MOAPPP February 2010 E-Monthly

Federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention Funding Information Sessions – Same Information, Two Dates

February 17
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Brookdale Area Library
Brooklyn Center

March 3
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Conference call
Call in number: 1-866-212-0875
Passcode: 184928#

Funding for science-based teen pregnancy prevention programming will be available this coming spring from the new federal Office of Adolescent Health. MOAPPP will share what it has learned about this funding during two information sessions. Join staff from MOAPPP, the Healthy Youth Development Prevention Research Center and the Departments of Education and Health to learn which teen pregnancy prevention programs are likely to be funded, what constitutes a “promising program,” where to find data to make your case, and things to think about when applying for federal funds.

To reserve a space for the in-person session, please RSVP.

Visit the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy’s information page for the latest developments regarding funding. MOAPPP will also share any updates it receives via its website. Stay tuned!


MOAPPP February 2010 E-Monthly

Conference Preview

This year’s conference brings with it the possibility of an appearance by the recently confirmed US Surgeon General. Even if the Surgeon General is unable to join us, conference planners have confirmed three highly respected and charismatic keynote speakers to provide data, stories and calls to action during the upcoming conference. They are: James Wagoner, Hector Sanchez-Flores and Michele Ozumba.

Visit the conference page for more information.

Call for Exhibitors

Please join us as an exhibitor for the 19th Annual MOAPPP Conference, May 6-7, 2010 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center. The MOAPPP Conference convenes approximately 400 social service and health care providers, educators, advocates, program directors and youth who work to promote adolescent sexual health, prevent adolescent pregnancy, HIV and STIs, and support pregnant and parenting teens in Minnesota. Visit the conference page of the MOAPPP website for more information and an application.

MOAPPP Annual Awards

MOAPPP will confer awards in the following categories at its annual conference:

  • Advocate of the Year
  • Outstanding Individual of the Year
  • Program of the Year
  • Teen of the Year

To nominate a person or organization in any of these categories, please submit a complete nomination (PDF) to Brigid Riley, MOAPPP Executive Director at [email protected]. For more information about the conference, please contact Sally Mandler, Conference Coordinator at [email protected], 651-644-1447 x13.


Video PSA Contest

MOAPPP is accepting 30 to 60 second video public service announcements created by young people, ages 13 to 24, that respond to the question: “what does it mean to be a healthy young person today?” Selected videos will premiere at MOAPPP’s Annual Conference on May 6 and 7. They will also be featured on MOAPPP’s YouTube channel. For additional information including submission rules and eligibility requirements, visit the conference section of the MOAPPP website.


It’s That Easy! Initiative is on Facebook

It’s That Easy! now has a presence on Facebook. Become a fan today!

The It’s That Easy! (ITE) Initiative has launched a Facebook fanpage. Have you attended an It’s That Easy! Facilitator training? Becoming a fan will help you stay informed about current happenings with ITE. Are you a Parent Educator who has not attended an It’s That Easy! Facilitator training? Becoming a fan is a great way to find out when and where the next training will take place. To become a fan of It’s That Easy!, log into your Facebook account or create one at www.facebook.com and type in It’s That Easy and look for this picture. Join TODAY.


Curriculum Review Panel is Recruiting New Panel Members for 2010

MOAPPP convenes the Minnesota Sexuality Education Resource Review Panel (MSERRP) to review and recommend sexuality education and HIV prevention curricula and resources for use in schools and communities. We are seeking new panel members who are committed to comprehensive sexuality education and who represent a variety of perspectives and experiences. If you have any questions about the panel or are interested in serving on MSERRP, please contact Jocelyn Broyles at [email protected] or 651-644-1447 x19 or download the application (PDF). Fax or mail back application by March 20, 2010.


May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month

It’s not too soon to start planning how your organization can promote May as National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month (NTPPM). Observed each May by states and communities throughout the country, NTPPM seeks to involve communities in promoting and supporting effective teen pregnancy prevention initiatives. A great resource is a publication by Advocates for Youth: National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month (NTPPM) Planning Guidebook (PDF). This guidebook provides strategic tips and examples to help local communities plan and implement activities for NTPPM. It also includes fact sheets, guidance for involving youth and working with the media and sample forms.


National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is May 5, 2010. Plan early how to engage your young people and encourage them to take the National Day Quiz. For details about the day, check out the National Day brochure (PDF) and find ideas on how to participate.

