Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP) eNewsletter February 2014 NEWS & EVENTS 1. Teen Pregnancy Rate Improved in 2012 ACAP is pleased to announce that the City of Alexandria's 2012 teen pregnancy rate has dropped 7.5 percent to 30.9 pregnancies per 1,000 10-19 year-old females. This marks the lowest overall teen pregnancy rate in Alexandria in more than 16 years and is a reflection of the hard work and collaboration of a number of community partners and City agencies. ACAP thanks and congratulates our community partners for this important achievement! In 2012, reductions in teen pregnancy in Alexandria occurred among all age ranges and racial/ethnic groups; however, inequities still exist among different segments of the community. Data from 2012 show that white teens had a rate of 23.5 pregnancies per 1,000 females; black teens had a rate of 30.7; while Hispanic teens had a rate of 52.5. We will further explore this data at ACAP's next quarterly meeting through an exciting presentation from the Alexandria Health Department's (AHD) epidemiologist. Please stay tuned for details and click here to read an announcement from AHD. 2. ACAP Trains New Community Partners from T.C. Satellite Campus, Chance for Change Academy and Capital Youth Empowerment Program to Implement Be Proud! Be Responsible! On January 30 and 31, staff members, counselors, and social workers from T.C. Williams' Satellite Campus, the new Chance for Change Academy, and Capital Youth Empowerment Program gathered at the Lee Center for a training hosted by ACAP. The training, facilitated by the Healthy Teen Network, taught participants how to implement the Be Proud! Be Responsible! (BPBR) curriculum at their sites with a variety of at risk youth populations. BPBR is an evidence-based program that focuses on pregnancy, STI and HIV prevention through informed and responsible decision-making. BPBR is currently being implemented by ACAP and its community partners at six different school and community sites in Alexandria through a Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) grant from the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children, Youth and Families. Participants in the January training learned the details of the curriculum's six modules, practiced how to answer difficult and sensitive questions from youth, discussed the importance of implementing the curriculum with fidelity, participated in teach-back sessions, and practiced a condom demonstration. This training initiated a new partnership between ACAP and the T.C. Satellite Campus and Chance for Change Academy. ACAP hopes to begin implementation at these new sites later this spring. If you have any questions about Be Proud! Be Responsible! , please contact: [email protected]. 3. Risky Behaviors Workshop at Jefferson Houston PTA ACAP, the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria and the Gang Prevention Task Force presented, "It's Never Too Early and Never Too Late to Talk to Your Kids" to over 25 parents and other caring adults at the Jefferson Houston PTA meeting in January. Parents learned how to talk to their kids about tough subjects such as drugs, sex, mental health and violence, and specific techniques they could use to monitor and support their children. If you would like to host a presentation, contact Lisette at [email protected]. 4. 5. Keepit360 Club Hosts “Baby Daddy” Event at T.C. Williams On February 12, the Keepit360 Club hosted an after school event at T.C. Williams High School in the Library Loft. Students viewed three short video clips from ABC Family's hit series “Baby Daddy” and had a lively discussion afterwards in the form of an interactive game. Youth leaders from the Keepit360 Club planned and hosted the event and led the discussion. Students enjoyed pizza, Valentine's Day goodie bags, and participated in a gift card raffle. The Keepit360 Club is currently planning activities and outreach for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month in May. If you would like more information about the Keepit360 Club, please email [email protected]. ACPS Office of Special Education PresentsPuberty and Children with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism On March 19, the Alexandria City Public Schools Office of Special Education will host a workshop titled Puberty and Children with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism. The workshop will be presented by Mary Ann Carmody, R.N., BSN, AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator, who has been working exclusively with people with developmental disabilities for over thirty years. The workshop will focus on giving parents the tools they need to teach their children with cognitive disabilities about their changing body, the resulting hygiene routines, privacy and how to prevent exploitation. Teaching children with cognitive disabilities about puberty poses daunting challenges not faced by parents of neuro-typical children. The workshop will take place in the Minnie Howard Campus Media Center from 7-9 p.m. Registration closes on March 12. