Last Updated on January 26, 2021 by Jenelle Marie Pierce, Executive Director
About Our Executive Director, Jenelle Marie Pierce
In 2012, Jenelle quit her career as an Analyst for Stryker Corporation’s Healthcare Division and founded The STI Project: Breaking the Stigma® and its child sites. She is now The STI Project’s Executive Director; an Adjunct Professor; and the Spokesperson for Positive Singles. As an STI+ Sexual Health Educator and content creator, Jenelle is dismantling stigma by reclaiming STI narratives® through awareness, education, and acceptance.
Jenelle is also a Tri-Chair of the Communications Action Group at the National Coalition for Sexual Health (NCSH) and a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), the International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (IUASTD), the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association (ASTDA), the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR), and the Intermountain West HPV Vaccination Coalition.
Her work has been featured in popular TV, radio, and print outlets such as: Cosmopolitan Magazine, Jezebel, Forbes, HuffPost Live, NPR, Refinery 29, NOW Magazine (UK), and many more. Current bylines can be found in O.School, SELF, HepatitisC.net, Kinkly, PornHub’s Sexual Wellness Center, and Allure.
- Adjunct Professor – Modern Sex Therapy Institutes, Pelvic Guru, and others – Present
- Spokesperson – Positive Singles – Present
- Freelance Writer – The Washington Post, SELF, Planned Parenthood, Allure, Kinkly.com, and others – Present
- Professional Speaker – AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), Red Project, and others – Present
Memberships
- National Coalition for Sexual Health (NCSH) – Tri-Chair of the Communications Action Group
- The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists – AASECT
- The International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI)
- American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association (ASTDA)
- National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD)
- National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR)
- The Intermountain West HPV Vaccination Coalition
Education*
AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator (CSE) – Modern Sex Therapy Institutes – 2021
To View the List of Courses Covered in this Comprehensive 90 credit hour Curriculum, Click Here!
- Ethics and Sex Therapy: A Neglected Dimension (2 of 4 hrs.)
- Ethics in Sex Therapy (4 of 8 hours)
- Legal, Ethical, and Forensic Issues in Sex Therapy
- Developmental Sexuality Across the Lifespan (8 hrs.)
- Normative Sexual Development & Behavior (8 hrs.)
- Seniors and Sexuality/Sexuality and Aging (4 hrs)
- Sexual Development & Developmental Sexuality (8 hrs.)
- Socio-Cultural Factors (Ethnicity, Religion, Socio-economic Status) in Sexual Values and Behaviors (8 hrs.)
- Queer Affirmative Therapy in the 21st Century (4 of 8 hrs.)
- Cultural Sensitivity (4 hrs.)
- Millennials, High Achievers and Sex: An Overview Intersection of Sexuality & Religion (2 hrs.)
- Rethinking Sexual Addiction (8 hrs.)
- My Kid Wants to Do What? How to Help Your Clients Navigate their Kids’ Sexuality
- Intersection of Sexuality & Religion (2 hrs.)
- Cultural Sensitivity (4 hrs.)
- Working With Relationships in Transition and Alternative Sexualities (4 hrs.)
- Gender Orientation & Identity Issues (8 hrs.)
- Queer Affirmative Therapy in the 21st Century (4 of 8 hrs.)
- Interaction Between Sexuality and Dynamics of Interpersonal and Family Relationships (4 of 8 hrs.)
- Family Relationships (4 of 8 hrs.)
- Erotic Empathy
- Finding the Sex You Lost -Transforming Limiting Beliefs (8 hrs.)
- Diversities in Sexual Expression & Lifestyles (4 hrs.)
- Working with Kinky and Polyamorous Clients (4 hrs.)
- Paraphilias (4 hrs.)
- Human sexual response
- Sexual and Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology
- Medical Factors Related to Sexuality and Sexual Functioning (4 of 8 hrs.)
- Cancer and Sexuality (3 of 6 hrs.)
- Sexual Transmitted Infections (3 of 4 hrs.)
- Eating Disorders, Sexual Health & Fertility (2 hrs.)
- Reclaiming Sexuality for Couples with Chronic Illness
- What every sex therapist should know about hormones and meds for men’s and women’s sexual dysfunction
- How do Common Mental Health Issues Show up in Therapy
- Sex Therapy for Bariatric, Eating, and Body Image Issues
- PTSD & Sexuality (4 hrs.)
