MOAPPP’s February 2004 E-Monthly

Table of Contents

“This is My Reality- The Price of Sex: An Inside Look at Black Urban Youth Sexuality”

This new study reports that many low-income black urban youth view sex as “little more than a transaction,” and mainstream media messages about sex, love and relationships have “little impact” on the sexual behaviors of urban youth. The report was released by Motivational Educational Entertainment Productions in partnership with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. A video documentary accompanying the report includes excerpts from the study focus groups and interviews with 10 experts on sexuality, the media and public health. See: www.teenpregnancy.org

New Resources on Parent-Child Connectedness

Parent-Child Connectedness is an important protective factor for many adolescent health outcomes including pregnancy and STD/HIV prevention. ETR Associates took an in-depth look at parent-child connectedness to better understand how it is established, how it works as a protective factor and how it can be strengthened. Resources that summarize their findings can be found at www.etr.org/recapp through the “new content this month” scroll bar. There will be an on-line forum to address parent-child connectedness on February 2, 7:00am to 4:30pm Pacific Time. To register for this forum, visit ReCAPP’s homepage at www.etr.org/recapp and click on the forum button on the right-hand side of the screen.

The Longer Teens Delay Sex in First Relationship, the More Likely They are to Use Contraceptives

U.S. teenagers have a high rate of unintended pregnancy, in part because many do not use contraceptives or use them inconsistently. However, according to “Patterns of Contraceptive Use Within Teenagers’ First Sexual Relationships,” by Jennifer Manlove et al. of Child Trends, national data from the Adolescent Health survey shows that the longer teenagers delay sexual intercourse in their first relationship, the more likely they are to use contraceptives consistently throughout that relationship. See: www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3524603.pdf

Report Details Impact of Childcare Budget Cuts

The Children’s Defense Fund of Minnesota has produced a study on the impact of last year’s 86 million dollar childcare funding cuts. According to Minh Ta, CDF’s Policy Director, the report reveals that Minnesota is now below Mississippi in terms of generosity for providing childcare assistance, more families are returning to welfare, because they cannot afford childcare, and, for the families that are still eligible, they’re struggling to pay the new hyped-up childcare co-payments. Lastly, childcare providers are closing across the state. Go to www.cdf-mn.org for the full report.

Report on U.S. Public’s Views on Sex Education in Public Schools

National Public Radio, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government recently released a survey that examines the U.S. public’s views on sex education in public schools. The project reviews whether U.S. residents think sex education should be taught in school, as well as what kind of sex education should be taught and surveys middle, junior high and high school principals on what their schools are teaching students in sex education courses. To view a copy of the survey: www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/pomr012904oth.cfm

MOAPPP Executive Director

MOAPPP’s Executive Director, Nancy Nelson, is retiring in June 2004. The MOAPPP Search Committee is actively seeking candidates to provide leadership to this organization. Qualifications for the position include demonstrated knowledge of issues; experience in administration, financial management, and fundraising; and communications and advocacy skills. For a complete job description, see MOAPPP.org. MOAPPP’s compensation package is competitive in salary, health and other benefits. To apply, send cover letter, resume and salary requirements to: MOAPPP Search Committee, 1619 Dayton Avenue, Suite 111, St. Paul, MN 55104. Email applications will be accepted: [email protected]. Application deadline: March 5, 2004.

Call for MOAPPP Award Nominations

Each year, MOAPPP honors individuals, agencies, policy makers and programs that make outstanding contributions in the areas of adolescent pregnancy prevention and parenting in Minnesota. The awards are presented at the MOAPPP annual conference on May 7, 2004. MOAPPP currently seeks nominations for the award recipients. Please let us know about individuals, agencies, and programs you work with that deserve to be recognized by their peers. With your help, we can honor the remarkable efforts going on throughout the state. Please go to the MOAPPP website for a full description of the awards and the categories in which they are distributed, as well as a nomination form. Please send nominations to Nancy Nelson at [email protected]or via fax at 651-644-1417 by April 9, 2004.

Looking for MSERRP Panel Members

The Minnesota Sexuality Education Resource Review Panel (MSERRP) reviews and recommends sexuality education and HIV/AIDS curricula and resources for use in schools and communities in Minnesota. The panel consists of approximately forty individuals, representing a broad range of expertise in sexuality and HIV/AIDS education. Though panel members represent a diversity of community-based and statewide organizations, each supports comprehensive sexuality education as the most effective approach to educating youth and families about healthy sexuality and HIV prevention. MSERRP is currently seeking new members. If you are interested in learning more about MSERRP or in receiving an application, please contact Marilyn Colby Rivkin at 651-644-1447 ext. 15 or [email protected].

Sallie Mae Fund Scholarships

In 2004, the Sallie Mae Fund,a charitable organization sponsored by student loan company Sallie Mae, will award more than $2.5 million in scholarships to help enroll students in college through its community-based initiative, Project Access. The fund seeks to help increase access to higher education for a diverse generation of Americans through its support of the following scholarship programs for ethnic minority and underserved students. For a complete listing of 2004 scholarship guidelines, criteria, and application procedures, visit the Sallie Mae Fund Web Site.