November 16, 2007
Employment Opportunities
Abstinence Content Specialist
Assist in the development and implementation of technical assistance modules, conference calls, Web casts, and conferences for Abstinence Education grantees. Candidates must possess a bachelor's degree and a minimum of 7 years of general experience and 2 years of professional program-related experience. To apply, please send your resume to Karen Argueta by e-mail, careers@pal-tech.com, or by fax, (703) 522-2471. EOE/AA.
Media Stories
Study Proves Abstinence Education Works in Virginia
Medical News Today, November 16, 2007
Lessons in Happiness, One Couple at a Time
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, November 13, 2007
HPV Common in Sexually Active Male College Students
Reuters Health, November 6, 2007
Adolescent Pregnancies Down but Adolescents Becoming Sexually Active at Younger Age
WYKC.com, November 6, 2007
Many Adolescents Don’t Know the Law About Sex
USA Today, October 31, 2007
Pornography Affects Girls, Too
Connectwithkids.com, October 31, 2007
Abstinence Clubs
Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer, October 28, 2007
Chlamydia Damages Male Fertility
BBC News, October 15, 2007
Funding Opportunities
The National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth maintains a listing of organizations identified as potential funding sources for abstinence education programs. The listing includes grant descriptions and contact information.
New York Life Foundation Awards Program
The New York Life Foundation provides six $25,000 grants―one in each New York City borough and one in Westchester County. The 2008 award program supports mentoring; organizations can apply for funding for an existing program that provides services that fit the foundation’s mentoring category. Mentoring programs offer young people sustained relationships with caring adults and/or peers who serve as positive role models. Mentors may be parents, extended family members, or other caregivers; community members; teachers; older peers; or others who spend time with youth. Deadline: Applications accepted online from October 15, 2007, to December 1, 2007.
Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis
Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis is seeking letters of inquiry from nonprofit organizations in Indiana’s Marion, Hamilton, Hancock, Shelby, Johnson, Morgan, Hendricks, and Boone Counties, as well as from recognized local chapters of State or national nonprofits serving the Greater Indianapolis region. Proposals should be submitted in one of five interest areas, including education, family, and health and wellness. Deadline: Letters of inquiry will be accepted online after January 11, 2008, and are due by January 22, 2008.
Young Men at Risk: Transforming the Power of a Generation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Changemakers announce a competition designed to stimulate innovative approaches to the societal challenges confronting young men. Select entrants from U.S. organizations will be invited to submit proposals for a total of up to $1 million in grants to support the most promising innovations. Deadline: The competition will accept applications on the Changemakers Web site through January 23, 2008.
Recent Research
Child Support Enforcement and Sexual Activity of Male Adolescents (2007)
In this study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family [Volume 69 (3): 763-777], researchers examined the association between child support enforcement and the sexual activity of male adolescents. The study found that the anticipation of having to pay child support seemed to impact the number of sexual partners of male adolescents. Male adolescents who anticipated that they would be required to pay child support as a nonresident father were less likely than their peers to have had two or more female partners. Researchers also concluded that being enrolled in school and having lived with both biological parents at age 12 were both associated with a reduction in sexual activity. Additionally, the study suggested that women who live in states with minimal welfare benefits but strong child support enforcement system (e.g., strict child support legislation and high spending on the child support enforcement system) have been observed to have lower rates of adolescent pregnancy and nonmarital birth.
Adolescent Expectancies, Parent-Adolescent Communication and Intentions To Have Sexual Intercourse Among Inner-City, Middle School Youth (2007)
In this study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine [Volume 34 (1): 56-55], researchers examined how high-risk, inner city middle school youth perceived the advantages and disadvantages of engaging in sexual intercourse, as well as how they perceived their mothers’ communication with them about sexual activity. Results indicate that middle school adolescents who engage in sexual activity are more aware of the positive interpersonal/social implications of having sexual intercourse (physical pleasure, feeling close to a partner, feeling more grownup) rather than disease and pregnancy concerns. The study also found that the greater the perceived communication between the adolescent and their mother regarding sexual topics, the more likely was the adolescent to expect to refrain from sex outside of marriage. The researchers suggest that there is a need for mothers to learn skills to more effectively communicate with their children about sexual activity. The researchers also suggest that intervention programs should address the “attractive” aspects of sexual intercourse and help adolescents understand the larger context of all of the consequences of adolescent sexual activity, including out of wedlock childbirth and STDs.
Upcoming Events
National Abstinence Education Grantees Conference
January 28–30, 2008
Bethesda, MD
Registration: TBA
Contact: abstinence@pal-tech.com
Abstinence Education Grantees Regional Training
Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) grantees and State Title V Coordinators in Regions 5 through 7
April 2–3, 2008
Dallas, TX
Registration: TBA
Contact: abstinence@pal-tech.com
Abstinence Education Grantees Regional Training
CBAE grantees and State Title V Coordinators in Regions 8 through 10
May 14–15, 2008
Denver, CO
Registration: TBA
Contact: abstinence@pal-tech.com
Abstinence Education Grantees Regional Training
CBAE grantees and State Title V Coordinators in Regions 1 through 4
June 23–24, 2008
Philadelphia, PA
Registration: TBA
Contact: abstinence@pal-tech.com
Abstinence Education Grantees Regional Training
CBAE grantees and State Title V Coordinators in Regions 1 through 4
June 23–24, 2008
Philadelphia, PA
Registration: TBA
Contact: abstinence@pal-tech.com
Other News/Misc.
