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August 2007 update on new publications, actions you can take, and more!
Advocates for Youth's e-News Update
News You Can Use
Democrats INCREASE Funding for Discredited Abstinence-Only Policy
On July 19th, by a vote of 276 to 140, the House of Representative passed the Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill which included an unprecedented $27.8 million increase for failed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, bringing the total annual funding for Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) to $141 million.
"In one spectacularly cynical move, the Democrats turned their backs on science-based public health and chose political expediency over the health and well-being of young people," said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth. "With friends like these, who needs conservative Republicans?"
Click here to read the full press release.
Presidential Candidates and Comprehensive Sex Education
Blog by James Wagoner, President, Advocates for Youth
When it comes to abstinence-only-until-marriage, the Republican presidential candidates are head-in-the-sand true believers, convoluted converts or, if you're Rudy Giuliani, you're silent -- very silent -- on the issue.
Most of the Democrats expressed perfunctory support for comprehensive sex education when asked directly on a candidate questionnaire (thank you, Human Rights Campaign!), but remain largely silent on the campaign trail. Nor do they exhibit any leadership on the issue in Congress.
On the other hand, the majority of the Republicans can't stop talking about the issue. The hardcore supporters of failed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs include Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, and Duncan Hunter. To paraphrase Dorothy Parker, the candidates run the gambit of persuasive arguments for abstinence-only from A to B.
Click here to read the full blog.
News of the Absurd
You Can Use Sex to Sell Anything But Condoms
The new condom advertisement by Trojan Condoms was released in June. The commercial shows pigs trying to pick women up at a local bar and repeatedly getting rejected. One of the pigs gets a Trojan condom out of a machine and turns into a handsome man, who then receives attention from an attractive woman. The tagline is "Evolve: Use a condom every time."
This commercial has been banned from being shown on CBS and Fox. In a statement by Fox, "Contraceptive advertising must stress health-related uses rather than the prevention of pregnancy." This ridiculous statement 1) falsely implies that the commercial stresses pregnancy prevention, which it does not; 2) seems to say that Fox doesn't think pregnancy is a health issue; and 3) entirely avoids the utter absurdity of using ads with highly sexual themes to sell everything EXCEPT condoms, which can help prevent the potentially devastating consequences of unprotected sex.
Watch the commercial and read the blog, "When Pigheaded Networks Happen to Good Ads" at http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2007/07/02/when-pigheaded-networks-happen-to-good-ads.
New At Advocates
Job Opening: International Policy Director
Advocates for Youth is seeking applicants for the International Policy Director. The Director acts as the organization's voice on Capitol Hill, in coalition meetings, and at international conferences. The Director identifies and implements strategies to improve US foreign policy related to global HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, international family planning, sex education, and access to safe, confidential health services, including abortion, among other issues.
Click here to read the full job description.
New Faces at Advocates!
Advocates for Youth would like to welcome four new staff members:
Haben Fecadu, International Youth Program Coordinator
Haben is currently a senior at Georgetown University and is majoring in International Politics with a focus on Economics and a minor in African Studies. Haben will begin work at Advocates in September as co-coordinator of the International Youth Leadership Council (IYLC). As a former member of the IYLC, Haben has immersed herself in working on international policy and the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and spent her summer in Ethiopia.
Meheret "Mimi" Melles, Youth Activist Network Coordinator
Mimi is a 2007 graduate of the University of Maryland. She was that National Student Coordinator for the Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) and was a member of Advocates for Youth's International Youth Leadership Council. As the Youth Activist Network Coordinator, Mimi will provide assistance to youth activists working in high schools and college campuses to improve adolescent reproductive and sexual health information and services.
Meredith Schonfeld-Hicks, State Policy Coordinator
Meredith comes to Advocates for Youth with experience as a sexual health educator at Sex Out Loud in Madison, Wisconsin, and most recently as the Legislative Assistant at the Unitarian Universalist Association. She has her degree in Sociology and Women's Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Meredith will work with Advocates' state partners, assisting them to improve sex education policy at the state and local level.
Kathy Wollner, International Youth Program Coordinator
Kathy is currently a senior at George Washington University and is majoring in International Affairs with regional concentrations in Latin America and Africa. She just completed a year abroad in Chile and Kenya. She has been involved in both the Student Global AIDS Campaign and Advocates for Youth's International Youth Leadership Council. She believes that the US government needs to fully fund helpful strategies and programs targeted toward HIV and AIDS. Kathy will co-coordinate the work of the IYLC along with Haben.
