MOAPPP E-Monthly Index
- Let’s Talk Month Website!
- State Plan Fact Sheets and Website Available
- Fallout from Legislative Session
- No Changes to Minor’s Consent Law
- Reproductive Health of African American Adolescents
- Teenagers No More Likely To Engage in Sexual Activity if Condoms Available at School, Study Says
- New reports about teen parents and youth now available
- Looking for statistics on reproductive health needs and services, or information about state policies?
- 2003 KIDS COUNT Data Book and Online Database available
- Shoulder to Shoulder: Parent Resources!
Let’s Talk Month Website!
MOAPPP has created a Let’s Talk Month Website that will feature resources and your ideas for supporting parent child communication. Information and resources will be available in Spanish. Check out what YOU can do for LTM by visiting MOAPPP.org.
MOAPPP wants to support your community in promoting LTM. MOAPPP will post events and activities around the state on our website. If you are interested in publicizing your community event on the MOAPPP Calendar or want more information contact Lisa Turnham at the MOAPPP office (651) 644-1447 x18, [email protected].
State Plan Fact Sheets and Website Available
MOAPPP and the National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Research Center have created three targeted fact sheets for partners in public health, partners in education and policy maker partners. The fact sheets include information on what can each partner do to reduce teen pregnancy, facts on teen pregnancy, and research findings on what works to prevent teen pregnancy. We encourage you to download these from the Minnesota State Plan website, www.mnstateplan.org, and distribute them to the appropriate partners in your community.
The website also features state statistics on teen pregnancy, the partner organizations working on the state plan task force, the 8 recommendations of the plan, the most prominent research addressing teen pregnancy, and a detailed resource page with links to the MOAPPP, National Teen Pregnancy PRC, CDC-DRH, MN state agencies, and other national and local resources.
Fallout from Legislative Session
MOAPPP is developing a summary of the impact of the legislative decisions on teen pregnancy prevention and teen parent programs and services. Please email [email protected] if your program has been affected through the budget cuts or policy changes. We will post the summary on our website by September 19.
No Changes to Minor’s Consent Law
In partnership with Sex Ed for Life-Minnesota, MOAPPP was successful in fighting off attacks on Minnesota’s minors’ consent law. While the House approved an amendment to the health and human services bill early in May that would have eliminated confidentiality for minors who provided their own consent for care, the same provision was rejected in a vote by the Senate. The working group that negotiated the health and human services bill during the special session took the Senate position and made no change in the current law. The work of Sens. Becky Lourey [DFL-Kerrick] and Sheila Kiscaden [I-Rochester] in leading efforts on the Senate floor and during health and human services bill negotiations was key to holding back changes to the current law.
Reproductive Health of African American Adolescents
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies has published a literature review titled “The Reproductive Health of African American Adolescents”. The publication reviews knowledge, attitudes, sexual behaviors, program implications, and areas for future research. The purpose of the literature review is to increase awareness of recent outcome changes, to “debunk” myths and stereotypes, and to suggest what can be done to further improve reproductive health outcomes for African American teens. To learn more about this publication, additional fact sheets, and for ordering information, go to www.jointcenter.org/whatsnew/a_report/a-report.htm
Teenagers No More Likely To Engage in Sexual Activity if Condoms Available at School, Study Says
High school students are not more likely to engage in sexual activity if condoms are made available at their schools, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health, the AP/Washington Post reports (Meckler, AP/Washington Post, 5/29). Susan Blake of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and colleagues analyzed sexual risk behavior data from 4,166 students who participated in the 1995 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey to see if students were more likely to be sexually active if condoms were made available at their schools, AP/USA Today reports (Meckler, AP/USA Today, 5/29). Massachusetts Department of Education officials in 1991 recommended that school districts develop condom-availability programs, and Massachusetts is the only state with such a policy, according to Blake, the Boston Globe reports (Redd, Boston Globe, 5/29). Approximately 21% of students surveyed said they could obtain condoms at their schools (Health Behavior News Service, 5/28). Most schools required that students obtain condoms from school staff, including the school nurse, gym teachers or the assistant principal, while only 10% of schools permitted students to obtain condoms from “barrier-free” sources, such as vending machines, Reuters Health reports. (Source: Kaiser Foundation, May 2003)
New reports about teen parents and youth now available
The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has developed a six-page fact sheet that describes the education/training requirement for unmarried, custodial minor parents in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, summarizes relevant research, and offers recommendations for reauthorization. To download “Reauthorization Issues: The Education/Training Requirement for TANF Teen Parents,” click here
The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) also recently released “Leave No Youth Behind: Opportunities for Congress to Reach out to Disconnected Youth.” The report estimates that the number of youth who are disconnected or at risk of becoming disconnected range from nearly 3 million to more than 7 million. The report concludes that the nation should commit itself to increase the proportion of young people who at age 25 (1) have a high school diploma and postsecondary degree or credential, (2) are employed in jobs with career advancement possibilities, and (3) are not engaged in adverse risk-taking behaviors. To download a copy of the report, click here
Looking for statistics on reproductive health needs and services, or information about state policies?
Visit: www.guttmacher.org/statecenter for information on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Fact sheets, Presentation Tools, Policy Analysis, and Research Articles. Also sign up for the AGI state quarterly e-newsletter at www.guttmacher.org/media/scmessage.html
2003 KIDS COUNT Data Book and Online Database available
The Annie E. Casey Foundation recently released their 14th annual ‘KIDS COUNT’ Data book. The entire report is available online with interactive features. For details, please go to www.aecf.org/kidscount/databook/.
Shoulder to Shoulder: Parent Resources!
Shoulder to Shoulder is a new social marketing campaign designed to reach parents of teens with information and support: www.ShouldertoShoulderMinnesota.org
Research indicates that parents are the major influence in teens’ lives, on both their beliefs and behaviors. When parents provide warmth and guidance, are respectful, have high expectations, set and enforce limits and monitor their teens’ behavior the result? Healthier teens!