Other Announcements

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

The repercussions of teen dating violence are impossible to ignore—the issue affects not just youth but their families, schools and communities as well. Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) brings national focus to the issue of teen dating violence, highlights the need to educate our youth about healthy relationships, raises awareness among those who care for them and provides communities with a critical opportunity to work together to prevent this devastating cycle of abuse. Visit www.teendvmonth.org for more information.


National Condom Day

February 14, better known as Valentine’s Day, is also National Condom Day. This day is observed to raise awareness and educate people about condoms. According to the CDC, condoms are highly effective in preventing HIV, and effective in preventing pregnancy and a number of sexually transmitted infections. See Advocates for Youth’s website for extensive research on condom effectiveness.


National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Tuesday, March 10, 2010

March 10 will mark the 4th annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day which seeks to raise awareness of the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of women and girls. For more information about the 2010 observance or to download posters and other resources, click here. Watch the MDH website for local fact sheets, updates and activities.


National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Friday, March 20, 2010

March 20, 2010 will mark the fourth annual National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This day is an opportunity to increase awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. “A Celebration of Life” will continue as the observance’s slogan. For more information about National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and for downloadable resources, please visit:

  • www.hhs.gov
  • www.nnaapc.org
  • www.happ.colostate.edu
  • www.itcaonline.com

For Youth

Video PSA Contest

MOAPPP is accepting 30 to 60 second video public service announcements created by young people, ages 13 to 24 that respond to the question: “what does it mean to be a healthy young person today?” Selected videos will premiere at MOAPPP’s Annual Conference on May 6 and 7. They will also be featured on MOAPPP’s YouTube channel. For additional information including submission rules and eligibility requirements, visit the conference section of the MOAPPP website.


That’s What He Said

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has partnered with Seventeen magazine to create, That’s What He Said: What Guys Think About Sex, Love, Contraception, and Relationships, an in-depth look at what goes on in the minds of boys and young men. Read the full report (PDF).


March 24, 2010
Youth Lobby Day

Minnesota State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

This FREE event for youth sponsored by the Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed will focus on being an effective advocate in the legislative process and issues surrounding responsible sex ed and minors’ access to confidential care in Minnesota. Minnesota youth will gather at the Capitol to send a message to legislators about the urgent need for a sex ed statute in Minnesota. Register here today!

Learn more about the Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed at www.coalitionforsexed.org.

In the News

Rising Teen Pregnancy Rate Indicates a Need for Smarter Investments

The nation’s teen pregnancy rate rose 3% in 2006, reflecting increases in teen birth and abortion rates of 4% and 1%, respectively. This increase mirrors the rise in Minnesota’s already-reported teen pregnancy figures, as our rate increased 6.4% from 2005 to 2006 and 1.8% from 2006 to 2007.

These new data, shared in a report by the Guttmacher Institute are especially noteworthy because they provide the first documentation of what experts have suspected for several years, based on trends in teens’ contraceptive use—that the overall teen pregnancy rate would increase in the mid-2000s following steep declines in the 1990s and a subsequent plateau in the early 2000s. The significant drop in teen pregnancy rates in the 1990s was overwhelmingly the result of more and better use of contraceptives among sexually active teens. However, this decline started to stall out in the early 2000s, at the same time that sex education programs aimed exclusively at promoting abstinence—and prohibited by law from discussing the benefits of contraception—became increasingly widespread and teens’ use of contraceptives declined.


2009 HIV/AIDS cases increase by 13 percent in Minnesota
Young males show largest increase in cases

The number of new HIV cases in the state increased by 13% in 2009, marking a 17-year high, according to a new preliminary report from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). There were 368 HIV cases reported in 2009, compared with 326 cases in 2008. The increase was driven primarily by a large increase among males 15-24 years old.

To help curb the rise in HIV cases in Minnesota, MDH is working with a wide variety of community partners and state and local agencies to address the increases in new infections. MDH has expanded HIV prevention and HIV testing programs targeting young and adult men who have sex with men, young heterosexuals, particularly African-American youth and African-born persons. Additional activities include consultation with community partners, developing educational materials, and a summit with area health providers and community members in February 2010.


Abstinence-Only Program Successful in Delaying Sexual Activity Among Young Teens

For the first time, there is strong evidence that an abstinence-only intervention helped very young teens delay sex and reduced their recent sexual activity. Importantly, the study also showed that this particular abstinence-only program did not reduce condom use among the young teens who did have sex—a departure from research findings from other abstinence-only interventions. This was a well-designed study by well-respected researchers, and reflects the field’s understanding of what very young teens need to learn when, how and why to wait to have sex. Please note that the educators working with young people in the study were allowed to answer all questions asked, and shared no misleading or false information about sexual health or prevention methods. Read the journal abstract here.


