MOAPPP June 2011 E-Monthly

Teenwise Minnesota Announcements

Show’em you’re “teenwise” by becoming a member!

“Teenwise” is defined as a person or entity that understands the physical, cognitive and emotional opportunities and challenges teenagers encounter today, and helps facilitate their journey into healthy adulthood.

We KNOW that our members are some of the greatest advocates for teens in Minnesota. By becoming a member or renewing your membership with Teenwise Minnesota today, you’re able to learn effective “teenwise” strategies, as well as how to make Minnesota a more “teenwise” place to be.

Though the cost is small, the value is large. Teenwise Minnesota’s membership is the critical link for learning, networking and information sharing across the state.

Individuals can join for just $50 a year, and organizations for only $150, and become part of the only professional association in the state of Minnesota dedicated to promoting adolescent sexual health, preventing adolescent pregnancy and gaining support for adolescent parents.

Visit our Membership page to be a part of our “teenwise” network today!


New Adolescent Sexual Health Fact Sheets Available!

Teenwise Minnesota has published several new factsheets with the most current available data about Minnesota youth. Contact Jill Farris at [email protected] if you have questions about this information.

  • 2009 County Teen Pregnancy and Birth Data – Alphabetized (PDF)
  • 2009 County Teen Pregnancy and Birth Data – Ranked (PDF)
  • 2007-2009 County Teen Pregnancy and Birth Data – Alphabetized (PDF)
  • 2007-2009 County Teen Pregnancy and Birth Data – Ranked (PDF)
  • MFIP Data for Families Started by Adolescent Birth (under age 20) (PDF)
  • Disparities in Adolescent Birth Rates by Race and Ethnicity (PDF)
  • Minnesota Adolescent Pregnancy and Birth Statistics (PDF)
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Among Minnesota Adolescents (PDF)
  • Top 10 Minnesota Counties by Birth and Pregnancy Rates (PDF)
  • Dollars and Sense (PDF)

Conference Recap

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our 20th Annual Conference! More than 325 professionals from across the state—and beyond—were there as we launched our third decade as the source on adolescent sexual health and parenting. Keynote speakers shared insights about the past, present and future of the field while workshop presenters shared expertise on multiple topics. Visit the Conference webpage to:

  • Watch the welcome from Senator Al Franken
  • View and download the 20-year timeline illustrating milestones of our history
  • Find PowerPoint slides from several workshops
  • See the Powerpoint we created to celebrate our annual award recipients
  • Find out how to watch the keynote presentations at our office if you couldn’t be there (or if you just want to see them again)

Planning for next year’s conference will begin soon. Watch for opportunities to contribute your ideas.

2011 Annual Awards
The following individuals and organizations were honored during the Annual Awards Ceremony held on the first day of the conference. Please join us in congratulating them!

Legacy Award
Nancy A. Nelson, Co-founder and former Executive Director

Agency of the Year
Minneapolis Public Schools

Advocate of the Year
John Choi, Ramsey County Attorney

Judy Ojeda Community Partner Award
Red Lake Community Education

The Community Partner award is dedicated to the memory of Judy Ojeda, former Latino Outreach Coordinator who died unexpectedly in 2009. With it, we honor Judy’s commitment to community and her dedication to bringing community voices to the table.

Teen of the Year
Otis Mays, High School for Recording Arts

Congratulations to all of the award recipients, and many thanks for your inspired work!


Wise Up! 20th Anniversary Event

We had a GREAT party at Solera in downtown Minneapolis on May 12! Three hundred people turned out for delicious food, exciting silent and live auction items and heartwarming stories about the impact of the Teen Outreach Program (thanks, DeAndre and Haley!). Thanks to Benefit Chair, Nancy A. Nelson, MOAPPP co-founder and former Executive Director; to the members of the planning committee who worked many hours to ensure the evening’s success; to the young musicians who set the party mood; and to T. Mychael Rambo for expertly guiding the evening’s festivities. Most of all, thanks to each of YOU for making it a night to remember!


Support Teenwise Minnesota by Shopping at Amazon.com

MOAPPP June 2011 E-MonthlyJune is a busy month for special occasions including graduations, weddings and don’t forget Father’s Day. Enjoy the convenience of shopping online while supporting Teenwise Minnesota at the same time! Teenwise Minnesota has partnered with Amazon.com in a special program that gives Teenwise Minnesota a percentage of the sales from Amazon purchases that originate on our website. Simply link to Amazon by clicking on the link above and all the purchases you make during that online session will benefit Teenwise Minnesota. This is a year-round promotion so always start at Teenwise Minnesota’s website when shopping at Amazon.com!

