What's New
May 28, 2010
Save the Date: 8:30am - 1:00pm Friday, May 28, 2010 for
Project Respect Presents a Call to Action
Project Respect is a partnership between United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee (UNCOM) and the Medical College of Wisconsin, which aims to reduce teen dating & sexual violence in Milwaukee’s urban youth population.
1 in 3 teenagers have experienced violence in a dating relationship, but you can change this statistic. Come to this great free event at Milwaukee Area Technical College, with lunch included, to find out how.
Featuring:
Arnold Perkins, Former Director, Alameda County Public Health Department & Carmen Pitre, Co-Executive Director, Sojourner Family Peace Center
* Best Practice Discussion Groups
* Peer Facilitated Prevention Programming
* Staff Development - Teen Dating/Sexual Violence Prevention
* Building Community - Academic Partnerships
* Parent Engagement & Views on Teen Dating/Sexual Violence
* Selecting a Prevention Curriculum for Your Youth-Serving Program
* Teen Dating/Sexual Violence Prevention Resources
RSVPs are required, but official Invitations will be sent in March.
Please email Susan Lacke or call Deb Bretl: 414-266-2090 with any questions.
Click here to learn more about Project Respect online.
May 5, 2010
Save the Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 for
the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Plans for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy's ninth annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy are gearing up! We know many of you are already planning your activities for this exciting event.
The purpose is to focus the attention of teens on the importance of avoiding teen pregnancy & other serious consequences of sex. Hopefully it'll help teens think carefully about contraception and the lifelong challenges of being a parent.
The success of the National Day depends on our ability to engage teens nationwide to visit StayTeen.org, on the National Day & throughout the month of May, to participate in a number of online activities, including the popular National Day Quiz, that delivers teen pregnancy prevention messages & challenges them to think carefully about what they might do "in the moment."
As you begin to organize events & activities for the National Day, please let them know about your plans so that they can share them with others and let them know about all the good things going on.
They'll collect & post ideas in the 2010 National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Activities section of their website for others to read about, learn from & perhaps implement in their own communities.
Send a summary of your planned activities to: mrosst@thenc.org
Click here if you'd like more tips for promoting the National Day.
March 30, 2010
Sojourner Family Peace Center's Ending Violence through Education
2010 Topic Night: The Dangers of Technology: Don’t be a Victim
Come to this workshop to understand the various forms of technology (computers, cell phones etc.) that may put you in danger. Learn technology privacy tips & safety planning for you or someone you know who is in danger. Gain the knowledge you need to feel safe using technology!
All Interested Atendees Must Register!
Click here to register by e-mail or call: (414) 276-1911 & ask to speak with Rachel or Joly. Make sure to specify which date(s) you would like to attend.
All Topic Nights are educational opportunities that are free & open to the public at: 1400 N. 6th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212.
Click here to check their website for more monthly Topic Night events.
Click here to find them on facebook & become a fan.
If you or someone you know needs help please call:
- 24-hour Crisis Hotline: (414) 933-2722
- Advocacy and Legal Support: (414) 276-1911
- Restraining Order Clinic: (414) 278-5079
- Beyond Abuse-Batterer’s Intervention: (414) 643-4799
Click here If you are a parent who needs more information on talking to your kids about sex & technology.
March 19, 2010
Call for Proposals Due March 19, 2010 for:
Healthy Teen Network's 2010 National Conference
Mark your calendars for the Healthy Teen Network's 31st Annual National Conference: A Time of Opportunity: Engaging Communities in Supporting Healthy Youth & Young Families.
The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, TX, October 26 - 29, 2010.
It'll attract hundreds of professionals who work on behalf of adolescents & their children to reduce teen pregnancy, promote positive decisions regarding sexuality & reproductive issues, ensure healthy pregnancies and support teen parents to raise healthy children.
You're invited to share your expertise at this multi-disciplinary conference.
Please click here to visit the Healthy Teen Network web site for further details & to complete the application online. The deadline to submit a proposal is March 19, 2010 at 5 pm EST.
If you have any questions about the conference or this application, please call Rita Lassiter at (410) 685-0410 or email her.
March 10, 2010
National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) is the 5th annual nationwide initiative celebrated on March 10, to raise awareness of the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on women & girls.
Every 35 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in the U.S. About 1 in 4 Americans living with HIV are women. Women of color are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for Black women ages 25-34.
There are many ways you can take action in response to HIV/AIDS:
- Get tested for HIV!
- Practice safer methods to prevent HIV.
- Decide not to engage in high risk behaviors.
- Talk about HIV prevention with family, friends, colleagues & clients.
- Provide support to people living with HIV/AIDS.
- Get involved with or host an event to raise awareness in your community.
For additional help with event planning in your community, media outreach & partnerships, contact Elizabeth Osborn, the NWGHAAD activity outreach coordinator at 202-842-3600 ext. 245 or email her.
Click here from more information.
Click here to find a clinic.
March 8, 2010
International Women's Day
International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the economic, political & social achievements of women past, present and future.
Annually on March 8th, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women & celebrate achievements.
A global web of rich & diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities & networking events to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades etc.
The IWD 2010 global United Nation's theme is "Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All".
Make a difference, think globally & act locally! Make everyday International Women's Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls & women is bright, equal, safe & rewarding.
Click here for more information from the IWD website.
Click here for a list of nationwide events from IWD.
Click here to view their page on facebook.
March 7, 2010
Teens Talk of Bodies, Souls: Sex has Big Consequences, Faith-based Program Teaches
Teenagers gathered at Cross Lutheran Church last week & the conversation got real- real fast. They talked about puberty and body changes, the in-your-face sexual imagery on television & online, and what it means to be created in the likeness of God. Then one girl cut to the chase: "If I love my boyfriend and we have sex, is it a sin? Will I still go to heaven, or am I damned to hell?"
The ensuing exchange, a probing & spirited discussion of conscience & consequences, is exactly what Lutheran youth minister Venice Williams hoped for when she offered to lead a Lenten series on Keeping it Real, the faith-based sex-education program geared toward African-American teens.
Cross Lutheran is among a number of predominantly black congregations in Milwaukee that are re-exploring the Scripture-based curriculum, developed in 1997, by the nonprofit Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice's Black Church Initiative.
At least 30 people from 8 congregations have been trained to lead the courses over the last year, and a new June session is expected to draw 25 more. The Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice is awaiting word on a $28,000 grant that would allow Williams to offer the sessions at churches that want it.
Rev. John R. Walton, pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, who also chairs the United Way of Greater Milwaukee(UWGM)'s Faith Community Committee said, "The faith community has a fundamental role in reducing teen pregnancy." He fueled interest in Keeping It Real, when he challenged other religious leaders in a Journal Sentinel editorial to address sex-education issues head on. "The church cannot continue to be in denial about an issue that is not going away," Walton said.