Youth Activists go to London!
From October 18-20th youth activists from our International Youth Leadership Council will attend "Women Deliver," an international conference that focuses efforts on improving the health of women, mothers and newborn babies around the world. There they will present workshops, ensure young peoples' voices are a part of the greater dialogue, network with other participants, blog about their experiences, and work with the media.
For more information about the conference, go to Job Opening: International Policy Director
Advocates for Youth is seeking applicants for the International Policy Director. The Director acts as the organization's voice on Capitol Hill, in coalition meetings, and at international conferences. The Director identifies and implements strategies to improve US foreign policy related to global HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, international family planning, sex education, and access to safe, confidential health services, including abortion, among other issues.
To read the full job description, please visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/about/employment.htm#intl.
New Faces at Advocates!
Advocates for Youth would like to welcome four new staff members:
Haben Fecadu, International Youth Program Coordinator
Haben is currently a senior at Georgetown University and is majoring in International Politics with a focus on Economics and a minor in African Studies. Haben will begin work at Advocates in September as co-coordinator of the International Youth Leadership Council (IYLC). As a former member of the IYLC, Haben has immersed herself in working on international policy and the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and spent her summer in Ethiopia.
Meheret "Mimi" Melles, Youth Activist Network Coordinator
Mimi is a 2007 graduate of the University of Maryland. She was that National Student Coordinator for the Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) and was a member of Advocates for Youth's International Youth Leadership Council. As the Youth Activist Network Coordinator, Mimi will provide assistance to youth activists working in high schools and college campuses to improve adolescent reproductive and sexual health information and services.
Meredith Schonfeld-Hicks, State Policy Coordinator
Meredith comes to Advocates for Youth with experience as a sexual health educator at Sex Out Loud in Madison, Wisconsin, and most recently as the Legislative Assistant at the Unitarian Universalist Association. She has her degree in Sociology and Women's Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Meredith will work with Advocates' state partners, assisting them to improve sex education policy at the state and local level.
Kathy Wollner, International Youth Program Coordinator
Kathy is currently a senior at George Washington University and is majoring in International Affairs with regional concentrations in Latin America and Africa. She just completed a year abroad in Chile and Kenya. She has been involved in both the Student Global AIDS Campaign and Advocates for Youth's International Youth Leadership Council. She believes that the US government needs to fully fund helpful strategies and programs targeted toward HIV and AIDS. Kathy will co-coordinate the work of the IYLC along with Haben.
Youth Activists go to London!
From October 18-20th youth activists from our International Youth Leadership Council will attend "Women Deliver," an international conference that focuses efforts on improving the health of women, mothers and newborn babies around the world. There they will present workshops, ensure young peoples' voices are a part of the greater dialogue, network with other participants, blog about their experiences, and work with the media.
For more information about the conference, go to Job Opening: International Policy Director
Advocates for Youth is seeking applicants for the International Policy Director. The Director acts as the organization's voice on Capitol Hill, in coalition meetings, and at international conferences. The Director identifies and implements strategies to improve US foreign policy related to global HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, international family planning, sex education, and access to safe, confidential health services, including abortion, among other issues.
To read the full job description, please visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/about/employment.htm#intl.
New Faces at Advocates!
Advocates for Youth would like to welcome four new staff members:
Haben Fecadu, International Youth Program Coordinator
Haben is currently a senior at Georgetown University and is majoring in International Politics with a focus on Economics and a minor in African Studies. Haben will begin work at Advocates in September as co-coordinator of the International Youth Leadership Council (IYLC). As a former member of the IYLC, Haben has immersed herself in working on international policy and the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and spent her summer in Ethiopia.
Meheret "Mimi" Melles, Youth Activist Network Coordinator
Mimi is a 2007 graduate of the University of Maryland. She was that National Student Coordinator for the Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) and was a member of Advocates for Youth's International Youth Leadership Council. As the Youth Activist Network Coordinator, Mimi will provide assistance to youth activists working in high schools and college campuses to improve adolescent reproductive and sexual health information and services.