Other Announcements

New Report from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy

Adding It Up: The Public Costs of Teen Childbearing is an updated analysis of the 2006 report from The Campaign titled By the Numbers. The report summarizes dollars spent on health care, child welfare, lost tax revenue and increased incarceration rates of the children born to teen parents. Estimated expenses for Minnesota are $173 million annually.

The Campaign—and Teenwise Minnesota—stress that this figure is a wake-up call to decision-makers to invest in proven approaches to teen pregnancy prevention. We also add that it is the adults in Minnesota who create the environments in which young people live, work, play and learn. It is our responsibility to provide teens with the information and skills they need to make wise decision about sexual health, while also supporting young mothers and fathers in becoming the best parents possible.

For Youth

Peer Sex Educator Training Programs this Summer

The Family Tree Clinic is hosting two peer sex educator training programs for teens this summer! One is K.I.S.S. (Keeping It Safe and Sexy) for GLBTQ youth and allies, and the other is “Talk About It” for African American teen girls. The programs will meet twice weekly throughout the summer and train participants to be peer educators, and then those young people can earn money teaching their peers what they have learned in the group. It is a really fun program and a great chance for teens to feel like leaders and be a part of something exciting. It also provides young people something good to put on their resume, and is a summer job of sorts! The program is open to teens 14-18 years old from anywhere in the metro area. The Family Tree Clinic can provide bus fare to help out with travel costs. Read more about K.I.S.S. (PDF) and Talk About It (PDF).


Saint Paul Youth Commissioners Wanted!

Involvement includes:

  • Leading community projects that matter to you; tackling serious issues by designing creative solutions;
  • Ensuring the views of youth are heard by city officials, state legislators and the community at large; and
  • Strengthening your leadership skills, expanding your network, and building your power!

The application deadline is June 16. View this flyer (PDF) for more information.

In the News

Teen Abstinence May Not Stop Later Risky Sex

Teens that choose to practice abstinence or delay having sex may still engage in sexual risk-taking as adults, according to a new study. The researchers found that a combination of other factors, including genetics and environment, are stronger contributing factors than being sexually promiscuous in young adulthood—which they described as associated with but not causing later sexual risk-taking. Read the story here.

New Resources

The Boy Show – New Video from Youth Performance Company

The always bold Minneapolis-based Youth Performance Company reveals everything awkward and embarrassing about “growing up guy” in their brand new educational film, The Boy Show. In their own words, boys share their perspective on a range of subjects, from puberty to absent fathers and more. By turns hilarious, informative and heartbreaking, The Boy Show provides a raw and real glimpse into the teenage male mind. Recommended for ages 13 and up. Contact YPC at 612-623-9180 to order.


Free Book Targets Teen Sexual Risk

ETR Associates presents Reducing Adolescent Sexual Risk, by Douglas Kirby, PhD, and his colleagues, long known for their groundbreaking work on adolescent sexuality. Also available free as a downloadable PDF, the book offers a research-based, step-by-step guide to understanding seven “sexual psychosocial” factors that affect sexual behavior. Reducing Adolescent Sexual Risk helps health professionals design, adapt and select curriculum-based programs to effectively address critical factors that affect teens’ sexual decision making. It is ideal for program planners, policy makers, district administrators and youth-serving organizations. Download the book here (PDF).


Teen Pregnancy Prevention State PREP Adult Preparation Subjects Resource Guide

On March 23, 2010, the President signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This Act amended Title V of the Social Security Act to include a new State formula grant program, the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP). PREP funds are to be used to educate adolescents on both abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and at least three adulthood preparation subjects.

These adult preparation subjects are:

  1. Adolescent Development
  2. Educational and Career Success
  3. Financial Literacy
  4. Healthy Life Skills
  5. Healthy Relationships
  6. Parent-Child Communication

The Resource Guide (PDF) provides information regarding these six adulthood preparation subjects and is intended to serve as a resource to states as PREP programs are implemented. Each adult preparation subject section may be considered stand-alone guidance, though the topics overlap in many ways. This information is necessarily limited in scope; the Resource Guide does not exhaust every sub-topic related to the broad concept of adult preparation.


Mapping Programs that Serve Pregnant and Parenting Teens

There are many programs providing services to young parents, but they often occur at the local, rather than the state-level, and identifying what is available is challenging. This report (PDF) summarizes findings gathered by Healthy Teen Network over a six month period to assess supports and services for young families on a national scale.