- Sexual Functioning and Behavior (8 hrs.)
- Treating Modern Sexual Problems Without Assuming Pathology or Disease (4 of 8 hrs.)
- Putting Theory in to Practice
- The Science of Sexual Fantasy: What Do We Want, and What Do Our Fantasies Say About Us?
- Sexuality in the Elderly (4 hrs.)
- Sexual Abuse Treatment (4 of 8 hrs.)
- Childhood Sexual Abuse, Assessment & Behavior (4 hrs.)
- Victimology and Victim Therapy (4 hrs.)
- Treatment of Sexual Offending Behavior (4 hrs.)
- Integrating Porn, Sex & Love (4 hrs.)
- What’s Next for Sex? How the Latest Innovations in SexTech are Transforming the Ways We Mate, Relate and Masturbate (4 hrs.)
- A Sex Positive Approach to Assessment and Treatment of Impulsive/Compulsive Sexual Behavior (4 hrs.)
- Sex on the Download: When the internet disconnects you from your relationship (1 of 4 hrs)
- Problem Sexual Behaviors: From Sex Addiction to #Metoo (4 hrs.)
- Sexuality Issues In Substance Abuse, Treatment & Recovery (4 hrs.)
- Sexual Pharmacology (4 hrs.)
- Pleasure Enhancement Skills (4 hrs.)
- Communicating Desire: Getting the Sex Life and Relationship You Want
- The Science of Sexual Fantasy: What Do We Want, and What Do Our Fantasies Say About Us?
- Learning theory and its application (4 hrs)
- Mental Illness and Sexuality (4 hrs.)
- Professional Communication and Reflection Skills (4 hrs.)
- The Business of Sex Therapy
- Talking About Sex: Supervision, Consultation, Collaboration &Referral in Sex Therapy and Sexuality Counseling (4 hrs.)
- The History of Sex Research, Theory, Education, and Therapy education, counseling and therapy.
- Research on Sexual Dysfunctions Disorders and Deviancy (3 hrs.)
MBA – Graduated with high honors from the Honors Program – Davenport University
BBA – Graduated with honors from the Honors Program – Davenport University
Affiliations
- Women in Sex Tech
- American Sexual Health Association – Ambassador
- For Women Who Roar
Noteable Awards & Recognition**
- 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan 2016
- 40 Under 40 Business Leader 2015
- Advocates Unite! Caring Ambassadors Fellow 2015
Services Offered
- Media Interviews & Freelance Writing
- Curriculum Consultations, Guest Lectures, and Workshops
- Sensitivity Review
- Personal Consultations
- Interactive STI Services
- And More! To learn about these services, visit our services page.
A Note from Jenelle
Hi, ya’ll! My name’s Jenelle Marie Pierce (she/her/hers), and I am STI+. Since I was 16 years old, I’ve lived with genital herpes – otherwise known as the herpes simplex virus (HSV) or simply, herpes (I’ve also had other STIs). Who admits to that? *raises hand* Want to know more about my experience with an STI or STD? Read my STI Interview.
More importantly, having an STI has not hindered my love life, dampened my ambition, or limited my relationships. I’ve been married, auditioned for American Idol, gone skydiving 3 times, been an auditor for a Big 4 accounting firm, ran a 25k, started successful businesses, worked as a ‘carny’ on a fried veggie wagon (seriously), completed 2 honors degrees, etc., etc.. An STI, in short, has not stopped me from achieving anything or enjoying my life.
I am here to tell you, having an STI or STD does not have to stop you either.
Sure, no one wants an infection – I don’t want a cold or the flu – but, as humans, our bodies are not infallible. They are resilient, yes, but certainly not infallible, and maladies are part of the human experience.
Most importantly, I understand what it’s like to feel stereotyped, misunderstood, and alone with something considered taboo. As a result, I work to encourage education and facilitate thoughtful discussion about sexual health and STIs, specifically. I can also be a vessel for your STI stories through the STI Interviews. In time, I won’t need to be this vessel because we will have broken the stigma and opened the minds of others, but until then, I am here to serve you.
Take off your shoes and stay awhile – everyone is welcome here – and if you’d like, share your STI story (anonymously). You can also find me on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Tumblr – drop by and say hello!
*For a clinical diagnosis, always consult a physician, but for all other questions, our resources and references pages are a great place to start.
**For a detailed listing of awards and recognition, please visit our press page!
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