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Upcoming Workshops
Making Proud Choices! Training of Educators: A Prevention Curriculum for Middle School Age Youth
Time: 8:30am-5:00pm
Date: September 15-16, 2009
Location:
SC Campaign Office in Columbia
Fee: $75 or $220 (if curriculum needed)
Overview: Making Proud Choices! is a research proven curriculum that provides the skills necessary to implement the curriculum with youth. This curriculum targets middle school adolescents and includes information on both abstinence and contraception.
Presenters:
Dana Becker, Med.
Technical Assistance Specialist, SC Campaign
Angie Hinzey, MPH
Technical Assistance Specialist, SC Campaign
For more registration information please contact Bernetta Cooper at (803) 771-7700. | |
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Welcome Back and Thank You!
Believe it or not, after four weeks away I was ready to be back. Ready to be back in the office with my wonderful colleagues and teammates, ready to be back in the middle of budget debates and the political discussions of the day and ready to be back leading a creative and innovative group of individuals committed to protecting the young people of South Carolina! What an amazing sabbatical it was, but now - back to the business at hand.
I would like to take just a moment to thank the outstanding team at the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy for their amazing work during my absence. I can't tell you how many times one of my friends or family members asked me during the last month, "aren't you nervous to be gone this long?" Quite simply, my answer was "no." I left on July 1 with complete confidence in this organization and its ability to continue doing great things even without me around and was I ever right! The stack of paperwork on my desk is a bit intimidating, but signals the incredible amount of productivity that was accomplished during my absence. In the next few weeks we will be releasing two new Simply Stated publications, our Annual Report, a new manuscript detailing teen pregnancy prevention efforts on college campuses across South Carolina and the remaining two brochures in our adolescent contraception series...just to name a few!
Time away is time to refresh, reflect and reenergize. If I learned anything while I was gone it was how special this organization is and more importantly how special each and every one of you working so hard throughout South Carolina to prevent teen pregnancy is. Being away confirmed my belief that no state in this entire country is working as hard as we are right here in South Carolina to invest in and protect young people. That's a special feeling to come back to and one that wouldn't be possible without each of you!
Now that I am officially back in the office full time, I look forward to reintroducing myself to the great things that are going on in our state. The next few weeks are filled with travel - from Summerville to Spartanburg, from Rock Hill to Williamsburg. What's going on your way? Let me know, I'd love to come see you!
All the best,
Forrest L. Alton, MSPH, CHES
Executive Director, SC Campaign |
The Buzz: Population Left Behind Targets College Campuses Across SC A new installment of Simply Stated, soon to be released, summarizes the SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy's Population Left Behind 2009 full report. The report explores factors associated with pregnancy among older youth and examines the access to sexual health information and services on college campuses throughout the state.
Stay tuned for the release of this informative report. Coming soon! |
American Medical Association Renews Its Support of Comprehensive Sex Education At its 2009 Annual Meeting, the American Medical Association passed a resolution promoting comprehensive sex education programs as the most effective strategy to prevent HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and teen pregnancies. The resolution was based on a report by the Association's Council on Science and Public Health entitled "An Updated Review of Sex Education Programs in the United States," which was also released at the conference held from June 13-17, 2009 in Chicago, IL.
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Coming Soon! One Voice: Advocating for Teen Pregnancy Prevention
On September 29, 2009 the SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy will host One Voice: Advocating for Teen Pregnancy Prevention. This training seeks to teach participants the importance of advocacy, how to craft appropriate advocacy messages to procure resources and support for local programs as well as understanding current state policies and their influence on adolescent sexual health.
Please keep a watch for an official training announcement in your Inbox soon and visit our website to learning about all of our upcoming trainings. |
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Job Opportunities
The SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is currently seeking applications for a Training and Technical Assistance GA and a Technology GA. For more information on these positions and how to apply please visit our website.
Executive Director - REACH Upstate
REACH Upstate is seeking to fill the Executive Director position. REACH Upstate is a non-profit agency, which has served Spartanburg County for over 20 years. Its mission is to promote healthy lifestyles through the prevention of child abuse, adolescent pregnancy, and substance abuse.
