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Upcoming Aim For Success Program Locations
March 2009
Brazoria, TX
Brownsville, TX
Carrollton, TX
Coppell, TX
Donna, TX
Edinburgh, TX
Falfurious, TX
Ferris, TX
Frisco, TX
Grapevine, TX
Hallettsville, TX
Hebbronville, TX
Houston, TX
Keller, TX
McLeod, TX
Memphis, TN
Midlothian, TX
Mission, TX
Pasadena, TX
Quinlan, TX
Riesel, TX
Rockdale, TX
Rockwall, TX
San Antonio, TX
Southlake, TX
Sweeny, TX
Tyler, TX
Van Alstyne, TX
West Columbia, TX
Wylie, TX
April 2009
Caddo Mills, TX
Clarendon, TX
Como, TX
Dallas, TX
Delcambre, LA
Fort Worth, TX
Frisco, TX
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Grand Prairie, TX
Jeanerette, LA
Katy, TX
Loreauville, LA
Midlothian, TX
New Iberia, LA
Olton, TX
Rockwall, TX
Saratoga, TX
Sealy, TX
Sherman, TX
Tyler, TX
Wall, TX
Wylie, TXMay 2009 Abilene, TX
Academy, TX
Allen, TX
Arlington, TX
Bridge City, TX
Colleyville, TX
Colorado City, TX
Coppell, TX
Dallas, TX
De Kalb, TX
Fairfield, TX
Flower Mound, TX
Frankston, TX
Frisco, TX
Ganado, TX
George West, TX
Grand Prairie, TX
Houston, TX
Joshua, TX
Lorenzo, TX
Lubbock, TX
Luling, TX
Meadow, TX
Mesquite, TX
New Boston, TX
Pearsall, TX
Portland, OR
Rockwall, TX
Ropesville, TX
Scurry, TX
Sealy, TX
Southlake, TX
Sugar Land, TX
Taylor, TX
Victoria, TX
Wolfforth, TX
Wylie, TX
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| Greetings!
As parents we all want to keep our children safe and protected. One of our many jobs as parents is to teach them how to be safe and healthy. "Look both ways when crossing a street," "Wash your hands," or "Don't talk to strangers" are all common discussions we have with our children when they are young. As they grow older the topics of discussion may change, but the purpose of keeping them safe and protected remains. This issue of the TIPS Newsletter offers several simple ways every parent can continue to help keep their tweens and teens healthy and safe.
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Proper Equipment Matters
By Marilyn Morris
If your child plays in a sport, no doubt you've gone to extreme  measures, not to mention expense, to equip him or her with the necessary gear to provide adequate protection. The amount of gear required depends on the potential risk your child might encounter while engaging in the sport. Basketball, has little risks. Football, on the other hand, is the ultimate in contact sport where almost every vital part of the body needs to be covered with protective gear.
Ironically there's a new contact sport that is popular with many of today's teens. Well, the activity itself isn't new, but the way it's being played today is. Of course, I'm referring to sex. However, in today's version of this game, anything goes. And the participants in the game are getting younger each year. Despite the fact that this game qualifies as a contact sport and carries a long list of potential risks - including unplanned pregnancy, infertility, recurring sores, cancer and death, it's rather surprising so many adults are giving their nod of approval for our children to participate in such an activity. But of course, they're quick to remind our children to always use protection. And the primary means of protective gear for this game is a condom.
Have you ever wondered how much protection a condom actually provides? Well here are the facts: In a perfect world where a person uses a condom perfectly with each sexual act, a condom will reduce the risk of a pregnancy by 98%. Sounds pretty good, right? But let's get real. What teenager do you know (much less an adult) who does anything perfectly every time they do something? Expecting perfect scenario results in our imperfect world is not realistic. In the real world with typical use, condoms reduce the risks of pregnancy by 85%.[1]
What about STD protection? According to the CDC, when condoms are used correctly every time (we're back to the perfect world scenario again) condoms are highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV. But what does highly effective mean? Well, the CDC states that with perfect use a person can expect 80% protection from HIV. The study goes on to report with perfect use of condoms they can reduce the risk of chlamydia and gonorrhea. And perfect use might reduce the risk of PID, herpes and HPV. Can reduce the risk. Might reduce the risk. Does this make you feel safe? And remember this is best case scenario when they are used correctly every time.[2]
A study was recently conducted with 1,316 sexually active 15 to 21-year-olds from three large U.S. cities, Those who had sex with casual partners used condoms 47% of the time, while those who were in a steady relationship used condoms 37% of the time. By the way, how often are condoms supposed to be used? . . . 100% of the time.[3]
In another recent study of 15-to 21-year-old girls, it appears teens may be overly optimistic when it comes to condom reporting. Of the girls who claimed they had sex in the past two weeks, 186 said they'd used a condom every time. However, 34 percent of those same girls had evidence of sperm in their vaginal fluid. Ooops! It appears there was either a serious problem of condom failure or perhaps these young ladies were simply telling the adults what they thought they wanted to hear.