The renewed push grew out of a 2006 study by UWGM that linked teen pregnancy to a variety of social ills, from poverty & crime to high infant mortality rates & low academic achievement. Among its findings: Despite a decline in teen births among certain groups or ages locally, Milwaukee had one of the highest rates overall in the nation, and among the highest for African-American teens. In 2008, African-American girls ages 15 to 17 were nearly four times as likely as their white counterparts to give birth, according to the Milwaukee Health Department.
One of the strategies that grew out of the report was an effort to engage faith leaders in pregnancy prevention initiatives, said Nicole Angresano, vice president for community impact for the United Way, which has sponsored the Keeping it Real training.
"The idea is to help churches, synagogues, mosques engage their congregations in discussions about healthy relationships. Not all are going to talk about safe sex or condoms, but they may talk about dating violence or love and self-respect. We're trying to meet congregations where they are." she said.
At Cross Lutheran Church, where Williams is leading the class, everything's open for discussion, from abstinence to sexually transmitted diseases and birth control. "If it's not, then it's not keeping it real," said Williams.
Williams decided to launch Keeping it Real during Lent rather than wait for the potential funding. "Do I wait for a paycheck to do this? While we're waiting, young people are making choices every day about whether they're going to engage in sexual activity," she said.
"The reality is if we do not teach about responsible sexual choices, then generation after generation will continue to bring forth children they are not in any way prepared to raise."
Click here to read the full article at the Journal Sentinel online.
Click here to learn more about the United Way of Greater Milwaukee's Faith Community Committee
March 1, 2010
Blue Biology: Women, Economics, and Family Values
Tighter finances make it hard not to get pregnant. The reduction in teen births in the 90s was fueled partially by more reliable contraceptives, but the new techniques, such as Depo-Provera & other injectables, are more expensive than condoms from the local drugstore. Guttmacher reported last fall that 23% of women were having a harder time affording birth control.
An acceleration of the trends of the last 30 years is predicted, which will produce more family-based inequality in the U.S. Fifty years ago, American family lives did not differ much based on class or region.
Today, as the authors discuss in their book: Red Families v. Blue Families, the part of the country identified with what we call “the Blue Family Paradigm” has embraced a new family strategy geared to the needs of the post-industrial economy, emphasizing the importance of women’s as well as men’s workforce participation, egalitarian gender roles & the delay of family formation until both parents are emotionally and financially ready.
The Red Family Paradigm, associated with the Bible Belt, the mountain west & rural America, rejects these new family norms & has fought instead to reinstill marriage-based values. In this world, teen childbirth is the necessary deterrent to premarital sex, marriage is a sacred undertaking between a man & a woman, and divorce is society’s greatest moral challenge.
The changing economy is rapidly eliminating the stable, blue collar jobs that have supported young families, and early marriage & childbearing derail the education needed to prosper. The result is that in the areas that are most committed to traditional values, they also have the highest divorce & teen pregnancy rates, and provide the least support for access to contraception and abortion. In these regions, where overall fertility has remained high, teen pregnancy rates are continuing to rise.
The U.S. has the highest unintended pregnancy rates in the developed world. Last year, the Wall Street Journal celebrated the release of a new National Center for Health Statistics report that showed for the 1st time in 40 years, the average age of first birth fell for women from 25.2 in 2005 to 25.0 in 2006.
An in depth analysis shows that increasing teen births concentrated in the poorest states was a significant factor fueling the increase, and the overall effect was to increase the percentage of American children locked into poverty.
Click here to read the full post from part of an ongoing discussion of women & economic issues hosted by the Roosevelt Institute's New Deal 2.0 blog, where they discuss how the Great Recession has exposed the fault lines of traditional family values.
March 1, 2010
Revisiting 'The Gloucester 18'
Two years after a dramatic spike in teen pregnancies at Gloucester High School (GHS) began to draw local attention, and 20 months after a global media circus descended upon the city, on reports of an alleged "pregnancy pact", a 3rd film about the saga is headed for a premiere Thursday.
In contrast to the fictionalized Lifetime film "The Pregnancy Pact", this independent documentary is drawing praise from health officials.
"What we saw in the film was the true spectrum of what happens in teen pregnancy," said Dr. Brian Orr, who directed GHS's health clinic as the 2007-2008 pregnancy spike unfolded. "What played out here is not the pregnancy pact, but the reality of what happens with teen pregnancies," he said. "It's not a pretty picture."
Former Gloucester Times reporter Kristen Grieco produces the documentary. It includes interviews with several of the teens, parents & friends, and updates on the young families.
"Others can take a lesson from this episode in Gloucester & get away from excuses that birth control is dangerous, which is an adult excuse," said Orr. "Let's have a real conversation and try to get a systemic approach to the problem." "The really interesting thing was the universal lessons you could learn out of Gloucester about teen pregnancy." said Grieco
Orr said he believes the movie could have a place with pregnancy prevention programs. He talked about the impact on the next generation: "When you look at long-term statistics of children of teenagers, the girls are more likely to be teenage mothers & the boys of teenage mothers have a higher rate of incarceration. This is probably due to parenting & relationship issues." "These teen mothers don't have parenting skills to navigate their teens through their teenage years. They didn't navigate themselves through teenage years." "A lot of these young women had teen mothers, because of that, the risk is there.
"The other part we have to recognize," he added, "is that we are seeing a rise in teen pregnancy across the country in the past two years, and this is the tail end of abstinence only programs across the country. It's unfair to single out Gloucester." The pregnancy numbers at GHS were lower than many other places, noting that urban schools can have upward of 70 pregnancies anually.
Click here to read the full article from the Gloucester Daily Times.
Click here to go to "The Gloucester 18" web page.
Click here to find their page on facebook.
March 2010
Healthy Teen Network Launches their
New Online Evidence-Based Resource Center
With more than $100 million federal dollars coming out this fiscal year for communities to implement evidence-based or innovative programs to reduce teen pregnancy, now is the time for your organization to prepare to submit a successful application.
From the Healthy Teen Network (HTN)'s customized trainings & technical assistance to their online resources, HTN can help you prepare for this funding.
Click here for more information & to visit HTN's Evidence-Based Resource Center today!
March 2010
March is National Women's History Month
The theme for National Women's History Month (NWHM) 2010 is: Writing Women Back into History. In celebration of the 30th Anniversary, they'll highlight themes from previous years.
The history of women seems to be written with invisible ink. Even when recognized in their own times, women are often excluded from the history books. Women of color and women in math, science & art are more often omitted.
The limited inclusion of women's accomplishments deprives girls & young women of viable female role models. Each new generation needs to draw information & inspiration from the last.
NWHM provides an excellent venue to recognize and celebrate women's historic achievements as well as an opportunity to honor women within our families & communities.
What will you do to celebrate National Women's History Month?