Sons of Teen Dads More Likely to Become Teen Dads

Although research has shown that girls whose mothers gave birth as teens are more likely than their peers to become teenage mothers themselves, comparatively little has been known about the factors that matter in teen fatherhood. Researchers from Yale, however, are now reporting that they found that sons of teen fathers were 80% more likely to have a child before age 20 compared with their peers born to older fathers. Read the article here.

New Resources

Sexual Violence Center – Support Groups Beginning

The Sexual Violence Center is pleased to announce their upcoming support groups for 2010. All Support Groups are free and offered for people who have experienced any unwanted or forced sexual contact. Groups are 10 weeks in length and meet for two hours each session. All meetings are confidential and closed. Call 612-871-5111 to sign up. Click here for details.


Teen Dating Violence Resource

This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multi-level approaches to the prevention of and response to teen dating violence (TDV). It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations. This special collection is limited in that it only includes documents that are freely available online. Comments, suggestions, and information about documents for this special collection are welcome. Please submit your comments via VAWnet’s online contact form. The collection was developed by staff of the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse in consultation with the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence.


STD Overview for Non-Clinicians – Free Online Course

The California STD/HIV Prevention Training Center has a new online course entitled STD Overview for Non-Clinicians. To register for this free, self-paced, web-based training go to: www.stdhivtraining.org and click on the course title. It was designed for health educators, counselors, teachers, nurses, social workers, outreach workers and other providers working in STD/HIV prevention and education. Continuing education credits are available upon completion of this online course for BBS, CHES, CAADAC, and Nursing CEs. For more information, see the flyer (PDF).

New Research

There’s Always Plan B: Adolescent Knowledge, Attitudes and Intention to Use Emergency Contraception

The objective of this study was to assess adolescent knowledge of and attitudes towards emergency contraception (EC), with the goal of creating a locally relevant social marketing campaign and intervention. While respondents seemed generally aware of EC’s existence, most were unclear about circumstances warranting its use and its mechanism of action. The FDA change to behind-the-counter availability appeared to increase knowledge and access to EC, although substantial barriers to EC access and use remain, including price. Further work remains in educating those in need of EC, especially adolescents under the age of 18 years.


Relationship Between Sexual Assault, Suicidality and Binge Drinking Among Adolescent Girls

Using data from over 6000 adolescent females from the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, this study found, that binge drinking significantly mediated the relationship between forced sexual intercourse and suicide for Hispanic and Caucasian adolescent females, but not for African American adolescent females. Results suggest the need for closer monitoring of adolescent victims of sexual assault who also abuse alcohol to intervene in early suicide behaviors. Treatment and intervention programs should also be culturally sensitive to account for differences in reaction to sexual trauma among race/ethnicity. Implications for suicide prevention and alcohol intervention strategies as well as suggestions to clinical providers are discussed.


One-Third of Teen Mothers Do Not Earn High School Diploma or GED

New Child Trends research found that one in three (34%) young women who had been teen mothers did not earn a high school diploma or a GED, compared with only 6% of young women who had not had a teen birth. The authors also found 51% of teen mothers received a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 89% of young women who had not given birth during their teen years. More than two-thirds of black women who had a child before the age of 18 earned either a high school diploma or GED, compared with 55% of white women and 46% of Hispanic women. Read the full report (PDF).


Time From First Intercourse to First Sexually Transmitted Infection Diagnosis Among Adolescent Women

This study determined the time between first intercourse and first sexually transmitted infection (STI). Within two years of having sex for the first time, half of teenage girls were infected with one of three common STIs. Often, those girls are infected by the age of 15. Considerable delay in STI testing was found for those who began sex at a younger age. The authors recommend timely screening and treatment for prevention of STI sequelae. For urban adolescent women, STI screening should begin within a year after first intercourse and infected individuals should be retested every 3 to 4 months. Read the full study (PDF).

MOAPPP Events

February 9, 2010
Teen Pregnancy Prevention 101

9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Eastside Community Center
1526 East 6th Street, St. Paul

This training is offered twice a year at various locations across Minnesota.