Parent-Child Connectedness in Our Communities

Planned Parenthood MN, ND, SD recently released a new report Parent-Child Connectedness in Our Communities. The report (PDF) emphasizes the power of parent-child connectedness (PCC) to protect against teen pregnancy, among other adverse adolescent health outcomes. The report suggests that society might better promote connectedness within all families by strengthening environmental supports for parents throughout our communities.

New Research

Despite Record National Low, State Teen Birth Rates Vary Widely, As Do Repeat Teen Births Across Cities

Nationally, birth rates for all teens decreased in 2009 to 39.1 births per 1,000 young women between the ages of 15 and 19. However, the latest state data on teen birth rates (from 2008) show wide variation. This report (PDF), which is based primarily on Child Trends’ analyses of data from the National Center for Health Statistics, also includes teen birth data for large cities, as well as data on repeat teen births—births that occur to teens who have already had a baby.


Comparisons of HIV Prevention Programs for Homeless Youth

This study from Prevention Science evaluated six HIV prevention programs for homeless youth: STRIVE, the Community Reinforcement Approach, Strengths-Based Case Management, Ecologically-Based Family Therapy, Street Smart, and AESOP (street outreach access to resources). The components of each are identified and suggestions are made concerning which programs providers may choose to replicate.


Alcohol Use and Risky Sexual Behavior Among Criminally-Involved Adolescents

This study from Prevention Science examined adolescents involved with the criminal justice system and the relationship between risky sexual behavior and alcohol use. High self-esteem, being female, being older and being in a relationship predicted membership in the class with no observed relationship of alcohol use to risky sex, relative to the other classes. Implications of the present findings are discussed in terms of exploring different risky sex and alcohol use patterns within criminally involved adolescents, as well as understanding the effectiveness of interventions for subgroups of individuals.


Preventing College Women’s Sexual Victimization Through Parent Based Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

A randomized controlled trial described in this article from Prevention Science, using parent-based intervention (PBI) was designed to reduce the incidence of alcohol-involved sexual victimization among first-year college students. Consistent with hypotheses, PBI, either standard or enhanced, was associated with lower incidence of incapacitated rape in the first year of college relative to controls. Intervention increased mother-daughter communication, which predicted lower frequency of first semester heavy episodic drinking, resulting in lower rates of alcohol-involved sexual victimization in the first year of college.


“I’m Wondering If I Am Completely Missing That?”: Foster Care Case Managers and Supervisors Report on Their IPV Training

The purpose of this descriptive study from Children and Youth Services Review was to assess whether any training on adult intimate partner violence (IPV) is received by child welfare employees in three large geographic areas of one Midwestern state. The co-occurrence between child maltreatment and (IPV) is estimated to range from 30 percent to 60 percent, and child welfare workers have tremendous potential to identify IPV when they are adequately trained.


In Love or In Trouble: Examining Ways Court Professionals Can Better Respond to Victims of Adolescent Partner Violence

This article from Juvenile & Family Court Journal explores adolescent partner violence and legal system responses to it. Research suggests that as many as 45 percent of high school students have experienced some form of adolescent partner violence. Despite these findings, the legal response to domestic violence has focused on assisting adult victims and has often excluded adolescents. This article examines the innovative approaches of two of the country’s first adolescent-oriented domestic violence courts and uses the lessons learned from these courts and the research to suggest a larger role court professionals can play in responding to adolescent partner violence.


Role of Religiosity in the Relationship Between Parents, Peers and Adolescent Risky Sexual Behavior

This study from the Journal of Youth and Adolescence develops and tests a model of various mechanisms whereby parental religiosity reduces the likelihood of adolescents’ participation in risky sexual behavior (early sexual debut, multiple sexual partners and inconsistent condom use) using longitudinal data from a sample of 612 African-American adolescents (55 percent female). The results indicated that parental religiosity influenced adolescent risky sexual behavior through its impact on authoritative parenting, adolescent religiosity and adolescent affiliation with less sexually permissive peers. Some mediating mechanisms differed by the gender of the respondent, suggesting a “double-standard” for daughters but not for sons. Findings also indicated the importance of messages about sexual behavior that are transmitted to adolescents by their peers.


Effect of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Psychosexual Functioning During Adulthood

This study from Journal of Family Violence examined whether and how characteristics of childhood sexual abuse and disclosure influenced three dimensions of psychosexual functioning—emotional, behavioral and evaluative—during adulthood. The sample included 165 adults who were sexually abused as children and examined five outcomes: fear of sex and guilt during sex (emotional dimension), problems with touch and problems with sexual arousal (behavioral), and sexual satisfaction (evaluative). Respondents who were older when they were first abused, injured, had more than one abuser, said the abuse was incest, and told someone about the abuse were more likely to experience problems in at least one area of psychosexual functioning. Older children who told about the abuse were more likely than younger children who told about the abuse to fear sex and have problems with touch during adulthood.