Click here for suggestions on getting ready to celebrate NWHM in your community.
Click here to download a NWHM brochure.
Click here for more information from the National Women's History Project (NWHP).
Click here to find their page on facebook.
Click here to help make this special anniversary memorable with a 30th Anniversary Campaign Donation to the NWHP. Continued financial support is needed for this special campaign & to help ensure that women don't find themselves once again written out of history.
March 2010
March is National Endometriosis Awareness Month
The goal of the 8th annual National Endometriosis Awareness Month is to raise awareness of this chronic disease.
The Endometriosis Research Center (ERC) celebrates disease awareness in honor of women & girls living with this painful illness. They're sponsoring educational, awareness & fundraising endeavors throughout March.
Endometriosis is a reproductive & immunological illness affecting over 5.5 million of women and girls in the U.S. & Canada. Mistakenly stigmatized as merely painful periods, Endometriosis is far more than just "killer cramps".
Common symptoms include: fatigue, infertility, painful sexual intercourse, intense pain before & during the menstrual cycle, painful urination & bowel movements during menstrual cycle, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, allergies, chemical sensitivities and frequent yeast infections.
The ERC is an International leader in raising Endometriosis awareness; providing education, encouragement & empowerment to all those living with this illness; facilitating global Endometriosis research efforts; and more.
There are many ways in which the ERC can help you, whether you are a patient, loved one, physician, researcher or media contact.
They're dedicated to improving the quality of life for those with Endometriosis, but also to continuing our important work with clinicians & researchers worldwide to find more effective treatments for the disease and ultimately, the cure. Learn more today!
Click here for details, or email the ERC's Director of Fundraising, Denise Childs.
Click here to find them on facebook.
We also have an Endometriosis Association here in Milwaukee.
Click here to check out their website.
March 2010
March is Vulva Awareness Month
Vulva cancer has been referred to as "the Cinderella of gynecologic oncology" because of the vast neglect paid to it. There is something so personal about the vulva that makes it difficult to talk about with one's friends, partner or even health care provider.
The exact cause of vulval cancer is unknown, but there are risk factors: chronic inflammatory vulval disorders, benign inflammatory conditions, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection, advanced age, smoking & environmental factors.
Women may have early infections or precancerous growths, but may not be aware of changes in the vulva until the disease advances.
If caught early, your Doctor can better treat, as well as prevent the spread of infection or growths on the vulva. The key is early detection!
A simple self exam is the most important habit you can start, to notice important changes, which need to be reported & discussed with your Dr.
All women who are sexually active, or women who aren't sexually active but are over 18 years old should be doing a self exam monthly.
Click here to visit GAIN, the Gynaecological Awareness Information Network Inc. where they have a useful page with tips just for girls.
Click here for an informative brochure on self exams.
Click here to find a clinic.
Click here to read more from the Vulva Health Awareness Campaign. They have another brochure you can download, along with a video you can watch.
Click here to visit their group on facebook.
March 2010
March is National Talk with Your Teen about Sex Month
The purpose of this commemoration is to encourage parents & care takers to provide their teenage children with current information and open lines for communication. The goal is to reduce misinformation & guide teenagers toward making responsible decisions regarding sex.
Statistics tell us that more teens are becoming sexually active earlier, but most teenagers are incredibly ignorant about their own bodies & sexual feelings.
Much of what they learn about sex comes from TV, music, movies & friends. They often tragically confuse the concepts of sex, love & intimacy. Our young people certainly deserve better!
Parents & guardians need to equip teenagers with the knowledge that will enable them to make sound choices & take responsibility for their own sexuality.
Unfortunately, many parents are reluctant to do this for fear that the knowledge of this information will cause their children to become sexually active. The opposite is true!
- Parents are the primary sexuality educators for their children.
- Strengthening parent/child communication is essential.
- It's important for parents to express their family's beliefs & values, in an age appropriate manner, about relationships, sex & sexuality.
Make sure your child is equipped with the knowledge to make responsible decisions about sex in the future. Start the Conversation!
Click here for more information from Parenting Without Pressure on how to get talking.
Click here for Parents' Sex Ed Center, an extensive site with many tips, fact sheets & articles for parents from Advocates for Youth.
Please see above, to order a Let's Talk! Family Communication Toolkit. It's full of tips on talking with your children of all ages & includes suggested materials on what to talk about.
Also, please see the articles below: Parents - Have You Had "The Talk"? & Breaking the Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy, for more help on talking with kids about sex.
February 27, 2010
Bristol Palin on Teen Motherhood: Will Youth Get the Message?
Bristol Palin evokes mixed feelings, but teen moms do for most people. You want to be supportive & encouraging to a teenage mother, to reassure her that, although it will be challenging, she and her baby can still have a great life, but you ache for how hard it will be for her. "We support a teen's choice to raise her child," we say. "If only it hadn't happened!," we think.
Teen motherhood is a topic very much in the news today. The U.S. has the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the developed world. Annually, the CDC estimates that 750,000 girls 15-19 will give birth.
Seeing an audience, ABC created the drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager (SLAT). MTV produced the reality shows 16 and Pregnant (please see below to learn more about the series) & Teen Moms, which follows last year's cast of 16 and Pregnant.
In a Quick Take from the Los Angeles Times, it was announced that the young Ms. Palin will be making an appearance on SLAT:
"Bristol Palin, whose unplanned pregnancy became a national news story that engulfed her mother's vice presidential campaign in 2008, is bringing her experience as a teen mom to bear on the small screen. ABC Family announced that Bristol, the oldest daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, will play herself on an episode of the drama, about a teenager who becomes pregnant. The episode will air this summer & will feature 19 year old Palin as a friend of Amy (Shailene Woodley) attending a music program for teen mothers."
Some say that these shows exploit the topic of teen motherhood, but what's a more effective way to get through to teenagers about the consequences of teenage sex? Even MTV's trying, with its own StayTeen.org, to get the message to teenagers in a relatable way.
"A fictional TV drama may be more effective in persuading young women to use birth control than a news-format program.", according to a new study by researchers at Ohio State University & the University of California, Santa Barbara. (Please check out the post below-Teaching Safe Sex on TV: Drama Can Be More Persuasive Than News.)
Back to Bristol Palin: she's trying to walk the line between “my son is so wonderful” & “my life is so hard”. She became an "abstinence ambassador" for Candies (the purveyor of sexually charged advertising). Then she announced that she won't have sex again until she gets married.
There's a disconnect between her message & the fact that she, unlike other teen moms, has actually found a way to make money from her situation.
To her credit, her words are blunt: "If girls realized the consequences of having sex, nobody would be having sex. Trust me, nobody," she told People. "Girls need to imagine & picture their life with a screaming newborn baby and then think before they have sex." Missing the prom "kind of sucked." & "This is my full-time job now. My life comes second now."
