“You’re Not Dirty—You’re Just Untaught”: Jada Timmons’ Mission to Demystify STDs in South Florida

On a breezy Friday afternoon in Miami, health educator Jada Timmons stands in front of a room full of high school students. She holds a laminated sign: It’s not about being dirty. It’s about being informed. Laughter bubbles up as she shares a story about her awkward trip to the campus clinic years ago. 

Then her voice softens. 

“I was scared, y’all. I thought chlamydia meant something was wrong with me—not just my body, but me as a person,” she says in our audio interview. “But I learned that a diagnosis isn’t a death sentence. It’s a wake-up call.” 

Now 25, Jada works as a health educator and outreach specialist with a Miami-based nonprofit, leading interactive workshops across schools, youth centers, and college campuses. Her sessions are anything but boring—featuring skits, memes, and open-floor discussions that invite young people to talk back. 

Her latest infographic breaks down the symptoms, myths, and transmission facts of both common and overlooked STDs like trichomoniasis and Mycoplasma genitalium. It's designed in bold, vibrant colors and reflects the questions she hears most during her sessions: Can you get STDs from oral? What if my partner doesn’t show symptoms? 

Dr. Amara Joseph, a public health coordinator who’s partnered with Jada on youth education initiatives, says her approach is relatable and revolutionary. “Jada connects data to emotion. She talks with young people, not at them,” Dr. Joseph explains. 

That connection is rooted in lived experience. After her college diagnosis—and the heartbreak of being ghosted by herpartner—Jada decided to become the voice she once needed. She joined a community health initiative, got certified in sex-ed programming, and started her Instagram series, Let’s Talk About It, which now reaches thousands. 

Jada recently helped secure monthly free STD testing at two youth centers, and her team is developing a text-based Q&A line where students can get judgment-free answers anonymously.