it comes as no suprise that teens neglect to use condoms.
but facts always hit harder when you have an experience with them. Whether it be first hand or that of a situation you bore witness too.

My cousin,who is barely out of highschool literally, let alone mentally, just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

When i asked her how she got pregnant she simply responded "Well i didn't have the money for another abortion"

You see, in her Projects the abortion clinic has become the main means of birth control. Most girls have had atleast two by the time they are 18. As i walked around the basketball court with my cosin i took account of all the strollers. then all the toddlers. then all the pregnant teens. this is what an epidemic looks like. 

Another friend tells me " You don't HAVE to use condoms with your boyfriend" and a boy i once called a friend assured me that unprotected sex "Is not that big of deal"

why have we trivialized our safety? why is it so hard for young people, specifically inner city black youth, to see the link between their unprotected endeavors and the continuous crumbling of the black family structure?

yes, it may be a "mood killer" but those seconds it takes to wrap your wacker could preserve childs quality of life, allow a young couple to enjoy their childhood, and save a young women from the emotional and physical damage that comes along with premature mother hood and abortion.

I had posted a blog earlier this month about a super cute Valentine's Day idea. At Dalton State College in Dalton, GA, we made 200 Valentine goody bags. The baggies had candy, a condom, and a cute message on the outside from Concerned Condom. :)
We had 2 tables in the student center, one upstairs, one downstairs (Thanks Kamal for setting this up!) They were put out around 8am and by 10, I had to refill the tables. It was awesome to see the people taking our baggies.
Later when I got to work, one of my friends told me she was going to show me the Valentine's presents she had recieved. She got a teddy bear, some chocolates...and yes! one of our goody bags. She was so excited that someone had made that for her. I thought about telling her that I helped put them out at the campus, but I won't burst her bubble. She felt special for recieving the baggy. She got the info and a rubber to keep her safe. Thats all that really mattered. That was the whole point to the project. Honestly, I even felt a little special that she said that was her favorite of the gifts. :) In the end, we both won. :)

Thanks GACC for donating the condoms which were used for this project!

OMG! OMG! OMG! It was our turn to go up in from of all those fancy people! :)

Last night at GCAPP's Legislative Reception. I had the honor to be one of the four ladies to speak in from of a crowd of legislators, their representative, and many people from the state of GA working towards the sexual health of teens!

Our speech was totally moving! (We even had a couple people tear up!) Our voices were definitely heard in that room! We were then later told that our part was the best part of the whole reception!

I would like to encourage everyone to go to click on this link http://bit.ly/yad11 to let your voice be heard! Contact your representatives today!

YOUTH ACTION DAY!

Last night, G-CAPP hosted it's annual legislative reception and invited four GYUPP youth advocates to speak on why adolescent health issues are important to them.  Each of the youth wrote powerful sentiments and they were woven into the speech the four of them gave together.  Guests of the Legislative Reception shared with the youth advocates that their presentation was the most impactful of the evening.  Read below for their words:

Nichelle:  We’d like to talk about adolescent health.  Quite often, this is a touchy subject for adults and parents, and young people to talk about, however sexual health education is just as important as any other type of education.

Elizabeth: Adolescent health is an important part of the well-being of the typical teenager.  In our opinion, funding to prevent teen pregnancy is a great step towards improving the health and well being of our generation.  

Karina:  Many teens are having sex.  46% of adolescents aged reported having sex in 2009, but only 61% of them reported using protection.  While some teens are taking action to make sure they are protected from pregnancy and STDs, many others are not.  In the state of Georgia, the birth rate for girls ages 15-19 is 51.7 and that number is even higher among young women of color.  The birth rate among African American girls is 63.1 and Latina girls is 109.1.   

All: This is the time to make our voices heard!

Nichelle: Unfortunately, Georgia youth are at a disadvantage because Georgia public school systems do not require that students receive medically accurate and science based programs that have been shown to be effective at reducing birth and STI rates. 

