(NAPSA)—The good news for parents of adolescents is that they have the vastness of the Internet at their fingertips. The bad news is it can beall too easy to find Web sites that seem to provide medical information but are not science based. The better news is that one organization has recognized this problem and is doing something about it. PKIDs (Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases) recently launched a new Website called Pirls, www.pkids.org/pirls. This factually responsible site is a place for girls ages 11 to 15 to learn about diseases that can affect them, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), and how to prevent such infections. Facts and stats are sprinkled throughoutthe site. Girls also have the option of asking questions that are answered by health educators and medically trained advisers. The organization spent several months working with girls to craft a site that is reliable, informative and appealing to adolescentgirls. “PKIDs has been primarily for the parents of children affected by chronic, viral infectious diseases. We’re looking to extend our reach by providing teen girls of any health status with a place to ask confidential health questions, as well as interact with peers in ways that are both fun and safe,” said Trish Parnell, the organization’s executive director. The site collects only a bare minimum of information from its users and is moderated to ensure that no user shares identifying information that may put her at risk. As a nonprofit, PKIDs also madeit A newsite for girls ages 11 to 15 called Pirls is a fun place for them to go to win prizes,listen to music, play games, share gossip and photos, and ask questions. a goal to develop a site free from advertisements. In addition to getting medical information from doctors, nurses and health educators, girls can relax, play games and win prizes. Prize winners are chosen at random in weekly and monthly drawings and may win ringtones, cellphone wallpapers, Pirls products, or gift cards to a variety of popular stores. “We want girls to have fun reasons to return to Pirls,” said Parnell. “We want this site to stay fresh in their minds so that as they enter the teen years, they'll think of us and havea safe, reli- able place to turn to for answers to their questions.” For more information, go to www.pkids.org/pirls.