If kids won’t believe adults, maybe they'll listen to Bristol.
Click here to read the full article from New Jersey On-Line.
February 24, 2010
Victory: Healthy Youth Act Signed Into Law by Governor Doyle Today!
How wonderful to see comprehensive sex ed become law!
The controversial Healthy Youth Act requires schools that teach sex education, do so in a responsible, comprehensive manner that includes information about abstinence, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy prevention strategies, such as birth control & condom use.
They would also have to explain to students they could face criminal charges for having sex with those under 16.
Parents could remove their children from sex ed classes, as they can now. Schools could decide not to have a sex education program, but they would have to notify parents.
Pro-life groups & conservative politicians warn that some school districts will drop sex ed if they are forced to teach about STDs & safe sex practices.
Democrats argued that abstinence-only programs have caused high rates of teen pregnancies & STIs. "Study after study has shown that abstinence-only education does not work," Doyle said.
Thank you to all of the other coalition partners & to everyone who worked so hard to get it passed!
Click here to learn more about the Healthy Youth Act from Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.
Click here to find their group on facebook.
February 23, 2010
"16 and Pregnant", MTV Portrays the Harsh, Annoying Realities of Teen Pregnancy
MTV's "16 and Pregnant" is a documentary series on the controversial subject of teen pregnancy. Episodes follow a 5-7 month period in the life of a teenager as she navigates the bumpy terrain of adolescence, growing pains, rebellion & coming of age; all while dealing with being pregnant.
Each story offers a unique look into the wide variety of challenges pregnant teens face: marriage, adoption, religion, gossip, finances, rumors among the community, graduating high school, getting (or losing) a job. Faced with incredibly adult decisions, they're forced to sacrifice their teenage years & their high school experiences.
"16 and Pregnant", airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Central.
Click here to learn more about the show from MTV.
Click here to find their page on facebook.
Click here to check out the "16 & Pregnant" discussion guides to talk about hard-hitting teen pregnancy issues with your friends & family. You can also catch up & view full episodes from both seasons!
The media is buzzing about the controversial series:
Cable networks claim their trashtastic reality shows are documentaries, but almost none deliver. "16 and Pregnant" offers a remarkably clear look at the personal & social cost of teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy has a way of bringing out natural drama, with the accompanying sexual, financial & psychological implications.
There can be no better propaganda for condom use by sexually active teens than the behavior of some of these teen fathers. Hopefully teen girls watching take the paternal abandonment to heart & insist on always using protection.
Episodes are specific & universal. Some of the teens are smart, some are stupid, some are rich, some are poor, but they're all too young & too unprepared for something so consequential as a child.
The show is produced with great intelligence, sensitivity & respect. It's impossible to watch and not feel for these families, as well as learn something substantial about modern society & personal choice.
Click here to read the full article at E!Online.
Back for its 2nd season, because the 1st didn't scare enough teens into celibacy, “16 and Pregnant” sums up 9 months of confusion, ill-preparedness & demands for paternity tests.
The show’s 1st season featured strong teenage girls who decided to birth their babies as the whole world watched them grow physically & as more mature mothers.
MTV’s show is making a few statements distinct from season 1. Instead of displaying the hardships of teen moms, season 2 focuses on how much it sucks to be the baby, providing a different view to deter teen moms from thinking they can handle the pressure.
One of the new teen moms, Jenelle, is a prime example of how much a they lose, like partying with friends, “me time” & going to the beach.
It provides a realistic look into how teen pregnancy isn’t just learning to work life around a baby. It isn’t just being able to tell mom before the bump comes or making the baby daddy put a ring on it. It’s living at home with mom & dad and it means not being a kid anymore.
Click here to read the full article from The Michigan Daily.
February 19, 2010
Life, Interrupted - A Baby Changes Everything:
The True Cost of Teen Pregnancy -
Teen Couple Faces Tall Odds in a Town Where Life is Already a Struggle
Nate Howell, 19, has about 76 days to adjust to his new reality. He is due to become a parent with his girlfriend, Samantha Keith, who just turned 17.
"It scares the living hell out of me,” Nate says, who's working at a pork-packing plant in his hometown, Elkhart, Ind.
Nate is 1 of 5 members of the class of 2009 whom msnbc.com has been following as part of The Elkhart Project. After high school (h.s.), Nate had hoped to go to college and play football but didn't get a financial scholarship.
Now, facing parenthood, he & Samantha are in a tough spot, one that tends to come with a high price.
Research shows that people who have children in their teens are less likely to get a h.s. diploma or go on to college. They tend to earn less in the working world & children born to these teens struggle to keep up with their peers. For many, beating back poverty becomes the overriding concern.
“The data is overwhelming that teen pregnancy has a negative impact on education & employment,” says James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, a Washington, D.C.,-based nonprofit. “While that is a problem during any economic cycle, it becomes even more of a negative during a recession.”
Click here to read the full article from msnbc.com.
Click here to watch the video: Expecting a Baby, at 19.
February 16, 2010
Parents - Have You Had "The Talk"?
Did you know that, in the US, 1 in 5 girls become pregnant before the age of 20? Teen pregnancy is a huge issue facing American youth.
Research shows that preaching abstinence does not work, yet many parents fear that by providing sex education to their children, through discussions of birth control, STDs, sex & masturbation, that they are condoning sex. This is simply not true!
Studies reveal that children whose parents openly discuss sex delay intercourse at rates similar to those teens being told to be abstinent.
Additionally, when parents talk to their teenagers about sex & safe sex choices before they have sex for the 1st time, the teens are much more likely to use contraception during their 1st sexual experience.
The lesson parents & caregivers: your words do matter, so talk to your kids!
Click here to read the full article.
Click here to Share Your Story: Have You Spoken to Your Teen About Birth Control?
Click here for more information on Teen Birth Control: Teen Pregnancy Prevention & Contraception Decision-Making
See below for helpful tips on talking with youth about sex.
February 15, 2010
Breaking the Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy
Breaking the cycle of teenage pregnancy has been a challenge the City of San Antonio has faced for years.
Joann Galvan a teenage mom talked about her life as a pregnant teenager. She was 17 when her mom found out she was pregnant.
20 years later, Joann's talking about the challenges she faced, saying she was determined to make sure her daughter would one day graduate from high school without getting pregnant.
Joann believes her talks with her daughter made all the difference. She broke the cycle. Her daughter is now 20 and attends A&M.
Click here to read the full article & watch WOAI-4 interview Joann about breaking the cycle.
Metro Health, Mario Martinez, is the Program Manager for Project Worth, a city program that encourages teens to put off having sex & having babies too early.
Martinez says communicating with your child is key & having the sex talk with them more than once will help them make better choices.
Martinez adds, " It's an ongoing conversation that should start at a very young age."
To help parents, Project Worth has put together a free book: "Talking to Your Children about Sex."