Kaila: When I first became an advocate, I decided to investigate what was actually taught at my high school. I went to the health teacher and simply asked him what all was taught. After the conversation started flowing, I decided to ask him if he talked about the different types of birth control methods. His response… put me in a state of shock. He said, “There are different types of birth control methods?”

Elizabeth:  We got involved as youth advocates because we never want any teenager to feel afraid or alone unnecessarily.  I want to make sure that when I choose to have a child, I feel prepared and have the resources I need to care for that child and my family.  I want to empower other young women to feel the same.

All: This is the time to take action!

Kaila:  Why is advocating for comprehensive sex education in our schools important to us?  Let me ask you a few other questions - Why are there schools in American states with an estimated 90 teen pregnancies over the course of a year? Why are students obviously transmitting STDs throughout their communities? Why is the media popularizing the teen mothers of our nation?

Karina:  We are young people who refuse to neglect or disguise the inequities of our communities.  The American Constitution reads that America is a place “By the People, Of the People and For the People”.   Although we are proud that Americans readily support neighboring nations during times of disaster or crisis, we also want to be proud of Georgia for choosing to addresses issues of inequity that affect adolescents and their health in our own communities.

All: This is the time to make our voices heard!

Nichelle: We know we have to give it our all to try to make a change in the quality of information our fellow students are being taught.

All: This is the time to support adolescent health in Georgia!!

Adolescent health, from contraceptive access to anti-bullying efforts to sex education, means showing youth and teens that we respect them enough to give them the information they need, and that we trust them enough to make decisions with that information. Teens receive a lot of messages, many of them conflicting, but are rarely permitted a voice of their own; however, adolescent health is more than just talking the talk, it's about using our actions and resources to demonstrate just how much we value their lives and their futures.

After all, aren't health and safety about investing in the future? If, as is so often proclaimed, adolescents and teens are our future, then giving them the best health and support services possible ensures a better world for us all. As someone who has been a teen girl, I know how important it is for teens to feel secure in their bodies, in their decisions, and in their communities. Growing up, I was lucky enough to have an extremely health literate support system, and it gave me the the freedom to become a more confident, ambitious, and outgoing person. Today, I work with G-CAPP because I believe that every teen deserves a support system that keeps them informed, healthy, and safe.

If we are committed to empowering adolescents to make good decisions and encouraging them to keep an eye on the future, then we must ensure access to comprehensive health and support services. By promoting adolescent health, we give teens a voice, as well as an environment where that voice can be heard.

Writtten by Sue Briss, Executive Director of Georgia Parents for Responsible Health Education

I’m a music educator by training and a mom. So why am I writing in support of adolescent health education? Because, in 2004 the DeKalb County School System in Georgia was going to start teaching all 8th grade students sex education using an abstinence-only-until-marriage program called Choosing the Best.

DeKalb County Schools are located in the same county as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the heart and soul of scientific research regarding health. Parents in one school, Shamrock Middle, looked closely at Choosing the Best, and found it to be lacking in facts, full of hyperbole, and sexist in its approach to sexuality. And it excluded the entire LGBTQ population. Through vigilance and stubbornness, parents in DeKalb County, Georgia convinced school officials that it was NOT in the best interest of our students to give them incorrect and incomplete information about sex education, and Choosing the Best was NOT taught to our kids!

I am FOR information. Complete, accurate, age-appropriate sex education, taught in a way that is respectful of all students. After all, we demand high standards in every other subject our children are taught -- we should be JUST as demanding of the health education they receive.  The new federal money now available for evidence-based sex ed is wonderful news and I’m looking forward to its implementation in Georgia!

As parents, it is our job to teach our children our beliefs and values, not the schools. But by the time our kids graduate from high school, they ALL should know how their bodies work, how to take care of them, AND how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and STDS.

So, I stand with the youth activists in Georgia and support their efforts as they raise awareness to the need for high quality sex education in our state!

