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Upcoming Workshops
Contraceptive Technologies & Counseling (On Site)
Date: December 17
Trainer: Linda Robinson
Location: Allendale
Fee: Contact the Campaign for details
Intended Audience: General Audience
Overview: This workshop is intended for providers who interact with teens one-on-one and who care about teen sexual health and decision making.This workshop will include content on contraceptive methods, sexual issues related to method use, client assessment, and behavior counseling techniques.
For more information or to register for this training please contact the SC Campaign Education Department at (803) 771-7700. | |
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Study Links Teen Pregnancy to Sexy TV Shows
Teen pregnancy remains a serious problem in the United States. Although rates have declined since 1991, the United States still has the highest rate of teen pregnancy among industrialized nations. Nearly one million American women aged 15-19 become pregnant each year. A majority of these pregnancies are unplanned. The factors that contribute to teen pregnancy are multiple and complex. However one factor that has not been studied in depth is exposure to sexual content on television. Previous RAND Corporation research established a link between such exposure and the onset of sexual activity among teens. Extending this work, a team of RAND researchers examined the link between teen pregnancy and exposure to sexual content on TV. The study found that frequent exposure to TV sexual content was associated with a significantly greater likelihood of teen pregnancy in the following three years. The study used data from a national longitudinal sample of youth 12-17 years old at initial sampling. The youth were interviewed first in the spring of 2001 and then reinterviewed one year and three years later. Researchers focused on 23 popular programs that were widely available on broadcast and cable television and contained high levels of sexual content (both depictions of sex as well as dialogue or discussion about sex). The shows included drama, comedy, reality, and animated programs.
Click here to read the full study.
Click here to read Forrest's blog on this topic. |
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The BUZZ- Gloucester, MA. School OK's Contraception
A school committee in Gloucester, MA voted unanimously to allow contraceptives to be distributed at the high school after a reported "pregnancy pact" pushed the school into the media spotlight several months ago. The new policy will require parental consent in order for students to obtain contraception through the school's health clinic. Click here to read full article. |
AIDS Walk 2008 
Each year in Florence, Orangeburg, and Aiken the community comes together for a symbolic walk. The AIDSWALK is a powerful way to remember those who have died and show compassion for those persons living with the virus. More than 40 businesses, churches, and organizations sponsored the 2007 AIDSWALKs.
This year the AIDSWALK will take place on Saturday, December 6 from 10am until 12 Noon. The locations are:
Florence:Floyd Conference Center-Carolina Hospital System
Orangeburg: Edisto Memorial Gardens-Russell Street
Aiken: Osbon Park-Highway 19 North
For more information please contact Carl Humprhries at (843) 667-9414. |
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Funding Sources for State and Local Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has recently released a fact sheet entitled "Funding Sources for State and Local Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs," which highlights the resourceful and sometimes unique ways in which some organizations and communiites are funding teen pregnancy prevention efforts.
Click here to view a copy. |
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Too Young Educational Video Now Available Online Due to overwhelming demand, the  National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy's award-winning Too Young educational film is now available to be viewed in it's entirety on the National Campaign's website.
In Too Young, teen parents from a variety of backgrounds share their stories and in their own words offer their candid views about the difficulties they have faced. Their compelling stories make clear that teen pregnancy is closely linked to a host of other problems for teens and their babies including welfare dependency, health problems, absent fathers, educational failure, and more.
Winner of the 2008 Freddie Award for Adolescent Health, this educational video is intended to help educators, community leaders, policymakers, parents, and teens better understand the challenges of teen pregnancy directly from a group of courageous teen parents who know what it means to be too young for pregnancy and parenthood.
Click here to watch the film. |
Supporting Teen Pregnancy Prevention: A Holiday Tradition
 The Annual Aiken Teen Pregnancy Prevention Poinsettia Fundraiser has begun. Last year's fundraiser was a huge success, and they are once again offering elegant poinsettias and wreaths to Aiken's businesses and homeowners. A variety of colors and sizes of poinsettias are available as well as 18 inch double-sided evergreen wreaths. All items are prefect for "decking the halls" and holiday gift giving. All proceeds from the sale will be used to support the organization's mission of reducing the number of teen pregnancies in Aiken County. You can place an order through Tuesday, November 24th. The items range in price from $10 for 6 inch poinsettias to $20 for wreaths. Delivery is available for an additional fee. Items will be ready for pick up on Saturday, December 6th at First Baptist Church in the Roberts Room. Order forms are available online at www.teenpregnancyaiken.org. |
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2008 Update: SC Teen Pregnancy Data Now Available Between 1994 and 2006, South Carolina teen pregnancy rates declined by 19%. However, most of the reduction occurred during the late 1990's and early 2000. In 2004, the downward trend stopped and between 2004 and 2006, pregnancy rates rose from 33.1 to 35.9, an increase of 8%. The progress made reducing teen pregnancy rates appears to have stalled and is beginning to reverse itself.
Click here to view full report.
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Workshop Opportunities
Understanding Sexual Addiction
This two-day workshop is designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the relationships of sexual addiction to the spread of HIV transmission, the nature of this illness, and ways to appropriately treat those who suffer from it. This training will be held on December 16-17 in Columbia. Early registration is strongly recommended.
For more information contact James Harris, Jr. STD/HIV Division Training Coordinator at 803-898-0480 or harrisj@dhec.sc.gov.
Addressing the Prevention Needs of Clients Who Test HIV Positive
This 2-day training is designed to prepare participants to provide counseling services to people living with HIV to avoid sexual and substance use behaviors that can result in transmitting HIV to others and negative health outcomes for themselves. This training will be held on December 9 in Columbia.
