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Upcoming Workshops
Stay Tuned for our Spring 2010 Education and Training Calendar to be released soon.
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Latest Teen Pregnancy Data is Now Available!
For the fourth year in a row, the South Carolina Department of Health
and Environmental Control has reported an increase in teen pregnancy
rates in South Carolina. According to the 2007 statistics, the overall
rate of teen pregnancy in South Carolina increased by 2% between 2006
and 2007. After 14 years of declining rates, since 2004 the overall
rate of teen pregnancy among ages 10-19 has increased by 10%. Much of
this increase is due to increasing rates among 18-19 year olds who
account for two-thirds of all teen pregnancies in the state.
The new teen pregnancy data does show that young people in South
Carolina are delaying pregnancy - they just are not delaying it long
enough. Rates of teen pregnancy among 15-17 year old youth in South
Carolina (36.5 pregnancies / 1,000 youth) are the lowest that they have
ever been. On the other hand, rates of teen pregnancy among older
youth, those 18-19 (115.1 pregnancies / 1,000 youth) have steadily
increased over the last four years. These data trends send two very
clear messages to decision makers and concerned citizens across South
Carolina. First, the investment that has been made in preventing teen
pregnancy among school-aged youth has been successful and should be
continued. Secondly, and equally as important, a new commitment must be
made to older youth whose pregnancy rates are increasing. Please visit our website to read a statement by Executive Director, Forrest L. Alton on the release of this data. Also be sure to check out the latest installment in of Simply Stated, South Carolina Teen Pregnancy Data Trends - 2009, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention: Reinvest. Refocus, Recommit (MAP and County Data) for county specific data.
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The Buzz: Teen Mom  You watched them become moms on "16 and Pregnant," but giving birth
was only the beginning. Now MTV takes you back into the lives of Maci,
Amber, Catelynn, and Farrah for their first year of teen motherhood in
their new documentary series, "Teen Mom."
Can you still
live like a teenager once you've become a mom? What will they sacrifice
to make the best choices for their babies? What does it mean to become
a parent when you are still a kid yourself? Find out. Don't miss the
series premiere of "Teen Mom" on Tuesday, December 8th at 10/9 c. |
Check Out Our Latest Blogs:
Taking a Closer Look
During the last decade, teen pregnancy rates in South Carolina and
across the country have decreased substantially. While encouraging and
certainly a clear indication that progress can be made on this
critically important issue, not all of the news is good.
Click here to read more
Bloodsucking Vamps and Onscreen Love
While most people were making plans for Thanksgiving and being with friends and family, teens across the country were waiting for the day when New Moon, the second installment of the Twilight Saga, opened to the public.
Click here to read more
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Research Corner
Parents Matter: The Role of Parents in Teens'
Decisions About Sex
Positive
parent-teen relationships, high parental awareness and monitoring of
whom their children are with, and family dinner routines are all linked
to delayed sex among teens, according to a new Child Trends research
brief. The brief, Parents Matter: The Role of Parents in Teens' Decisions about Sex,
explores how parenting practices that occur before adolescents have had
sexual intercourse are associated with the probability of first sex by
age 16.
Among the findings:
Better parent-adolescent relationships are associated with reduced risk of early sexual experience among teen girls. Teen
boys who eat dinner with their family every day have a lower
probability of having sex before age 16 (31%), compared with those who
eat dinner with their family four days a week or less (37%).
Adolescents
whose parents are more aware of whom they are with when not at home are
less likely to have sex by age 16.
Click here to read the brief
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Workshops and Events
Sexual and Gender Orientation Workshop
The
purpose of this workshop is to replace stereotypes with science, to give
participants information about the particular challenges faced by LGBTQ clients
and their families. Participants will be provided with a wide
range of experiences from youth through adulthood, and learning methodology
that includes panels, Q& A, discussion and group exercise. A resource manual with a current review of
the literature is included.
Date: December 18, 2009
Time: 9:30am - 4:00pm
Location:
Brookland Baptist
Administration Buuilding
1066 Sunset Blvd.
West Columbia, SC 29169
Registration deadline is December 14th. To register contact Lewis Hicks at 803-898-0283.
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In the News
Report: SC Teen Pregnancy Rates Increased
WLTX - A new report released by South Carolina's Department of Health and
Environmental Control showed an increase in teen pregnancy rates for
the fourth year in a row.