It's available in both English & Spanish.
Click here to obtain or read a copy of the book.
February 15, 2010
Health Education Ignores Sexuality
Teens are becoming complacent about sex, because adults don’t talk to them about it. Parent-child communication is essential. Parents need to talk about their personal values to enable their children to develop their own.
Many parents feel ill-informed about the various aspects of sexuality & reproductive health, which is why it is vital that our schools provide students, in an age-appropriate manner, with the basic facts and with the skills to avoid risky sexual behavior.
The U.S. National Health Education Standards provide broad guidelines for states to develop their own state-specific curricula. It would be reasonable to assume that state performance standards would then reflect not only current educational & health research, but also local health concerns. That’s not the case.
Growth & development aren't discussed after 2nd grade. What happened to puberty education? Too many children reach puberty unprepared. They need this instruction before they are in the middle of it!
Since the new standards omit such cornerstones of sex education as the human reproductive system & puberty, it really should not come as a surprise that pregnancy is not mentioned at all.
According to the latest CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 33% of 9th graders in the U.S. have already had sexual intercourse & by 12th grade 65% have had sex. A recent CDC report found that sexually transmitted infections continue to increase among young adults.
When the state standards finally talks about sex, the kids are already in high school and the only example of risk-reduction mentioned is abstinence. Abstinence-only education may impact delaying sexual activity among the very young teens. For high school students, it will be too late.
A 2009 CDC report summarizing research on sexual risk reduction interventions finds “insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of group-based abstinence education.”
The health performance standards need to be revised. Educators, parents & health professionals need to contact the Department of Education.
Our children will make up their own minds about sex. If we, as adults, want to be part of that process and not leave it to media, Internet & peers, we have to talk to our kids about sex, at home and in school.
Click here to read the full article from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
February 11, 2010
Out on the Street:
A Quarter of Milwaukee’s Homeless Youth are LGBT
A recent study: "State of Youth Homelessness: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Homeless Youth in Milwaukee, WI" released from the Cream City Foundation last month, states that about a 1/4 of homeless youth in Milwaukee are LGBT.
Their reports indicate that there may be up to 400 homeless youth on the streets in the Milwaukee area on any given night. Currently there are only 16 emergency shelter beds for runway & homeless youth.
"This problem appears to be growing. As societal acceptance of LGBT people has increased, people are coming out at younger ages and encountering rejection from their families."
“Within 72 hrs of a young person being homeless, they are more likely to engage in survival sex as a means of getting their basic needs met." says Lisa Gumm, youth shelter program manager at Pathfinders, which provides outreach & support services to homeless youth.
"Homeless gay & lesbian youth experience an average of 7.4 more acts of sexual violence than their heterosexual peers, twice the rates of sexual victimization and LGBT youth report double the rates of sexual abuse before age 12."
This can very easily turn into a teen pregnancy issue.
As a step in combating this issue, a coalition of agencies started the Q-Block Young Adults’ Housing Initiative. Q-Block has the potential to provide independent living options to 25 youth in Milwaukee during the 1st year of operation.
Many of our young adults have no family to sustain & nurture them... The initiative has funding available to aid 25 youth, but currently there are only 9 sponsors. Can you help?
The next Q-Blok orientation training will be at 6pm, Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. They are being held every last Wednesday of the month.
Click here to read more about the initiative.
To apply, for more information &/or questions please email Julie Bock, Milwaukee LGBT Community Center Director of Programs, or call 414.292.3070.
Click here to read more about the shocking plight of LGBT homeless youth in Wisconsin, in the latest issue of the Wisconsin Gazette.
February 10, 2010
Lady Gaga & Cyndi Lauper Team Up For HIV/AIDS Research
With her songs at the top of the charts & on iPods everywhere, Lady Gaga is at the peak of pop stardom. She's joining with a music diva from another era, Cyndi Lauper, to shine a glittery light on a serious issue - the effect of HIV-AIDS on women around the world.
The singers champion M-A-C's "Viva Glam" program to fight HIV/AIDS in women. The M-A-C AIDS Fund gets support from money raised from the sale of Viva Glam lipstick and lip gloss.
Appearing on "Good Morning America" this morning, the duo said M-A-C's VIVA GLAM program has already raised more than $150 million to combat the disease!
'This lipstick represents you protecting yourself, having safe sex and remembering to have loving, monogamous relationships to protect you & those around you,'" Lady Gaga said.
"The highest new rates of infection are in women 17-24 & women 39-60", Lauper said.
"It is like Boy Scouts, their motto is my motto. Be prepared. Always be prepared. You know the heat of the moment, I understand that, but it's not worth your life" Lauper said.
Lady Gaga said one reason she is supporting this campaign is because not enough women are educated about HIV & AIDS and how quickly it is spreading.
What a great engaging way to open the door to talking about HIV/AIDS with youth!
Click here to watch the video.
Click here to read the full article.
They sat down with ABC's Diane Sawyer for a conversation you don't want to miss. Lady Gaga explains what she learned in Catholic school about safe sex.
Click here to listen to their conversation as Diane Sawyer chats with the entertainers about HIV-AIDS awareness.
Click here for part two of the video.
February 8, 2010
Teaching Safe Sex on TV: Drama Can Be More Persuasive Than News
"How do you persuade teenagers & young adults to practice safe sex? Surprisingly, the answer may be found in the same place many parents blame for irresponsible messages." - Lisa Beck, New York Times
A fictional TV drama may be more effective in persuading young women to use birth control than a news-format program, according to a new study by researchers at Ohio State University & the University of California, Santa Barbara.
“A message hidden in a story may overcome the resistance people have to being told how to behave,” Moyer-Gusé said, which was the same idea behind the fake movie trailer 2028.
1/2 watched a news format profiling male & female teen parents, with the message that teen pregnancy makes life harder. The others watched an episode of The OC, with high-school students facing the difficult consequences of an unintended pregnancy.
All were unaffected by the news-format program, but the women who watched The OC were more likely to plan on taking steps to prevent pregnancy.
Men responded differently to The OC. They were less likely to follow birth control practices than before, because men reported they didn’t like the program as much as women did, and didn’t identify with the characters.
Viewers who identified with the characters felt more vulnerable to an unplanned pregnancy, which led to greater intentions to use birth control. “One of the reasons why some people avoid safer sex behaviors is because they have an unrealistic optimistic bias that nothing bad will ever happen” she said.
Persuasive messages might be better received if people are wrapped up in a story, Moyer-Gusé cautions that it isn’t always that simple. As the different reactions showed, a lot depends on the individual viewers & not just the message.
Click here to read the full article from Newswise.
Click here to read Lisa Beck's blog: Motherload: Adventures in Parenting.