With all this less than safe information it's nice to know there is a way to be 100% protected from both pregnancy and STDs. Just don't participate in this current game. Instead, choose to postpone sex until marriage. Two people who choose to develop the self-control necessary to delay sex until marriage and then remain faithfully committed for life NEVER worry about pregnancy before marriage or STDs EVER.
Family Discussion
1. When you hear the words "highly effective," what percentage comes to your mind?
2. Does 80% qualify as "highly effective" in your mind?
3. Why do you suppose teens don't use condoms correctly every time they have sex?
4. Do condoms offer enough protection to make you feel safe?
[1]Trussell J.,et al., "Contraceptive Failure Rates," Contraceptive Technology: 18th Revised Edition,New York, NY: Ardent Media, 2004.
[2]www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/clinical.htm
[3]Journal of Adolescent Health, Sept 2006
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Wait Up for Your Children
By Marilyn Morris
If you've ever heard me speak to parents, you've probably heard me challenge them to wait up for your children. I'm aware this is asking a lot. But how much harder is it to wait up for them now as teenagers than it was to get up two or three times a night to feed them as babies? No doubt, in those early days you often found yourself wanting to roll over and go back to sleep, but you knew that little bundle of joy desperately needed you. We're talking about the same child, and I'm telling you - he or she desperately needs to see your smiling face when they get home in the evenings.
Here's the reason why . . . I am convinced, if my parents had waited up for me, I would have never gotten involved in sex as a teen. I truly loved my parents and wanted to please them - just as your children love you and want to please you. But being able to walk in the door, turn off the light and walk down a dark hallway after each date was a welcomed relief.
Had my parents waited up, I'm confident they would have quickly figured out something was going on. Perhaps the wrinkled clothes or disheveled hair would have given my secret away. I could have never looked them in the eye and carried on even a brief conversation without them catching on. The guilt and fear of them finding out what I was doing was too much to bear. But walking down the dark hallway, closing my bedroom door and not facing them until morning allowed me to overcome my emotions and carry on this charade. And it worked. They had absolutely no clue what I was doing . . . until the night they learned I was pregnant.
Waiting up will greatly reduce the risk of your child getting involved in sex and drugs.Don't make it easy for your child to make the wrong choices.
 The life lessons I learned through my own experience as a teen mother, I now teach in the Parent Seminars held at schools, youth organizations and churches across the country. Parents of toddlers to teens learn valuable techniques to help open the door of communication with their children and encourage them to make wise life choices. For more information on the Aim For Success Parent Seminars presented by Marilyn Morris please call our Scheduling Director, Windi Fuller, at 972-422-2322 ext 223.
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Aim For Success
programs presented between
April 20 - May 1, 2009
will receive 10% off the program fee.
We only have a few dates left for programs this school year. Call today to schedule your programs.
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Contact Windi Fuller at wfuller@aimforsuccess.org or call 972-422-2322 ext 223 to schedule your program today! |
Opening Doors of Communication
By Lauren Lowry
As I concluded a recent a parent program, a mother shared her frustration regarding her daughter. She explained that she had tried on several occasions to talk to her about sex, but each time her daughter resisted. She assured her mom she wasn't doing that kind of stuff and she didn't want to discuss it. I applauded the mother's efforts, and then referenced the ABCs of the Birds and Bees where Marilyn addresses the issue of a child who doesn't want to talk about sex. I also suggested she purchase Marilyn's book Teen Sex and Choices  for her daughter, hoping that may open some doors for communication. The mother wasn't sure her daughter would read it, but decided to give it a try. The next morning, just before the first student program, the mother found me and said, "Lauren, you won't believe it! I gave the book to my daughter when I got home last night and she read almost the entire book." I'm not sure how well the girl did in school that day. (She must have been exhausted.) But it's nice to hear that Teens Sex and Choices has made a difference in yet another teen's life. | |
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