Meredith Schonfeld-Hicks, State Policy Coordinator
Meredith comes to Advocates for Youth with experience as a sexual health educator at Sex Out Loud in Madison, Wisconsin, and most recently as the Legislative Assistant at the Unitarian Universalist Association. She has her degree in Sociology and Women's Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Meredith will work with Advocates' state partners, assisting them to improve sex education policy at the state and local level.
Kathy Wollner, International Youth Program Coordinator
Kathy is currently a senior at George Washington University and is majoring in International Affairs with regional concentrations in Latin America and Africa. She just completed a year abroad in Chile and Kenya. She has been involved in both the Student Global AIDS Campaign and Advocates for Youth's International Youth Leadership Council. She believes that the US government needs to fully fund helpful strategies and programs targeted toward HIV and AIDS. Kathy will co-coordinate the work of the IYLC along with Haben.
Youth Activists go to London!
From October 18-20th youth activists from our International Youth Leadership Council will attend "Women Deliver," an international conference that focuses efforts on improving the health of women, mothers and newborn babies around the world. There they will present workshops, ensure young peoples' voices are a part of the greater dialogue, network with other participants, blog about their experiences, and work with the media.
For more information about the conference, go to http://www.womendeliver.org/
In the Spotlight
Nicole, 18, is a summer intern at Advocates for Youth.
"Get Up, Stand Up," he demands over an infectious reggae rhythm and prominent baseline. The steel drums, native to the Islands, usher in his voice which seems to have taken on a powerfully smoky quality. He is at his peak on this record. He sings out understated yet prophetic lyrics he penned himself. You can feel the urgency with which he sings and you are reminded that "Get Up, Stand Up" is more than just a great reggae song; it is an order. It is the music that inspired a movement--a revolution. A song that mobilized a community to demand that they be given the rights that simply being born on this glorious planet entitle them to. Bob Marley is singing about the right to liberty: to uninhibited life.
Thirty-three years after the song appeared on Marley's album and after countless hours of listening to it on my Ipod, I am captivated by the song's message. Perhaps my revived revolutionary spirit is due more in part to my time spent here at Advocates for Youth reflecting on and dealing with issues that face young women of color. As many of you probably know, young African American women are the new face of HIV/AIDS. The overwhelming majority of newly diagnosed AIDS cases are young African American women ages 13 to 24. According to the CDC, in 2004 HIV infection was the leading cause of death for African American women ages 24-34. In 2005, African American and Latino women represented 24% of all US women, but accounted for 82% of the estimated total of AIDS diagnoses for women. These women are our sisters, friends, cousins, and aunts. Many of them are mothers or will soon become mothers or grandmothers. The grim reality is that HIV/AIDS will strip these women of their lives at an early age. Remember, there is still no cure for HIV.
Click here to read the full piece.
Read All About It
New Publications at Advocates
The Facts: The History of Federal Abstinence-Only Funding
After a decade of extravagant funding, the government's own long-term research has clearly shown that abstinence-only programs do not delay sexual initiation nor do they reduce rates of either teen pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This document presents the eight-point definition of abstinence-only education, and discusses federal funding streams for abstinence-only, the content required of funded curricula, and programs' administration and oversight.
The Truth About Abstinence-Only Programs
Accurate, balanced sex education - including information about contraception and condoms - is a basic human right of youth. Such education helps young people to reduce their risk of potentially negative outcomes, such as unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Yet, federal policy makers have provided large amounts of funding for abstinence-only education - programs that ignore youth's basic human right and the fundamental public health principle of accurate, balanced sex education. Since 1998, over $1.5 billion in state and federal funds has been allocated for these abstinence-only and abstinence-only-until-marriage education programs. This document explores some of the claims that have been put forward to support federal funding for abstinence-only education rather than for comprehensive sex education.
Policy Brief: Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs: Ineffective, Unethical, and Poor Public Health
The vast majority of Americans support abstinence from sexual activity for school-age children, especially younger adolescents. Yet, abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, currently being taught in many schools, are at odds with what most Americans want schools to teach. The public supports a broad sex education curriculum that stresses abstinence as the best way to avoid unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) but that also conveys complete and medically accurate information about contraception and condoms. Despite these strong public preferences, the federal government has invested more than $1.5 billion in state and federal dollars since 1997 into prescriptive abstinence-only and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that are, at best, ineffective and wasteful and, at worst, misleading and dangerous to America's youth.
You can help Advocates for Youth with a contribution today. To donate, visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/about/donatetoday.htm
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