This training is intended for professionals new to the field of adolescent pregnancy prevention. Participants review the basics of adolescent pregnancy prevention including pregnancy, birth and STI statistics; trends in adolescent pregnancy and sexual behaviors; basics of adolescent growth and development; risk and protective factors associated with adolescent pregnancy; and prevention strategies that work. Each participant will leave with a basic understanding of current research and resources, what to do to promote adolescent sexual health and where to go for more information and support. For more information and to register, see the flyer and registration form (PDF). Click here to register online. Registration scholarships are available. Questions? Contact Jill at 651-644-1447 x18, [email protected]


February 10, 2010
Two Trainings: Meeting the Unique Needs of Adolescent Mothers & Fathers and Practical Tips for Working with Teen Moms & Dads

Both trainings on Wednesday, February 10 in St. Paul.

Meeting the Unique Needs of Adolescent Mothers & Fathers
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Minnesota Department of Health
Snelling Office Park
1645 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul
Includes light continental breakfast and lunch

Three common goals of adolescent parent programs are to facilitate long-term self-sufficiency, build parenting capacity and ensure the healthy growth and development of the children born to young parents. This workshop, for professionals new to adolescent parent work, examines national and state data related to adolescent parents; systems that impact adolescent parents; the strengths and opportunities, as well as the challenges young parents bring to their new role; current research on best practices for working with adolescent parents; and the role every provider can play in enhancing the lives of these young families.


Practical Tips for Working with Teen Moms & Dads

2:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Minnesota Department of Health
Snelling Office Park
1645 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul

Working with adolescent parents can be both rewarding and challenging. Adults may find themselves unclear how to communicate concepts to young parents in a way that is meaningful and produces results. This workshop provides guidelines for how to develop activities and communicate with youth along with several specific take-away ideas and activities.

Cost for both trainings: $50 MOAPPP members/$85 non-members
Cost for just Meeting the Unique Needs training: $35 MOAPPP members/$70 non-members
Cost for just Practical Tips: $25 MOAPPP members/$60 non-members

For more information and to register for one or both of these trainings, see the flyer and registration form. Registration scholarships are available. Questions? Contact Sue at 651-644-1447 x15 or [email protected].


February 17 & March 3, 2010
Federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention Funding Information Sessions – Same Information, Two Dates

February 17
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Brookdale Area Library, Brooklyn Center

March 3
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Conference call
Call in number: 1-866-212-0875
Passcode: 184928#

Funding for science-based teen pregnancy prevention programming will be available this coming spring from the new federal Office of Adolescent Health. MOAPPP will share what it has learned about this funding during two information sessions. Join staff from MOAPPP, the Healthy Youth Development Prevention Research Center and the Departments of Education and Health to learn which teen pregnancy prevention programs are likely to be funded, what constitutes a “promising program,” where to find data to make your case, and things to think about when applying for federal funds.

To reserve a space for the in-person session, please RSVP.


February 19, 2010
Safer Choices: Training of School Teams

8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Webster Open Elementary School
425 NE 5th Street, Minneapolis

Join MOAPPP for a free learning session about this unique, school-wide approach to adolescent pregnancy prevention. The Safer Choices curriculum is designed for school settings and features five components: School Organization, Curriculum and Staff Development, Peer Resources and School Environment, Parent Education, and School-Community Linkages. Whether you work for a school, community-based agency, faith institution or other youth-serving organization, come find out if Safer Choices might be the program for you! For more information and to register, see the flyer and registration form (PDF). Click here to register online. Questions? Contact Jill at 651-644-1447 x18, [email protected].


March 8-9, 2010
It’s That Easy! Helping Parents Raise Sexually Healthy Children
Designed for Hmong community professionals

8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
NEW LOCATION:
West Side Community Health Services-La Clinica
153 Cesar Chavez Street, St. Paul

Are you a Hmong community professional? If you work with Hmong families of children birth to 18, you are in a unique position to support them in their critical role as sexuality educators for their children. However, sexuality is not always easy to discuss. Come learn tools and techniques to engage parents/caregivers in developmentally appropriate approaches to raising sexually healthy children. Participants receive the It’s That Easy manual, a comprehensive guide designed to help you work with parents in your community.

For more information, see the flyer and registration form (PDF). Click here to register online. Questions? Contact Jocelyn Broyles at 651-644-1447 x19, [email protected]Scholarships are available.