For more information contact James Harris, Jr. STD/HIV Division Training Coordinator at 803-898-0480 or harrisj@dhec.sc.gov. |
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In the News
Focusing Solely on Abstinence Hurts Kids
Greenville News- The article on "teachable moments" in a recent Greenville News was timely since teen pregnancy is back in the news. The problem that no one is talking about is that the entire issue of teen pregnancy is erroneously framed as "you are either for abstinence or for contraceptives." Both comprehensive health education programs and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs promote abstinence.
Click here for full article.
President Bush Signs the Health Care Safety Net Act of 2008
COAPPP- On October 8, President Bush signed the Health Care Safety Net Act of
2008, reauthorizing appropriations for 2008-2012 for community health centers and the National Health Service Corps program. The law supports various groups working to meet the health care needs of medically under served populations and makes provisions for a national study of school-based health centers. The law requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study in the next two years about the health impact to students from school-based health centers.
Click here for full article.
Nobel Prize Awarded to Virologist Who Linked HPV to Cervical Cancer
COAPPP- The German virologist Professor Harald zur Hausen first proposed a link between HPV and cancer in the early seventies and his work paved the way for the development of vaccines against HPV. HPV presents a global public health challenge for men and women. Each year, 470,000 women around the world contract cervical cancer. He will share this year's Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine.
Urban Teens Misunderstand 'morning after pill'
MSNBC - Urban-living minority girls appear to lack general knowledge about emergency contraceptive pills - more commonly known as the "morning-after" pill, new research hints.
Click here for full article. |
Grants Available
Youth at the Center
Youth Service America and the Office of Juvenile Justices and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice is offering $2,000 grants to help organizations that have had a successful youth engagement experience to replicate effective practices to organizations in a broader network or coalition without a youth strategy. Applicants should involve youth in addressing the world's most pressing social issues, and use Global Youth Service Day as a primary vehicle to engage youth in the issues addressed. The grant can be used to promote participation in Global Youth Service Day 2008 and 2009. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to pursue funding for an effort that takes place over a multi-year period.
Deadline: November 30
Email youthatthecenter@ysa.org for more information.
The Palm Foundation Youth At Risk GrantsThe Palm Foundation will make cash grants to non-profit organizations that focus on issues directly related to the education of youth at risk. Deadline: December 1, 2008 Click here for more information.
National and International AIDS Awareness Programs FundedThe John M. Lloyd Foundation supports innovative, entrepreneurial projects that have a high likelihood of affecting social change with regard to HIV/AIDS. The Foundation makes grants for U.S.-based projects with a national or global scope, international projects, and locally-focused projects in California. One of the Foundation's objectives is to amplify global awareness of HIV/AIDS and to facilitate broad-based change in attitudes in order to reduce the stigma of AIDS as well as change behavior. The Foundation gives preference to nonprofit organizations that advocate for evidence-based policies, those that mobilize awareness and support for AIDS programs, and those that employ innovation to battle the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Deadline: December 15 Click here for more information.
Southern Reach Initiative
The National AIDS Fund, with support from the Ford Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, is pleased to announce the second year of the Southern REACH (Regional Expansion of Access and Capacity to Address HIV/AIDS) initiative. Through Southern REACH, the National AIDS Fund will award 20-30 grants, ranging from $20,000 - $75,000, to community based organizations in several states including South Carolina. Southern REACH will provide grant resources and technical support to broaden and strengthen community capacity to address HIV/AIDS for priority at-risk populations. This will be achieved through investments in the operations and programming of strategically positioned CBOs that have the demonstrated ability to reach those priority populations with HIV prevention and care services or to lead supportive policy advocacy efforts.
Click here for more information.
Youth Build Grant Competition
The YouthBuild program provides education and training to high risk youth, giving them tools to compete in today's quickly changing job market. This alternative education program provides a path to higher education in addition to tools for immediate work in high demand fields such as construction. The program aims to provide an education for young people who have been in the juvenile justice system, youth aging out of foster care, high school dropouts and other at-risk populations, and immediately uses the vocational tools learned to expand affordable housing in low income communities. This vocational experience strengthens the leadership and learning skills of participating youth to help in future employment. The program is sponsored by the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Association, working to give at risk youth concrete tools to achieve sustainable employment. The Department of Labor will award $47 Million to various community organizations under this program.
Deadline: January 15, 2009
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Website of the Week:  World AIDS Day-December 1, 2008
You only have two weeks left to plan your World AIDS Day 2008 activities! This year you can help remember those who have lost their battle against the disease and honor those who are still fighting. Visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website for information about World AIDS Day, free resources that can be downloaded and customized by you, and ideas on how to take action. You should also call 1-800-322-AIDS, the SC AIDS/STD Hotline, for information on local World AIDS Day events, testing sites, and ways to get you and your youth involved. Click here to check out this website. |
To the Editor:
I am writing as a mom, and a concerned citizen to urge readers to sign the Petition for Preemies on the March of Dimes web site. In South Carolina today, one in six babies are born prematurely and millions of babies face serious health challenges or have trouble learning in school because they were born too soon. More newborns die from premature birth than any other cause.
But solutions are within our grasp. Together we can find the answers. Help us make progress in preventing premature birth. Please join me and moms across South Carolina and America. Please sign the petition for Preemies. The number of people who sign can really make a difference. Your signature will help us get closer to the day when every baby can have a healthy start in life!
Martha Compton, York County '09 Ambassador Mom
Special Education Teacher
Rock Hill School District Three
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