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PARTNER SPOTLIGHT ACPS Mobile Health Unit Named “WOW Bus” The new ACPS mobile health unit has a name! Ninety-one students, staff and parents submitted suggestions for a name for the mobile health unit that will be serving the John Adams, William Ramsay and Patrick Henry elementary school communities. The final selection for a name was put to a community-wide poll, and 227 people cast their votes. "Wellness on Wheels" or “WOW Bus” for short received the most votes (198). The WOW Bus arrived in Alexandria earlier this month and should be ready for operations by mid-March of this year. Stay tuned for more news and information as this date draws closer. Read the press release to learn more about the WOW Bus. RESEARCH & RESOURCES 1. Successes and Lessons – Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative A supplemental issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health with articles from the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) and its grantees shares successes and lessons learned since the inception of the federally funded Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative. Launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in FY 2010, OAH oversees the replication of evidence-based programs to reduce teen pregnancy, as well as innovative strategies to address this issue. The supplement is available online http://www.jahonline.org/content/suppl 2. Get Covered: Family Planning National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA) has undertaken a year-long project, Get Covered: Family Planning, to support Affordable Care Act (ACA) outreach and enrollment activities conducted by its membership. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 14 million uninsured people will become insured by the end of 2014 thanks to the ACA. By offering resources and support, NFPRHA is in a position to make a significant impact on the number of people who enroll in health insurance -either through Medicaid or marketplace plans--by January 2015. Materials include: brochures with information for patients about the ACA and insurance enrollment; scripts to help staff who interact with the public to talk effectively about enrollment; and posters to draw attention to enrollment efforts taking place in the health center. 3. Pregnant Teens Under Age 15 Face Unique Risks: Study Girls who became pregnant before age 15 were more likely to report having sex with much older partners and initially forgoing contraception than their slightly older peers, according to a new study in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Nearly 36 percent of girls who first got pregnant before age 15 had sex for the first time with a partner at least six years older, compared to 17 percent of girls who got pregnant between 15 and 19. That statistic "is very serious and represents complicated relationships with unequal power," said lead author and obstetrician Dr. Marcela Smid, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (Reuters Health, 2/10/2014) 4. Sexting and Sexual Behavior in At-Risk Adolescents This study aimed to examine the prevalence of sexting behaviors among an at-risk sample of early adolescents as well as the associations between sexting behaviors and sexual behaviors, risk-related cognitions, and emotional regulation skills. It also aimed to determine whether differences in risk were associated with text-based versus photo-based sexts. Among the findings of the study: 22 percent of the sample reported having sexted in the past 6 months, and sexting of any kind was associated with higher rates of engaging in a variety of sexual behaviors. Authors of the study, published in Pediatrics, conclude that phone behaviors, even flirtatious messages, may be an indicator of risk. Clinicians, parents, and health programs should discuss sexting with early adolescents. 5. Preventing Unintended Pregnancy: A Pediatric Opportunity Prevention is the cornerstone of pediatric practice, with immunization the prototype strategy because of its significant effectiveness in preventing selected infections. Other targets of prevention such as obesity, injuries, birth defects, and drug and alcohol use are important but lack simple, evidence-based, and equally effective strategies. Authors of the Pediatrics "Perspective" piece suggest that in response to the improvement in the effectiveness and safety of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs; eg, intrauterine devices [IUDs], contraceptive implants), pediatricians have a special opportunity to prevent unintended pregnancy, not only in adolescents but in all women of childbearing age who bring their children into doctors' offices for pediatric care. This commentary provides information about unintended pregnancy and the safety and effectiveness of LARC methods. Authors suggest specific opportunities for pediatricians to engage and motivate women to actively choose their reproductive futures and when to have their children. 6. Concerns Unfounded: HPV Shot Doesn't Lead Teens to Sex Add another study to a growing body of research showing that despite some parents' concerns, HPV vaccination does not lead teen girls to start having sex or to engage in unsafe sex. The latest, in the March issue of Pediatrics, published online this month, examines adolescent girls' and young women's risk perceptions or beliefs about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, whether accurate or inaccurate, and how they are linked to sexual behaviors up to six months after vaccination. (USA Today, 2/3/2014) QUICKLINKS CONTACT INFO: Lisette Torres, MPA MPL Coordinator Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy City of Alexandria, Virginia 720 N. Saint Asaph St. Alexandria, VA 22314 Office: 703.746.3130 Mobile: 703.717.8336 www.keepit360.org