Special acknowledgements to our partners for their dedication to this project: Healthy Youth Development-Prevention Research Center-U of MN, Health Start/West Side Community Health Services, Saint Paul-Ramsey County Department of Public Health, Sexual Violence Prevention Program-MN Department of Health, Teen Age Medical Service, West Suburban Teen Clinic, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota International Health Volunteers.


March 23-25, 2010
Safer Choices: Training of Educators
NOTE: CHANGE OF DATE

8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on March 23 & 24
8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on March 25
Minnesota Department of Education
1500 Highway 36 West, Roseville

Safer Choices is an evidence-based curriculum taught over two consecutive years, 10 lessons in Year One (Level One) and 10 lessons in Year Two (Level Two). Safer Choices involves teachers, parents, and community members to have a positive influence on adolescents’ decisions regarding sex and help them feel supported in making healthy choices. In addition to the highly interactive training, each participant receives a copy of the Safer Choices curriculum, student workbooks and activity kit. For more information and to register, see the flyer and registration form (PDF). Click here to register online. Registration scholarships are available. Questions? Contact Jill at 651-644-1447 x18, [email protected].

Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed Events

MOAPPP is a founding member of the Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed. The Coalition advocates for policies on sexuality education and access to confidential health care for minors. Here is a list of Coalition events for 2009. For additional information, visit www.coalitionforsexed.org.

March 24, 2010
Youth Lobby Day

Minnesota State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

This FREE event for youth will focus on being an effective advocate in the legislative process and issues surrounding responsible sex ed and minors’ access to confidential care in Minnesota. Minnesota youth will gather at the Capitol to send a message to legislators about the urgent need for a sex ed statute in Minnesota. Register here today! Learn more about the Coalition at www.coalitionforsexed.org. Find organizational members here. Join as an individual or as an organization here.

Other Events

February 20, 2010
Minnetonka Parent Fair

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Minnetonka High School
18301 Highway 7, Minnetonka

The annual Minnetonka Parent Fair is a free event for parents of children all ages and the professionals who work with them. The keynote speaker is Dr Debra Haffner. She will be talking about her most recent book, What Every 21st Century Parent Needs To Know. She will also facilitate a breakout session, where she will provide tips on how to encourage parents to be the primary sexuality educator for their child as she highlights the techniques for encouraging age appropriate conversations in her, From Diapers to Dating: A Parents’ Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children book. Professionals who work with parents are encouraged to attend this session. CEUs are available at a low cost and child care is available with pre-registration. For more information, click here.


February 26, 2010
Provider Summit on Young Gay/Bi Men and HIV

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Earle Brown Heritage Center
6155 Earle Brown Drive, Brooklyn Center

HIV infection rates among young gay/bi men ages 13-24 have nearly doubled in the last year and are the highest they’ve been since 1986. We need your help to identify new messages and programs to reach these youth. If you work with young men at risk of becoming infected with HIV, attend this event sponsored by Hennepin County Ryan White Program and Minnesota Department of Health. For more information and to RSVP to this FREE Summit, see the flyer and registration form (PDF).


April 7, 2010
The 2010 Minnesota Annual Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Conference:
Prevention Works! Taking the Message Home

St. Cloud Civic Center, St. Cloud

This year’s conference features in-depth workshops on nationally recognized strategies that participants can use in their home communities to promote the well-being of children, families and communities. Featured presenters include Prevent Child Abuse America President Jim Hmurovich, the “Good Enough Moms” Marti Ericson and Erin Erickson Garner, Cordelia Anderson, Casa de Esperanza’s Ambar Cristina Hanson and Olga Trujillo, and more! Visit www.pcamn.org for full information and to register as a participant or an exhibitor. Early Bird rates apply until March 16. Don’t miss this chance to be part of raising spirits, inciting hope and encouraging action for thriving Minnesota communities!

Funding Opportunities

Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative – Community Grants Program

The Office of Minority and Multicultural Health of the Minnesota Department of Health is currently soliciting proposals for the Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative (EHDI). The EHDI grant funds are provided to close the gap in the health status of African Americans/Africans, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos in Minnesota as compared with whites in the following priority health areas: breast and cervical cancer screening, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, HIV/AIDS and sexually-transmitted diseases, immunizations for adults and children, infant mortality, teen pregnancy, unintentional injuries and violence as well as social determinants of health.

Eligible applicants include but are not limited to faith-based organizations, social service organizations, community non-profit organizations, community health boards, tribal governments, and community clinics throughout Minnesota. A copy of the full Request for Proposals may be obtained at www.health.state.mn.us/ommh.