February 3, 2010
How to Talk about Sex:
The Importance of Parent-Child Communication about Sexuality
For some it's a touchy topic, too hot to handle for many parents. Experts agree that parents need to & the majority of teens prefer their parents to be their primary sexual health educators. Studies show when parents have talked to teens about sex, they're less likely to engage in risky behavior. If you're not talking, it can mean trouble.
Dr. Stephanie Eken is a pediatrician & a child psychiatrist who recommends that parents begin early by changing their lingo: "Those[penis and vagina] are all normal anatomical terms that are appropriate just like we call our nose our nose, and our lips our lips."
If you don't start using the correct words for human anatomy, some kindergarten teachers will. With parental consent, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Human Growth and Development Curriculum teaches kids to use the right terms for their body parts, because it gives them respect for & demystifies their private parts.
PEARLS for Teen Girls, Inc. is a dynamic & innovative non-profit leadership development organization serving at-risk, primarily African American & Latina girls, ages 10-19. They were featured in this news segment for the outstanding work they do in Milwaukee. PEARLS helps girls achieve in school, avoid teen pregnancy & use their personal power to achieve their goals and dreams.
PEARLS administers Making Proud Choices!: A Safer-Sex Approach to HIV/STDs & Teen Pregnancy Prevention to 5 MPS middle schools. This curriculum was chosen by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and is endorsed by the United Way of Greater Milwaukee, as a “Program That Works”.
Dr. Eken urges parents to talk to their kids about sex prior to middle school. "Because you have 6th graders who are new to middle school, but you have 8th graders who may even have sexual intercourse at that point.
So how do you say it? Explain it simply & share your values. If they don't' want to talk about it, give them a little space. Don't forget to go back and check in with them. If your child isn't comfortable talking with you, there might be a trusted family member or pediatrician they can talk with.
Remember it's about their health, not only possible pregnancy, but STD/Is too.
A child's actions depend greatly on yours. Don't be indecisive, be brave & start talking!
Click here for more information about this topic or anything related to your child's development.
Click here to read the full article &/or watch the newscast.
February 2, 2010
Policy Alert: Update on Obama's Proposed Budget for 2011
President Obama submitted to Congress today his budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2011, kicking off the annual federal budget & appropriations cycle.
The budget request includes $129.22 million in discretionary funds for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Initiative, a $19.22 million increase over the FY 2010 appropriations level! The President's budget also requests $50 million in mandatory funds to states for TPP activities. The President's budget proposes to spend $4 million of current funds from a larger evaluation funding source on TPP evaluation.
The President's budget for the recently re-constituted Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) is $750,000, an increase of $250,000 over FY 2010! OAH is the administering office for the TPP initiative.
The Adolescent Family Life (AFL) program, which funds demonstration projects providing care to expectant & parenting adolescents as well as research in care projects, is slated for level funding in FY 2011 at $16.658 million.
The Runaway & Homeless Youth Act, which includes funds for maternity group homes for homeless youth & young adults with children, is slated for level funding at $115.7 million.
In addition, Title V Maternal & Child Health Services Block Grant are slated for an increase of $11 million with a new funding level of $730 million in FY2011.
For additional details on proposed FY 2011 investments in adolescent pregnancy, parenting & prevention, view the congressional justification for the Department of Health and Human Services, General Department Management. Use the search feature in your PDF file reader to search "adolescent" and find pages (p. 63) within the document that address the above programs & accounts.
Stayed tuned to alerts from Healthy Teen Network for action opportunities to support or strengthen the President's budget request in the areas of adolescent & young adult pregnancy, parenting and prevention.
The United Way of Greater Milwaukee is eager to see these funds trickle down, so that we can help fund agencies in the community that are doing great work, providing services to youth like you!
February 2010
Engaging Youth...On Their Turf:
Creative Approaches to Connecting Youth through Community
This new publication from Healthy Teen Network focuses on how adolescent health professionals can utilize creative approaches to engaging youth in positive youth development.
The publication highlights 6 examples of programs that reach out to youth in non-traditional communities through parental engagement, athletics, service-learning, art, mentoring & youth empowerment approaches.
The publication provides some next steps for professionals to develop or adapt creative approaches like those described here in existing programs for youth.
Click here to download the file.
February, 2010
Guttmacher Advisory Evidence Check:
Review of a New Study on a Theory-Based Abstinence Program
Many articles & blogs have been buzzing about abstinence education working. The Guttmacher Institute did a very thorough look into the study:
An abstinence-only intervention of urban African-American students in grades 6 & 7, who were willing to take part in a health promotion project on weekends, delayed sexual initiation, in a recent study: “Efficacy of a Theory-Based Abstinence-Only Intervention Over 24 Months” by John B. Jemmott & colleagues.
While the program is the 1st abstinence-only intervention to demonstrate a positive impact, it wasn't a rigid "abstinence-only-until-marriage" program, which until this year, received significant federal funding.
It leaves intact the significant body of evidence showing that abstinence-only-until-marriage programming that met previous federal guidelines is ineffective.
Key findings
- The abstinence-only program was the only intervention in the study to significantly reduce sexual initiation.
- The comprehensive programs reduced the likelihood of multiple partners in the previous 3 months, which is important for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.
A very different kind of abstinence-only program
“The target behavior was abstaining from vaginal, anal & oral intercourse until a time later in life when the adolescent is more prepared to handle the consequences of sex.”
“The intervention didn't contain inaccurate information, portray sex in a negative light, or use a moralistic tone. The training & curriculum manual explicitly instructed the facilitators not to disparage the efficacy of condoms or allow the view that condoms are ineffective to go uncorrected.”
The importance of replication
“Whether the results would be similar with older adolescents, those of other races or in other countries is unclear.”
The importance of adapting to the changing needs of young people
- Adolescence is a time of rapid change. Sexual activity is rare among very young adolescents, but common later.
- The mean age of sexual initiation among U.S. youth is about 17.
- It's important to delay sexual initiation, but it's also important to prepare students for when they become sexually active, which more than 2/3 will have by 19.
- The program had a significant impact in delaying sexual initiation, but 1/3 of them had initiated sex 2 years later.
Click here to read the full report.
January 26, 2010
After Long Decline, Teenage Pregnancy Rate Rises
After more than a decade of declining teenage pregnancy, the national pregnancy rate among girls 15-19 increased 3% from 2005-2006. A turnaround likely to intensify the debate over federal financing for abstinence-only sex education.
The teenage abortion rate also crept up for the 1st time in more than a decade, rising 1% from 2005-2006, according to an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit research group.
"It's very disturbing," said Sarah Brown, of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "I think there are a lot of different factors at play, from less use of contraception, because of less fear of AIDS, to our anything-goes culture, where it's okay to get pregnant and have a baby in your teens."
While teenage pregnancy rates for whites remain far lower than for blacks & Hispanics, the pregnancy rates increased for all groups.