State Health Facts
Statehealthfacts.org, a project of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, provides free, up-to-date, and easy-to-use health data on all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States as a whole. The site includes information on over 500 health, health care, and health policy topics.
Parental Influences on Reducing the Risk of Adolescent Pregnancy: Research Findings and Opportunities for New Directions (2006) (PDF file)
This report prepared for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy discusses research on parental monitoring and its relationship to adolescent pregnancy. Parental monitoring has emerged as a strong correlate and predictor of adolescent sexual risk behavior and adolescent pregnancy. Among virginal youth, increased parental monitoring has been associated with decreased intentions to have sexual intercourse. Longitudinal studies have found that parental monitoring also reduces adolescent sexual risk taking. Research on father-adolescent communication about sex suggests that fathers may play a unique and often understudied role. One study found that perceived paternal disapproval delayed the onset of sexual intercourse among adolescents, independent of perceived maternal disapproval. Studies also indicate that having a pregnant or parenting adolescent in the home can place younger adolescents at a greater risk for becoming pregnant themselves.
New Directions for Parent-Based Approaches to Reducing Adolescent Pregnancy (PDF file)
Researchers Vincent Guilamo-Ramos and Alida Bouris of the Columbia University School of Social Work developed this PowerPoint presentation highlighting the research findings from their report Parental Influences on Reducing the Risk of Adolescent Pregnancy. (See above.)
Spotlight
The Abstinence Education E-Update Spotlight has highlighted various topics, from new Federal staff to effective State programs. Now, NCFY will highlight two States a month, looking at each State’s legislation, policy, and specific State features related to abstinence education. In particular, the Spotlight will underscore key points pertaining to abstinence education in each State’s law.
ALABAMA
What’s Happening in the State of Alabama
The Alabama Abstinence-Until-Marriage Education Program (AAEP) includes nine Title V and eight Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) projects that impact adolescents 10 to 19 years of age in 38 of Alabama’s 67 counties.
State Law in Alabama
Alabama has several components pertaining to abstinence in its State sex education law and in general tends to emphasize abstinence-until-marriage education as the preferred form of sex education. The State sex education law is designed to find effective means, within the context of the school environment, of reaching adolescents before they become sexually active and maximizing the guidance and support available to adolescents from teachers, parents, and other family members. In addition, the law promotes self discipline and other approaches to the problems of premarital adolescent sex and adolescent pregnancy. For more information, see the following sections of the Alabama State Code:
http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/16-40A-1.htm
http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/16-40A-2.htm
What’s Working in the State of Alabama
The AAEP Web site includes numerous resources addressing parent, teacher, and community needs. Among these resources is the program’s “public (consumer) involvement” component, which enables interested adults to become involved in promoting abstinence education in Alabama. Through a combined effort, this component has helped Alabama make significant progress in reducing adolescent pregnancy, births, and abortion, as well as infant mortality rates.
ALASKA
What’s Happening in the State of Alaska
The State of Alaska has one Title V and one CBAE program. Its CBAE program, Let’s Talk, was used in 46 Alaskan communities during the last year and 7,444 youth were seen.
State Law in Alaska
The State of Alaska does not have a defining law pertaining to sexuality education. Schools are not required to teach sexuality or sexually transmitted disease education.
Alaska Standards: Content and Performance Measures Standards for Alaska Students, adopted by the Alaska State Board of Education & Early Development, contains limited information on sex education. (See “Skills for a Healthy Life,” p. 26.) Decisions regarding health curriculum including human sexuality are made at the local level.
In addition, the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) supports an effective education effort that focuses on reducing risk by emphasizing abstinence, healthy decision-making, and refusal skills. The association suggests that each school district bring together a broad consensus of its community in order to develop and implement an HIV/AIDS curriculum. The AASB also encourages responsible behaviors relating to human sexuality by supporting programs that promote abstinence, develop healthy decision-making skills, teach refusal skills and promote prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. For more information on the AASB’s recommendations, see Where We Stand, a document outlining its 2007 belief statements and core resolutions.
What’s Unique in the State of Alaska
Unlike many State programs that have a set curriculum, the CBAE program in Alaska is currently helping 20 communities to develop their own culturally appropriate community-based abstinence education programs. It also is establishing a statewide network that facilitates ongoing communication among abstinence education programs and provides resources in program planning, development, implementation, training, and other support services. For more information, go to www.letstalkalaska.com.
Quote for the Day
“Girls will come here and ask for birth control, and we counsel them … The safest way to prevent STDs and pregnancy is to abstain.”
(Kelsey Thornberry, an eighth grade student at Tichenor middle school, speaks out in favor of Abstinence Clubs, Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer, October 28, 2007) |
