Teen Pregnancy -- Are safety net programs to blame?

The Week published an interesting story on the issue of teen pregnancy -- in part blaming safety net programs for enabling. Do you think safety net programs are part of the problem? Can they be part of the solution?

Weigh in on this issue by leaving a comment!

Know of a local teen or parent program?

Then add it to our program inventory! As part of the Teen Pregnancy Task Force's assessment process, an inventory was created with local programs that focus on sexual factors (like sex education), non-sexual factors (like youth development) and combination programs (that include both youth development and sex education). If you have a program that fits into one of these categories, or know of any, please post them here or add it to the inventory and e-mail it to epetrie@nefhsc.org.

January 2011 Update

The Northeast Florida Teen Pregnancy Task Force started the new year by looking at the 2009 teen birth data, assessing local programs for teens and parents and looking at next steps.

·         The regional Teen Birth Rate dropped in 2009 to 39.2 births to teens age 15-19 per 1000 females age 15-19, from 42.8 in 2008. Northeast Florida's rates still exceed those of the state.

·         9.9 percent of births in NEFL were to teens, but they accounted for a higher proportion of poor health outcomes, particularly for late or no prenatal care and infant deaths.

·         To date, the Task Force has:

o    Conducted seven focus groups around the region with a diversity of teenagers to find out their opinions on sexual behaviors, teen pregnancy, sex education and effective methods of prevention. About 67 teens participated in the groups, which included a mixture of both genders; a diversity of races and ethnicities; teens from rural, suburban and ur­ban areas; an age range of 13-19; and pregnant teens and teen mothers.

o    Participated in a webinar with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about national teen pregnancy trends and effective programs.

o    Created a comprehensive program inventory with three categories: sexual factors (sex education), nonsexual factors (youth development) and combination programs.

o    Identified several initial areas of concern: lack of parent communication, current sex education (or the lack of), restrictive state policies and access to services.

• The results of the Teen Listening tours can be accessed here: http://www.nefhealthystart.org/Teen_Pregnancy_Task_Force_Presentation.pptx

Engaging Teens in the Issue of Teen Pregnancy

The NEFL Teen Pregnancy Task Force held five focus groups throughout the region over the course of October and November. We talked to over 50 teens about their views on teen pregnancy, sexual behaviors and sex education. Check out the link below to see what teens in Northeast Florida had to say!

Teen Listening Tours - HSC

And let us know -- do you agree with their opinions and solutions?

Question of the Week: 10/7

Teens: Who do you talk to about sex?
Your mom or dad? Other relatives? Your friends? A mentor? Someone else? Where do you get your advice or ask questions?

We'd love to hear your feedback! Please leave a comment with your answer.

Listening Tour: Teens Provide Their Perspectives

Northeast Florida teens will have an opportunity to provide their perspective on the causes and solutions to the region's high teen pregnancy rates through a series of discussion groups held throughout the region.  The groups, led by UNF Nursing students, were organized with the help of teen-serving programs.  Participants will be invited to join in task force discussion and activities through this blog.

Special thanks to Thomas Bryant III, interim director of the Institute for Public Health Informatics & Research at the Duval County Health Department, for his assistance in training the nursing students as group facilitators.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Northeast Florida Teen Pregnancy Task Force's interactive blog. The Task Force was created to address the high rate of teenagers having babies in the region. As the Task Force meets and develops a plan to improve current services for teens and possible create new ones, we would like your feedback. Please feel free to stop by on a regular basis and comment on our posts. We look forward to hearing your thoughts!