay contest winners chose a little brother, a charm bracelet and a gift from Afghanistan.

These are letters we received about stories that appeared in the May – June 2011 issue of L.A. Youth.

Frank, 17, talked to two sexual health experts about the high rates of STDs among young people and the importance of getting tested.

L.A. Youth talked to Dr. Margaret Stuber, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and professor at UCLA, about depression in teens

When Karen, 16, became so depressed that she stopped going to school, she realized she needed help.

In middle school I’d miss one or two days a week. In the morning my mom would nag me, “I’m going to get in the shower and I want you dressed by the time I get out.” I’d think, “I’m tired, let me go back to sleep. I don’t want to go to school.” But I’ve always had a hard time expressing my feelings so I wasn’t communicating what was going on inside me.