Some experts speculate that the rise in teenage pregnancy might be partly attributable to the $150 million a year of federal financing for sex education that emphasized abstinence until marriage, avoiding all mention of the possible benefits of contraception.
"This new study makes it clear that abstinence-only sex education for teenagers doesn't work," said Cecile Richards, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Lawrence Finer, director of domestic research for the Guttmacher Institute, said there was evidence that adolescent use of contraceptives had declined, adding that it was "an interesting coincidence" that this had happened just as the focus on abstinence-only education had left fewer students getting comprehensive sex education.
Click here to read the full article from The New York Times.
Click here for the full report “U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity.”
Click here for: Facts on American Teens’ Sexual and Reproductive Health.
January 25, 2010
One-Third of Teen Mothers Do Not Earn High School Diploma or GED
New Child Trends research finds that one in three (34%) young women who had been teen mothers did not earn a high school diploma or a GED, compared with only 6 percent of young women who had not had a teen birth. Among the other findings presented in a fact sheet entitled "Diploma Attainment Among Teen Mothers":
- Slightly more than half of teen mothers received a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 89% of young women who hadn't given birth during their teen years.
- A higher proportion of teen mothers earned a GED (15%) than did their counterparts who hadn't experienced a teen birth (5%).
- Younger teen mothers are less likely than older teen mothers to earn a diploma. Among young women who had a child before the age of 18, only 38% earned a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 60% of those who were 18-19 at the time that they had their 1st child.
- African-American teen mothers are more likely than Latino or Caucasian teen mothers to earn a diploma or GED by age 22. 2/3 of African-American women who had a child before the age of 18 earned either a high school diploma or GED, compared with 55% of Caucasian women & 46% of Latino women.
"Earning a high school diploma or GED reduces the risk of subsequent teen pregnancy, which has been linked to even poorer outcomes," said Kate Perper, M.P.P., lead author of the study. "Higher parental education is also linked to improved outcomes among children that may reduce their risk of early sexual activity & teen pregnancy, thus reducing intergenerational cycles of disadvantage."
Click here to read the full report.
January 20, 2010
The 3 Facebook Settings Every User Should Check Now
This is a helpful article warning about the dangers of sharing too much personal info on facebook & how to fix it.
While you may think these sorts of items aren't worth your time now, the next time you lose a job because the HR manager viewed your questionable facebook photos or saw something inappropriate a friend posted on your wall, you may think again. Why wait until something bad happens before you address the issue?
In December facebook made a series of bold & controversial changes regarding the nature of its users' privacy. Once known for protecting privacy to the point of exclusivity, now they seemingly want to compete with more open social networks like Twitter.
If you edited your privacy settings prior to December you have nothing to worry about, if you elected to keep your personalized settings when prompted by facebook's "transition tool".
The tool, a dialog box explaining the changes, appeared at the top of facebook homepages last month with its own selection of recommended settings. Unfortunately, most users chose the recommended settings, without understanding what they agreed to.
If you did, you may find that you gave them the right to publicize your private information including status updates, photos & links.
Want to change back? Click here to read the article & find out how.
Other resources on facebook's latest changes worth reading include: Make Use Of' 8 Steps Toward Regaining your Privacy, 17 steps to protect your privacy from Inside Facebook, the ACLU's article examining the changes & DotRights.org's comprehensive analysis of the new settings.
If you're unhappy enough to protest facebook's privacy update, you can sign the ACLU's petition. The FTC is also looking into the matter. Click here to add your voice to the list of complaints.
January 20, 2010
Sons of Teen Dads More Likely to Become One Too:
Sons Born to Teenage Fathers May End Up Following in Their Father's Footsteps
Although research has shown that girls whose mothers gave birth as teens are more likely than their peers to become teenage mothers themselves. Comparatively little has been known about the factors that matter in teen fatherhood.
Researchers from Yale, are now reporting that they found that sons of teenage fathers were 80% more likely to have a child before age 20, compared with their peers born to older fathers. The finding suggests that "something about teen fatherhood, itself, affects the likelihood of a son becoming a young dad".
African-American & Latino boys were roughly twice as likely as Caucasian boys to become teen fathers.
These findings support the need for pregnancy prevention interventions specifically designed for young males who may be at high risk for continuing this cycle. Interventions that address multiple levels of risk will likely be most successful at reducing pregnancies among partners of young men.
Click here to read the full article.
January 19, 2010
2028 - Can You Handle It?
Hear a Wisconsin mom's thoughts on 2028, along with her teen & preteen sons' reactions.
Thankfully it got their family talking & hopefully it will encourage your family to start talking as well!
It's never too early to begin the conversation, but it can definitely become too late...
Click here to read her blog.
January 18, 2010
Fake Movie Promotion (PSA) Punks Teens
2028 “Movie” Addresses Harsh Realities of Teen Pregnancy
After the premier this weekend, Milwaukee teens learned the truth. The 2028 movie isn’t real, but the twist is.
The fake flick, complete with official movie trailers, theater posters, soundtrack, website etc. is really a PSA about teen pregnancy in disguise.
When teens see the movie trailer for 2028, they will get the message that if they become pregnant as a teen today, the next 18 years of their life will never be the same.
The elaborate hoax focuses on sending teens a message about the harsh realities of teen pregnancy, which for some teens, stands in stark contrast to Hollywood’s often positive portrayal of teen pregnancy.
The bold effort, which is part of a long-running series of provocative communication tactics targeted to change teens’ perceptions about teen pregnancy in Milwaukee, was created by Serve Marketing in partnership with the United Way of Greater Milwaukee.
Milwaukee ranks 7th in the nation for births to teens & although sometimes controversial, ongoing Serve/United Way education efforts seem to be working as the City of Milwaukee Health Department recently announced that the city’s teen birth rate dropped for the second year in a row (a 10% decrease overall).
Click here to see the new trailer: 2028. It Finally Ends. on youtube.
Click here to become a fan of 2028 on facebook, or to view their page.
January 15, 2010
2028 Premiers!
Veteran Indie filmmaker Carlo Besasie (Cherry Tree, Wishtaker) exposes us to the grim realities of life, taking us on a suspenseful 18-year thrill ride through the disturbing life of one young woman who’s world gets turned upside down when she discovers a shocking secret.
Tormented by the demons of her past & burdened by a disturbing family development, Colleen Foy (There Will Be Blood) tries to make sense out of her newfound life, but a series of unfortunate events cause her world to spiral out of control.
The soundtrack is all local artists from Milwaukee, just as the film was shot entirely in Milwaukee!
Click here to go to the film's website.
December 18, 2009
Policy and Funding Update: Congress Approves
Funding for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs
The U.S. Senate passed its package of FY 2010 Appropriations bills, including the Labor HHS appropriations bill, which contains funding for a new teen pregnancy prevention initiative.
President Obama signed these bills into law on December 18th, at which point $100 million was made available for competitive grants to organizations in states and communities for evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs!