According to the 2007 statistics, the overall rate of teen pregnancy in South Carolina increased by 2% between 2006 and 2007.
Click here to read more
CDC Report Finds Adolescent Girls Continue To Bear A Major Burden of Common Sexually Transmitted Diseases
CDC - Adolescent girls ages 15-19 years had the largest reported number of
chlamydia and gonorrhea cases (409,531) when compared to any other age
group, followed closely by women ages 20-24, according to an annual
report on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) released November 16, by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report finds that more
than 1.5 million cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea were reported in 2008.
The
report - Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2008, which tracks
reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in the United
States - also showed that African-Americans continue to be more
disproportionately affected by STDs than any other racial or ethnic
group.
Click here to read more
SHARE informs students about AIDS
 Daily Gamecock - USC's Sexual Health and Violence Prevention took the lead Wednesday, November 18,
at the Russell House in regards to keeping students aware about staying
sexually healthy.
"We want to keep students, our campus and the community alert and
not to condone risky behaviors," said SHARE's World AIDS Day
Coordinator Ebony Allen.
Click here to read more
Christian-based crisis pregnancy center opens in Florence
SCNOW- After Bethany Christian Services adoption
agency in Florence closed last year, community members realized there
was a real void and need for those services in the Pee Dee.
A steering committee got together and formed a board of directors to
open A Choice 2 M8k crisis pregnancy care center in Florence in
October.
The goal, executive director Carla Wright said, is to counsel and
educate women who are in crisis pregnancy situations so they can make
the right decision for themselves.
Click here to read more
Library keeps Sex, Etc. magazine in teen section
 The Tribune - A magazine about sex will stay where teens can find it at the Ames Public Library. The Library Board of Trustees voted 6-1 Thursday to support
Director Art Weeks' recommendation to continue openly displaying and
offering free copies of Sex, Etc. in the teen section. Sex, Etc. is displayed in a rack in the teen section with about
a dozen other magazines. Ten copies for which the library pays $15 are
also placed two at a time with information teens can take home without
requiring sign-out. Click here to read more |
Grants Available
National Women's Health Week
The purpose of NWHW is to empower women across the country to get healthy by
taking action. The nationwide initiative, coordinated by HHS Office on Women's Health (OWH), encourages women to make health a top priority and take simple
steps for a longer, healthier, and happier life. Region IV will fund 10
projects. The maximum award is $1,562.50. Applications must be received by December 8, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time.
Do Something Awards to Honor Young Social Change Activists The Do Something Award is for individuals. The applicant must be 25 or under, and must be a U.S. or Canadian citizen.
Award winners will have identified a problem and have devised clear and measurable methods for addressing the problem; made a significant long-term commitment to improving the lives of others; cultivated long-term and respectful relationships within their community; demonstrated that they have directly and individually fueled the success of their work; extensively and tangibly improved the lives of others; created great awareness about their issues or causes; serve as program founders and/or leading activist/advocates; have a clear growth plan for their work that ensures sustainability and continued impact; and already be recognized as top leaders within their issue or cause.
The 2010 awards program will present four winners with $10,000 each, and one grand-prize winner with $100,000 toward their organization or cause. Application deadline is December 15, 2009.
Youth Service Projects Supported in the U.S. and Canada
Pay It Forward Foundation Mini-Grant Program
The 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.
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Website of the Week:
SmarterSex.org SmarterSex.org was
created with the special needs of college students
in mind. Smartersex.org
is a valuable and trusted resource for up to date health
information, program ideas and discussion forum. The site
includes the latest sexual health information in the news,
an updated sexual health quiz, and continues to answer key
sexual health questions through "Ask the Sexpert."
Click here to visit the website
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DHEC WORKSHOPS & INFO  The STD/HIV Division is now accepting registration for the following training opportunities:
- HIV 201: An Advanced Knowledge-Based Course (In-Person and via Live Broadcast from Peeples Auditorium Simms/Accock Building) - December 14, 2009
Location Information: All training(s) are currently scheduled to be held in Columbia. Site locations will be provided in the confirmation letter with directions
For More Information: All communications regarding training should be directed to James Harris, Jr. STD/HIV Division Training Coordinator, at 803-898-0480 or by e-mail at harrisj@dhec.sc.gov | |
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