Challenges to Ensuring Confidential Care for Adolescents and Young Adults

Protecting Confidential Health Services for Adolescents and Young Adults: Strategies and Considerations for Health Plans (PDF) reviews the importance of access to confidential health services for adolescents and young adults, the legal protections in place to ensure confidential care delivery for them, health insurance system barriers and other challenges to delivering that confidential care and opportunities for health plans to improve confidential care delivery. Topics include preventing unnecessary disclosures in the billing process, using the HIPAA privacy rule to protect confidentiality for sensitive services, enrolling eligible adolescents in Medicaid, advocating for changes in state law and educating and empowering adolescent mothers.


A Chatbot That Answers Adolescents’ Questions About Sex, Drugs and Alcohol

The aim of this study from the Journal of Adolescent Health was to investigate if and how an artificially intelligent chat agent (chatbot) that answers questions about sex, drugs and alcohol is used and evaluated by adolescents, especially in comparison with information lines and search engines. The chatbot reached high school attendees in general and not only adolescents with previous experience related to sex, drugs or alcohol. The authors conclude that the use of chatbots within the field of health promotion has a large potential to reach a varied group of adolescents and to provide them with answers to their questions related to sex, drugs and alcohol.


School-Based Health Center Access, Reproductive Health Care and Contraceptive Use Among Sexually Experienced High School Students

This study from the Journal of Adolescent Health compared receipt of reproductive health care, contraceptive use and screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) among adolescents who are sexually experienced. Researchers found that access to an SBHC did not influence receipt of reproductive health care for either males or females and did not influence contraceptive use, either hormonal or condoms for males. For females, however, those with access to an SBHC had increased odds of having received pregnancy or disease prevention care, having used hormonal contraceptives at last sex, and were more likely to have ever been screened for an STD. The authors conclude that access to an on-site clinic does not seem to lead to increases in all types of reproductive care in the population as a whole, sexually active females are more likely to have received more specific care and to have used hormonal contraceptives if their school has an SBHC.


Vaginal Lacerations From Consensual Intercourse in Adolescents

In this study from Child Abuse & Neglect, analysis of patient data for four female adolescents seen at a children’s hospital over a 6-month period found that three of the four patients had vaginal injuries resulting from consensual sexual intercourse, while the fourth patient reported that her injuries were the result of sexual assault. Analysis of patient files indicated that severe vaginal fornix laceration is consistent with coital injuries resulting from consensual sexual intercourse and are not frequently reported in cases of sexual assault. The results indicate that it is important for health care providers to have knowledge of consensual sexual injuries that may occur in adolescent patients so as to provide the proper diagnosis, treatment and counseling for patients and their families.


Nation Pays Steep Price for High Rates of Unintended Pregnancy

Two new studies taking different methodological approaches arrive at the same conclusion: unintended pregnancy costs U.S. taxpayers roughly $11 billion each year.

  • “The Public Costs of Births Resulting from Unintended Pregnancies: National and State-Level Estimates” relied on state-level data from 2006 to estimate costs for each state, which were then added together to arrive at a national total. The study (PDF) found that two-thirds of births resulting from unintended pregnancies—more than one million births—are publicly funded, and the proportion tops 80 percent in a couple of states. The cost of those births, and the potential gross saving from helping women to avert them, is estimated at $11.1 billion.
  • “Unintended Pregnancy and Taxpayer Spending” estimated the cost of unintended pregnancy by counting 2001 national estimates of the outcomes of publicly financed unintended pregnancies and multiplying those counts by the average cost per outcome. The estimates of the cost to taxpayers of providing medical services to women who experience unintended pregnancies and to infants who are born as a result of such pregnancies range between $9.6 and $12.6 billion per year, and average $11.3 billion. The estimates of the public savings that would result if these unintended pregnancies were prevented range from $4.7 billion to $6.2 billion per year, and average $5.6 billion. Read the study here (PDF).

Unintended Pregnancy Rates at the State Level

Unintended pregnancy is a key reproductive health indicator, but rates have never been calculated for all 50 states. The Guttmacher Institute calculated state-level estimates of unintended pregnancy rates in 2006 using data from several sources. Rates were generally highest in the South and Southwest, and in states with large urban populations. These rates provide benchmarks for measuring the impact on unintended pregnancy of state policies and practices, such as those governing sex education and the funding of contraceptive services. Read the report here (PDF).