Click here for full job description. |
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Research Corner
Study Shows Teen Contraceptive Use Declining, Level of Sexual Activity Unchanged
After years of declining teenage pregnancy rates and improved teen contraception use during the 1990s and early 2000s, the trends appear to have flattened or even reversed among some groups of teens in recent years, according to a study from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the Guttmacher Institute. John Santelli et. al. found that from 2003 to 2007, teens' contraceptive use declined by 10 percent, while their level of sexual activity did not change. The decrease in contraceptive use was particularly prevalent among black teens. The figures take into account the rate of contraception use as well as the types of contraceptives used, as methods vary in effectiveness. Teen condom use leveled off and in some cases declined, according to the study. The study also reported that the teen birth rate increased by 5 percent from 2005 to 2007.
Click here to read the full report.
Review of Studies of IUD Use in Adolescents Finds Favorable Results
Elizabeth Deans of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and David Grimes of Family Health International conducted a systematic review of the literature concerning intrauterine device use in adolescents to determine the appropriateness of promoting the use of IUDs for adolescents. The authors noted that unplanned pregnancy among teenagers "remains epidemic, and long-acting [contraceptive] methods, such as IUDs, offer the promise of top-tier effectiveness." They said that few recent studies have examined IUD use in adolescents but the findings were generally reassuring. Overall, continuation rates of IUD use in adolescents were high, and cumulative pregnancy rates were low, leading the researchers to conclude that IUDs should be considered for adolescents in need of reliable contraception. However, due to the limited volume of literature on IUD use in adolescents, the researchers recommended that additional studies comparing IUDs with other methods are urgently needed. To access the full report click here.
Adolescent Sexual Behavior of Latino Youth
A new study by Vincent Guilamo-Ramos et. al., published in the July edition of the Journal of Primary Prevention, develops and evaluates a theoretical framework of mediators of the relationship between acculturation and adolescent sexual behavior. The study explored the relationship between intentions to have sexual intercourse and explanatory variables such as adolescent romantic relationship status and partner preferences, maternal approval of dating, adolescent perceptions of maternal approval of dating, and maternal and adolescent levels of familismo and acculturation. Findings revealed complex dynamics between acculturation and adolescent sexual behavior. Protective and risk-inducing associations were observed, with important gender differences operating for boys and girls. Implications of the development of applied prevention programs are discussed.
Click here to read the full report. |
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Workshops and Events
Women at Heart Seeks Vendors and Exhibitors
The 2009 Women at Heart forum and exhibition is looking for exhibitors and vendors. Women at Heart is a Palmetto Health sponsored forum and exhibition to increase heart health awareness
among women in the Midlands. Last year's event attracted more than 600 women.
Date: September 19, 2009
Time: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center (upper level)
Exhibitor Cost:
♥ Registration Fee: $75, businesses and corporations;$65, non-profit/government agencies
♥ Please note that electricity and data lines are available at an additional cost
Exhibitor Packets Include:
♥ One 8 x 8 exhibit space
♥ Company name and contact information listed in registration materials
♥ Exhibitor name badges
Exhibitor registration is due August 31, 2009. For more information call 803-256-5025.
 Join the Girls Health Sounding BoardThe Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health is expanding its girlshealth.gov Sounding Board and is looking for girls between the ages of 9 and 14 who are outgoing, passionate, and active in school or their community. They are currently accepting applications and ask that you consider telling girls you know to enter. Being part of the Sounding Board gives girls the opportunity to share their opinions on anything from their favorite Web sites to the issues concerning their peers. Plus, as a member of the Sounding Board, girls will get free promotional materials such as backpacks, t-shirts, and baseball hats for participating in the discussion! The deadline to apply is August 31, 2009.
Click here for application.
 Healthy Teen Network 30th Annual ConferenceJoin HTN in beautiful Tampa, FL as they celebrate 30 years of working on behalf of America's youth. This year's conference theme is "Celebrating Healthy Teens and Young Families: 30 Years of Making a Difference," and promises to be a great opportunity for you to gain new skills, learn about the latest tools in working with youth, and meet people from all over the country in the adolescent health field. Date(s): October 21-24 Location: Hyatt Regency Tampa Tampa, FL View Preliminary Conference Brochure and register online now!
