2. New from Advocates for Youth
Decrease in Teens Having Sex, Condom Use Levels Off, CDC Study Finds
Current high school students are less likely to be sexually active and are more likely to use condoms than students who were in high school in 1991. According to a recent CDC study, the percentage of high school students in 2007 who had ever had sexual intercourse declined by 12 percent since 1991, while condom use increased by 33 percent over the sixteen-year period. However, there was no significant increase in condom use among high school students from 2003-2007. The report was published earlier this month in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
New MMWR HIV Incidence Data from the CDC
On September 12, 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) the next set of HIV incidence estimates from a new national surveillance system. The release of these detailed incidence estimates by combined race, gender, and route of transmission provides more detailed information about the current status of the epidemic.
Specifically, the new analysis shows:
· Men who have sex with men, African Americans, and Hispanics and Latinos continue to be the groups most heavily affected by the epidemic in the United States.- In terms of race/ethnicity, Black men and women face the most severe rates of HIV infection in the nation, followed by Hispanic and Latino men and women. Blacks accounted for 46 percent of new infections, but only 12 percent of the U.S. population; and Hispanics and Latinos accounted for 18 percent of new HIV infections, but only 15 percent of the U.S. population.
· Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are at high risk, especially young black MSM (YBMSM). The new data show that YBMSM ages 13-29 account for most (52 percent) of new infections among black MSM.
· MSM in the middle age groups remain heavily affected. For example, among white MSM, those in their 30s, followed by those in their 40s, had the highest number of new infections.
Medical accuracy in abstinence-only education
In response to the increasing injection of ideology into sexuality education, many states have recently implemented requirements for scientific and medical accuracy in sexuality education and HIV prevention programs. Medical accuracy is based on a scientific consensus process, which considers the weight of scientific evidence, incorporates scientific theory, is built upon peer review and is recognized by mainstream scientific and health organizations as objective and complete, according to "Medical Accuracy in Sexuality Education: Ideology and the Scientific Process," by Dr. John Santelli, published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Major Review Finds No Evidence to Support Funding of Rigid Abstinence-Only Programs
Most abstinence-only programs of the type that have received $1.5 billion in federal funding do not help teens delay initiation of sex, and there is no scientific evidence to warrant their widespread use, according to a major new review of sexuality education program evaluations by Douglas B. Kirby. In contrast, many comprehensive sex education programs, which emphasize both abstinence and the use of protection for those who do have sex, were found to have a positive impact and should be replicated more widely. The study concludes that a comprehensive approach to sex education is effective and does not send a confusing message to young people.
Census Bureau Report Finds Women Having Fewer Children, Giving Birth Later in Life
More U.S. women in their early 40s do not have children, and women who are having children are having fewer than ever before, according to a Census Bureau report released in late August. According to the report, from 1976 to 2006 the percentage of women ages 40 to 44 with no children doubled from 10 percent to 20 percent. In 2006, 40- to 44-year-old women who had children had an average of 1.9 children each, more than one child fewer than women in the same age group in 1976. In contrast, Hispanic women are averaging 2.3 children by their 40s. You can read the full report on the CDC website
For more information on the detailed breakdowns of the 2006 HIV incidence estimates including CDC’s podcast, questions and answers, fact sheets, and related surveillance information, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/incidence.htm.
Now Available - The American Grants and Loans Book
This publication contains more than 1800 financial programs, subsidies, scholarships, grants and loans offered by the US federal government. It also includes over 700 financing programs available by foundations and associations across the United States. It provides descriptions of available grants, URL’s to government websites, full mailing addresses, and phone and fax numbers. The CD version is $69.95. A print version is also available for $149.95. To order please call: 819-322-7533
Teaching Tools for the Classroom
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) is one of North America's oldest national organizations devoted to the specialty of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The mission of the SOGC is to promote optimal women's health through leadership, collaboration, education, research and advocacy in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. SOGC administers www.sexualityandu.ca, a website that is committed to providing credible and up-to-date information and education on sexual health. It includes a selection of lesson plans from the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health’s publication: Beyond the Basics: A Sourcebook on Sexual and Reproductive Health Education.
A Guide to Assessing What Kids Think About Themselves
Children in the United States tend to experience a decline in positive self-concept during their adolescent years. A new Child Trends brief, Assessing What Kids Think About Themselves: A Guide to Adolescent Self-Concept for Out-Of-School Time Program Practitioners provides information on how to assess self-concept among out-of-school program participants. It also suggests specific strategies that program providers can employ to improve an adolescent's self-concept. The brief includes tools for measuring adolescent self-concept and a list of additional resources. Click here to see the full brief.
Grants.gov gets Easier
As of this month, you can now search Grants.gov using Google. In announcing the change, Local/State Funding Report (July 28, 2008) pointed out how this will ease access to the Grants.gov help files, FAQs, and all information text. They also announced Grants.gov's new http://www.grants. gov/help/ rss.jsp RSS feed, which allows you to get automatic updates of important announcements. Finally, they noted that by year end, all 26 federal grant making agencies will streamline the proposal process by accepting applications in portable document format (PDF), including the new 9.0 version of Adobe Acrobat.
Opportunities
Sociometrics needs your help!
Sociometrics is in the final phases of developing a new educational resource for HIV prevention professionals working in city, county, and state health departments, as well as those working in community-based organizations and AIDS service organizations/clinics. They are recruiting participants for a research study to test it out. You can participate in the study from your home or office computer, and it will take place sometime between November and March. In exchange for four hours of participation, you will earn $100, enhance your knowledge of HIV prevention programs, and have free access to educational materials.
You must meet the following requirements to participate:
- Currently work at an agency that provides HIV/AIDS or other STI prevention programming
- Spend at least 50 percent of your work time on program planning, implementation, and/or evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention program(s)
- Have access to a basic computer with high speed internet access, Windows XP or higher, 200 MB (or more) available hard drive space, and a sound card or speakers
If you are interested in participating in this study, please confirm that you qualify and provide your consent for participation by clicking here.
Call for Proposals – Annual Conference: Crossing the Great Divide
The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina and the North Carolina Division of Public Health are seeking workshop presenters on a broad range of topics related to adolescent pregnancy prevention and adolescent parenting. The conference will be held Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 21, 2009 at The Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC. The deadline for proposal submission is Friday, December 5, 2008. Click here for the proposal submission form. Contact Melinda DeJongh at mdejongh@appcnc.org or 919-226-1880 x108 for more information.
Following are Conferences planned for the next few weeks. For information on the conferences, or publications regarding the workshops or presenters, check the attached websites.
SAVE THE DATE! CDC’s TOTAP-E Event: December 2-4
The CDC will be holding its Evaluator’s Workshop and Training of Technical Assistance Providers Evaluation (TOTAP-E) December 2-4 in Atlanta, Ga. Project coordinators, evaluators, and other key TA providers are encouraged to attend. Further details will be provided at a later date.