This is an exciting step forward in providing much-needed funding to states & communities for these critical programs.
This initiative is the first & only large scale federal investment dedicated to preventing teen pregnancy through proven, effective efforts.
Click here for more information about the initiative, and to read The National Campaign’s statement on this important legislation.
December 15, 2009
Gaps Found in Young People's Sex Knowledge
A survey of 1,800 people age 18-29 was conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
"What is surprising is just how wide the gap is between single young adults' intentions & behavior on this very important issue," said Bill Albert, chief program officer at the organization.
The discrepancy between both wanting to plan pregnancy & having unprotected sex may have something to do with a focus in recent years on abstinence-only education, said Laura Lindberg, senior research associate at the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute.
"Abstinence-only curriculums have gone explicitly out of their way to teach misconceptions about contraception," she said. "This generation of 20 somethings have missed many opportunities to get medically accurate & correct information."
Myths about pregnancy & sexual activity continue to permeate circles of youth: 2 condoms offer more protection than 1.
About half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned.
Study calls for more education on contraception & family planning, and more sex education for adults, given that about 1 in 5 participants said they never had sex education in school.
Parents can also play a big role in helping educate their children about these issues, Albert said.
Click here to read the full article from CNN.
December 9, 2009
MPS Committee Approves Condom Distribution!
After an hour and a half of spirited public testimony late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, a Milwaukee School Board committee voted in favor of a proposal that would allow for the limited distribution of male condoms in many of the city's public high schools.
A good number of teenagers stayed up in the district office auditorium Wednesday morning to tell the School Board how important it was to have access to contraception.
"Everyone's not going to choose abstinence, so give them the next best solution," Shakia Rayford, a sophomore at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, told committee members before the vote at about 1:10 a.m.
New data collected by the district indicate that more MPS students are having sexual intercourse as compared with six years ago, and more students are also reporting that they did not use a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse.
"Students' access to condoms outside of school may be limited by cost or embarrassment," Kathleen Murphy, MPS health services coordinator, told the committee and audience members.
Murphy added that about 4.5% of high schools nationwide have a condom distribution program.
In MPS, the condoms would be available only in high schools that have registered nurses, and the students would have to talk to a nurse before receiving a free condom.
Click here to read the full article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great job making your voices heard!
December 7, 2009
Half of Teen Girls Have STIs by 2 Years of First Sex
Researchers followed 386 urban adolescent girls aged 14-17 for up to 8 years. Within 2 years of having sex for the 1st time, half of teenage girls may be infected with at least one of three common sexually transmitted infections (STIs): chlamydia, gonorrhea or trichomoniasis.
They found that 1/4 of the women had acquired their 1st STI by age 15, most often Chlamydia.
"Repeated infections were very common," study investigator said, "Within 4-6 months (depending on the organism) after treatment of the previous infection, a quarter of the women were re-infected with the same organism."
Here are a few tips to avoid becoming infected with a STI:
- Young ladies: cut back on douching or don't do it at all! Our bodies naturally cleanse themselves & douching has been linked to increased risk of STIs.
- You & your possible future sexual partner need to get tested for STIs.
- If you choose to have sex - protect yourselves & use a condom!
Click here to find more information about how you can protect yourself from STIs.
Click here to find a clinic to get tested at.
Click here to read the full article from Reuters Health.
December 7, 2009
Parents' Sex Talk with Kids: Too Little, Too Late
The sex talk is never easy. It's not comfortable for anyone involved - parents are afraid of it, children are mortified by it, which is probably why the talk so often comes after the fact.
In the latest study on parent-child talks about sex & sexuality, researchers found that more than 40% of adolescents had intercourse before talking to their parents about safe sex, birth control or sexually transmitted diseases.
That trend is troublesome, since teens who talk to their parents about sex are more likely to delay their 1st sexual encounter & to practice safe sex when they do become sexually active. Ironically, despite their apparent dread, kids really want to learn about sex from their parents, according to study after study on the topic.
There's a primary problem in the parent-child dialogue about sex: "A lot of parents think they had a conversation, and the kids don't remember it at all," "Parents sometimes say things more vaguely because they are uncomfortable and they think they've addressed something, but the kids don't hear the topic at all."
Parental talks about sex & sexuality need to occur much earlier than they do, but that doesn't necessarily mean that parents have only one shot at getting it right. To make things easier, & to take some of the pressure off the situation, parents should think about sex talks as an ongoing dialogue, rather than one uncomfortable discussion that they must cross off their list.
Parents should discuss certain issues with their children at age-appropriate times & the discussion should evolve as children mature.
The conversations should focus on what the child is capable of absorbing & what the child asks about.
Parents should also take advantage of every excuse to broach the difficult subject: a mention of sex or sexuality on a TV show, a pregnancy in the family, sex-education classes in school or a visit to the doctor around the time of puberty.
"If you just get over the hurdle of starting, then once the conversation gets going, you often find it's easier than expected,"
"Use any excuse you want, but just get over the initial hurdle and start talking to your kids, because it's really important."
Click here to read the full article from TIME.
See above to order a Let's Talk! Family Communication Toolkit to get talking!
December 3, 2009
Health Officials Announce Drop in Teen Birth Rate
The City of Milwaukee Health Department announced that we are one step closer to reaching our goal to reduce Milwaukee’s teen birth rate among 15-17 year olds by 46% by 2015 (which would be only 30 births per thousand teens).
Milwaukee’s teen birth rate remains at a historically low level! Data shows that there were 46.73 births per 1,000 females aged 15-17 years old in 2008, which is a slight drop from 2007 when there were 47 births per 1,000 in the city.
In response to the drop Mayor Tom Barrett said: “The education and prevention campaigns have done a commendable job of reducing the teen birth rate. Teenage pregnancy reduces educational and economic opportunities to the youth of our community, and we must continue our efforts to reduce the prevalence of teenage pregnancy.”
Click here to read the full press release & learn what the decline was attributed to.
December, 2009
Testimonials: Parenting Youth Speak Out on Life Challenges & the Need for Policy Solutions
Healthy Teen Network (HTN) collected testimonials from young parents describing the challenges their families face, & tied those challenges to public policy recommendations offered in: A Policy Platform to Promote Health and Success among Young Families.
The platform offers a set of federal policy recommendations aimed at establishing or reforming programs & systems that influence whether or not young families may achieve health & success after a teen birth.
While the platform is broad in scope, HTN focused the youths' testimonials in these areas:
- Access to young family support programs & services.
- Access to education & income security.
HTN urges its members & supporters to view the brief testimonials in order to educate themselves about the contents of the platform & how it responds to real needs of parenting youth today.
Click here to see the videos.
They also encourage their members & supporters to use the testimonials to educate policymakers about the opportunities available to them to improve the health & well-being of young families.
Take action now!