APPCNC Male Involvement and Teen Parent Networks TrainingThis workshop is designed for practitioners who want to learn more about effective ways to engage young fathers and support their efforts to develop nurturing relationships with their children.
Date: September 17, 2009
Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm
Location: Guilford Child Development
1200 Arlington Street
Greensboro, NC
Cost: $40 if registered by August 21st, $50 if registered by September 4th
APPCNC Seeks Presenters for the 2010 Conference
The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina is seeking presenters on a broad range of topics related to adolescent pregnancy prevention and adolescent parenting for their 2010 Conference. Participants will be interested in workshops that offer concrete ideas, methods, and resources that they can incorporate into their own programs.
Proposals are due September 30, 2009. Contact Melinda DeJongh with any questions: mdejongh@appcnc.org or 919-226-1880 x108. (Note: Melinda will be on leave for July and August; if you need to contact someone about your proposal during this time, please e-mail Kay Phillips at kphillips@appcnc.org, or call 919-226-1880 x101.)
Click here for more information and to download an application. |
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In the News
FDA Approves Generic Prescription-Only Version of Plan B Emergency Contraceptive for Women Ages 17 and Under
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first generic version of the emergency contraceptive Plan B (levonorgestrel). The generic product will be available by prescription only for women ages 17 and under. This approval allows marketing of a prescription-only generic product for women ages 17 and under. No generic levonorgestrel product for emergency contraception can be approved for nonprescription use in women ages 18 and older until Aug. 24, 2009, when the marketing exclusivity held by Duramed for the nonprescription use expires. Levonorgestrel can prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse or a known or suspected contraceptive failure. It is not effective in terminating an existing pregnancy and does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection.
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Grants Available
Central Carolina AIDS Partnership Grants
Central Carolina Community Foundation has been selected as the first National AIDS Fund Partner in South Carolina and has received a challenge grant to support local grantmaking for HIV/AIDS prevention programs.
Grants will be awarded to support HIV/AIDS prevention programs with a focus on the target populations specified on the grant application. One of the following interventions must be chosen to implement your program:
- An existing locally developed or "homegrown" intervention - maximum award of $10,000
- A new intervention - maximum award of $10,000
- An intervention from the DEBI project (Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions)- maximum award of $20,000
The application deadline is September 30, 2009.
Youth Service Projects Supported in the U.S. and Canada Pay It Forward Foundation Mini-Grant ProgramThe Pay It Forward Foundation was established to inspire students to realize that they can change the world, and to provide them with opportunities to do so. Pay It Forward Mini-Grants are designed to fund one-time service-oriented projects that are identified by youth as activities they would like to perform to benefit their school, neighborhood, or greater community, and that include learning goals for the youth participants. Projects must contain a "pay it forward" focus - that is, they must be based on the concept of one person doing a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others, with the results growing exponentially. Schools, churches, and community youth groups (with an adult sponsor) in the U.S. and Canada may apply for funding. The application deadlines are September 15 and February 15 of each year; however, requests may be submitted at any time. Visit the Foundation's website to download the Mini-Grant guidelines. Reproductive Justice Initiative
The Fund for Southern Communities is seeking proposals for the 2009 Reproductive Justice Funding Initiative. Grants will be awarded to strategies/projects that look to amplify efforts to expand the reproductive justice platform and diversify voices of communities of color on a wide-range of issues.
Application deadline is September 1, 2009. |
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Website of the Week:
TeenSource.org
TeenSource.org is an educational website that appeals to teens and young adults ages 13 - 24 with music, videos, contests and prize giveaways. The purpose is to offer education to youth and young adults in an entertaining and interactive format. The website offers educational and funny streaming videos about sexual and reproductive health, celebrity testimonials, links to several other youth oriented health and social service websites, information and links to free and low cost clinical services throughout California and virtual clinic tour videos.
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DHEC WORKSHOPS & INFO  Webinar: Clinical Services for Males
Date: September 17, 2009
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm EST
Cost: FREE
Sponsored by Cicatelli Associates, Inc., this training will focus on the clinical protocols, issues and skills needed to provide clinical services to males. The webinar will include issues such as: performing the male exam, STD and HIV testing and treatment and health education strategies. | |
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