Teenwise Minnesota Events

June 21, 2011
Teen Pregnancy Prevention 101

9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Center for Performing Arts
3754 Pleasant Avenue, Minneapolis

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. Questions? Contact Jocelyn at 651-644-1447 x19, [email protected].


August 16-18, 2011
Making Proud Choices!: Training of Educators

8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., August 16 and 17
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., August 18
Keewaydin Elementary School
5209 30th Avenue South, Minneapolis

Making Proud Choices! is an 8-module curriculum for use by school districts, faith communities and community organizations that provides adolescents with the knowledge, confidence and skills to reduce their risk of STI/HIV and pregnancy. This curriculum, designed for youth ages 11-13, emphasizes waiting to have sex or using condoms if young people choose to have sex. In addition to the 2 1/2 days of highly interactive training, each participant receives a copy of the Making Proud Choices! curriculum, an activity set and video clips.

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].


August 22-23 and 29-30, 2011
It’s That Easy! Parent Educator Training

August 22-23 – Willmar
August 29-30 – Roseville
Both trainings: 8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Willmar
Health and Human Service Building – Multi Purpose Room
2200 23rd Street NE, Willmar

Roseville
Minnesota Department of Education – Conference A – Room CC 14 1500 Highway 36 West, Roseville

If you work with parents/caregivers of children aged 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! resource manual, a comprehensive guide designed to help you work with parents in your community.

For more information and to register, see the flyer and registration form for Willmar (PDF) or Roseville (PDF). Click here to register for the Willmar training. Click here to register for the Roseville training. Questions? Contact Jocelyn at 651-644-1447 x19, [email protected].

Other Events

Summer 2011
University of Minnesota Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) Courses

June 13-August 15, 2011
Prenatal Development and its Influence on Child Development: A Foundational Course on the Parent-Infant Relationship

Instructor: Joann O’Leary, Ph.D., MPH, MS

June 13-August 15, 2011
Premature Babies and Their Parents: Information and Insights for Early Intervention Personnel

Instructor: Jolene Pearson, M.S., IMH-E® (IV), Minneapolis Public Schools, Early Childhood Special Education

June 13-August 15, 2011
Bridging Education and Mental Health

Instructor: Cynthia Croft, MA, Director, Center for Inclusive Child Care, Concordia University; Adjunct Faculty, Minneapolis Community and Technical College

For more information or to register, click here.


July 25-27, 2011
2011 Summer Institute in Adolescent Health
Rising Above Risk: Promoting Resilience in Changing Times

Minnesota Department of Health, Snelling Office Park
1645 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul

During the 2011 Summer Institute in Adolescent Health, visit settings that are successfully supporting adolescents in times of change. Talk with young people and their program leaders along with health service providers who have walked the talk of resilience and youth development in creative and surprising ways. Learn strategies for assuring supportive environments, sustaining relationships and creating seamless services. Gather resources and gain new skills in effectively communicating these ideas to others. All who work with young people—teachers, coaches and administrators; nurses, physicians, nutritionists, psychologists, social workers, counselors and youth workers; religious leaders and policy makers—should attend. View the flyer (PDF) or website for more information.


September 13, 2011
SAVE THE DATE!
2011 Reproductive Health Update

University of Minnesota Continuing Education Center, St. Paul

Keynote speakers include:

  • Keith Henry, HIV Update
    Keith Henry, M.D. is a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine and director of HIV Research at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • Byllye Avery, Reproductive Justice
    Byllye Avery is Clinical Professor of Population and Family Health at Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health. She is Founder of the Avery Institute for Social Change and the National Black Women’s Health Project. She spoke in May at the Wisconsin Reproductive Health Conference with the title, Raising Our Voices for Reproductive Justice and Sexual Health.
  • Carol Ball, MD, Contraceptive Update
    Carol Ball is Medical Director for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Funding Opportunities

Apply For Proceeds from Cities 97 Sampler Volume 23

This application is for proceeds that will be generated by the sale of Cities 97 Sampler Volume 23, on sale November 17, 2011 at metro Target stores. It is unknown at this point exactly how much money will be generated but our hopes are for between $500,000 and $720,000 as long as the Sampler sells out and production expenses stay as low as they have in the past.

To streamline the consideration process, we are only accepting applications online. The deadline to submit is October 5, 2011. You must represent an eligible non-profit organization or charity that benefits and serves adults, children or animals in Minnesota/Western Wisconsin (KTCZ listening area).

Sampler grants are a one-time event, so even if your organization has received a Sampler grant in the past, you MUST fill out the application each year as there is no guarantee of future grants. All eligible charities submitting will be considered. Charities selected for proceeds will be notified via email or phone on or before April 4, 2012.