JANUARY 2015
Feature: What Works for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions
The United States continues to have one of the highest teen birth rates in the developed world and adolescent rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are also high. These factors highlight the need to identify effective evidence-based programs to improve adolescent reproductive health. This brief synthesizes findings from 118 experimental evaluations of 100 program models. These were evaluations measuring reproductive health of youth and adolescents to determine how frequently these programs work to improve behavioral sexual outcomes such as sexual initiation and activity, number of sexual partners, anal/oral sex, sex under the influence of drugs/alcohol, condom and contraceptive use, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and pregnancies or births. These programs used a range of program approaches and served a variety of populations in many different settings. To read the full brief, click here.
Capacity Building and Professional Development
2015 Conference on Adolescent Health. The second annual Adolescent Health Initiative Conference on Adolescent Health will take place April 23-24, 2015 at the Ann Arbor Marriot Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest. To learn more about the conference or register to attend, click here.
Stonewall National Education Symposium. The 3rd national symposium of the Stonewall National Education Project will take place May 13-15, 2015, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In this third year, the symposium will move from solutions to implementation. There will be an emphasis on skill building, strategy, and practical application. To learn more about the symposium or register to attend, click here.
National Sexual Health Conference 2015. The National Sexual Health Conference hosted by Colorado-based public health organizations and agencies will take place at Keystone Resort in Keystone, Colorado from July 13-14, 2015. Sexual health is an important issue in personal and public health, and sessions will be presented in the following areas: reproductive health, comprehensive sexual education, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis, substance abuse, cultural competence, LGBT health, social media, mental health, high-impact prevention, sexual violence prevention, health disparities, affordable care act, continuum of care, human trafficking, stigma, social justice, and more. To learn more about the conference, register to attend or submit an abstract, click here.
Social Determinants of Health and HIV. California HIV/STD Prevention Training Center developed a one-hour online learning course to provide an introduction to social determinants and HIV. It includes an overview of social determinants, their relevance to health disparities, and their particular importance in understanding HIV in the US today. By the end of the course learners will be able to describe social determinants and their impacts on HIV Risk, prevalence, and access to services, define social determinants of health perspective, and identify places to intervene. To access the online learning course, click here.
Funding Opportunities
Effectiveness of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs Designed Specifically for Young Males. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will provide funding to rigorously evaluate innovative interventions designed for young men aged 15-24 years old to reduce their risk of fathering a teen pregnancy that can be feasibly implemented in target settings. For more information about this FOA and to apply, click here.
Capacity Building to Support Implementation of Evidence Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs. This Funding Opportunity Announcement will provide competitive funding to organizations to provide capacity building assistance to support small scale replications of evidence-based programs to scale in the future. For more information about this FOA and to apply, click here.
Rigorous Evaluation of New or Innovative Approaches to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will provide competitive funding to organizations to develop and rigorously evaluate new and innovative approaches to prevent teen pregnancy. For more information about this FOA and to apply, click here.
Implementing Evidence-Based TPP Programs to Scale in Communities with the Greatest Need. This Funding Opportunity Announcement will provide competitive funding to organizations to develop and implement a plan for preventing teen pregnancy in communities at greatest need that includes engaging the community, including youth, in developing and implementing a plan to prevent teen pregnancy; implementing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs to scale in multiple settings and with vulnerable populations; implementing programs in a safe and supportive environment; establishing linkages to youth-friendly health care services; and raising awareness of the importance of preventing teen pregnancy and promoting positive youth development. For more information about this FOA and to apply, click here.
Supporting and Enabling Early Innovation to Advance Adolescent Health and Prevent Teen Pregnancy. This Funding Opportunity Announcement will provide competitive funding to intermediary organizations to develop, operate, and manage a system to enable and support the growth and development of innovative products, programs, or processes to advance adolescent health and prevent teen pregnancy. For more information about this FOA and to apply, click here.
RESOURCES
Get Real: Comprehensive Sex Education That Works. Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts developed Get Real out of a passion for using evidence, facts and best practices in sexual health education. Get Real is a program for middle and high school students (grades 6–10) that delivers accurate, age-appropriate information and emphasizes healthy relationship skills and family involvement. To read more about the program, click here.
Recent Publications
Ensuring Young People’s Access to Preventive Services in the Affordable Care Act. Young people need access to a full range of sexual and reproductive health care services. By requiring most health plans to cover preventive services without cost sharing, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) holds the potential to make many critical healthcare services more accessible to young people. This report examines the preventive services available to young people through the ACA and how advocates and policy makers can help ensure that young people have access to the health care they need. To view the full report, click here.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance 2013 Report. The 2013 YRBS Report summarizes results for 104 health-risk behaviors from the 2013 national survey, 42 state surveys, and 21 large urban school district surveys conducted among students in grades 9–12. The report states that many high school students nationwide are engaged in sexual risk behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancies and STIs, including HIV infection. To view the full surveillance report, click here.
HIV Care Saves Lives, Viral Suppression is Key. Today’s generation of young people are the first to be able to reach an AIDS-free generation. According to the report, the prevalence of viral suppression is significantly lower among persons 18-24 (13%). Viral suppression is very important in helping to achieve an AIDS free generation because it helps to lower the risk of transmitting the virus to others. To learn more about what you can do to help those living with HIV reach viral suppression, click here. To view the full report, click here.
Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2013. This annual publication presents statistics and trends for sexually transmitted diseases in the United States through 2013. To view the full surveillance report, click here.
Announcements
National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day. National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD) April 10th is meant to educate the public about the impact of HIV and AIDS on young people as well as highlight the amazing work young people are doing across the country to fight the HIV & AIDS epidemic. Think about recognizing NYHAAD in your community. To learn more about NYHAAD and what others have done to recognize the day in the past, click here.
25th Anniversary. CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) is celebrating 25 years of funding and providing technical assistance to state and local education agencies to support efforts of HIV prevention program delivery in schools. To learn more about DASH’s impact over the years, click here.
To submit an article, announcement, or resource for the School Health Equity Newsletter, please call Jennifer at 202.419.3420 ext. 12 or email her at jennifer@advocatesforyouth.org.
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