Written by Havilah Driver, 17, a senior at Riverwood International Charter School and a teen staff member of VOX, a teen newspaper published by VOX Teen Communications (www.voxrox.org)

Throughout my high school career, I’ve been pressured to have sex because so many of my classmates were sexually active as underclassman. During my junior year, a guy I dated wanted to go ‘’all the way,’’ but I chose not to. He was known to be a player, and I was certain that if anything were to happen, several things would take a turn for the worse. He would end our relationship, to find another girl who would be willing to have sex with him. Then, he would tell all his friends how I’m a slut, and that I’ve been sexually active with tons of other people, besides him. If those events were to occur, I would have been humiliated by the rumors of my inappropriate behavior. That same year, I was in a serious relationship, where my boyfriend and I chose not to be sexually active. Our relationship ended based on personal issues, mistrust, and carelessness. Although both relationships ended, I can look back and say that I have no regrets. Ultimately, I would have lost my virginity to two individuals who didn’t cherish my mind and soul, and only would have taken advantage of my body. After being involved in S.T.A.R.S (Students Teaching Abstinence & Self-Respect), and the morals and principles my parents taught me, I realized that I must respect myself. If I had agreed to sex, I would have been dumped and known as a slut; I could have contracted a disease, or even became pregnant. I know that I made the right decisions, and will continue to do so.

Adolescent health should be funded and supported by Georgia’s government, in which working to reduce teen pregnancy, poverty, sexually transmitted diseases, and encourage leadership skills such as, being careful as a sexually active individual. A better way to prevent pregnancy is by abstaining from sexual intercourse, where there are no risks. Teens must know the risks of sexual activity, in which protecting themselves, as well as know different forms of sexually transmitted diseases. Research statistics, graphic images of STD’s, and testimonials of several individuals who live with an incurable STD will paint the picture for teens. Promoting the importance of primary and post-secondary and sex education raises awareness, builds confidence, develop leadership skills, and shapes our generation. With these tools, comes the ambition to achieve goals, as the road to success.

Written by Annierra Matthews, a teen stafff member at with VOX Teen Communications  http://www.voxrox.org/

Imagine this: You’re a teenager at a crucial point in your life. You have the decision of having sex or choosing abstinence. So what do you do? Instead of being irrational and making a possible life-changing decision, you decide to seek some advice from a group of your well-trusted peers. They inform you about the consequences of having sex. Once you’re through talking to them, you feel inspired and rethink your decision about having sex.

In my opinion, many things can happen if you just jump into having sex without a second thought. For one, you could contract an S.T.D or you could even risk the chance of becoming pregnant. No girl/guy wants to deal with any of these problems; it can ruin a life.

Peer pressure can also have an effect on someone having sex. Some teens hear that their friends are doing it or their friends persuade/pressure them to do it. Either way it goes, it’s good to say no. Don’t be ashamed of it.

Choosing abstinence is more so the safest route to take when faced with a tough decision of having sex. If you ever feel tempted to have sex, think of the consequences of your actions and choices before you make a move. Make smart choices that help you, not hurt you.

Written by MJ Violenes-Walker, a youth advocate and liaison at EmpowerMEnt 

Being a teenage mom has higher complications and fears alone especially when your biggest concerns are "If I go to the Doctor how will I pay for the visit?" and If I can pay for the visit and they tell me I need a prescription how do I pay for the prescription?"  Even with the discounts that are offered prescriptions and doctors visits are still expensive.  It is important that adolescent health is supported so teenagers and their children can grow up to be healthy adults. Something simple as being able to go to the doctor or receiving education can prevent teenage pregnancy, and help those that are pregnant from dying or becoming unhealthy.

Being the daughter of a teenage mother I was premature and I have health problems to this day that come from being premature and being a teenage mom myself I know if I had went to the doctor sooner than what I had I might not have gotten as sick as I was in my second trimester of pregnancy. The fear of being pregnant while being in foster care guided my decision to hide my pregnancy and it wasn't until I was sick, recieved bad advice from a hospital hotline and had to be hospitalized afterwards that I started to receive the prenatal care that my daughter and I needed. Had I continued to hide my pregnancy and given birth outside a hospital I would have died because my daughter and I almost died in the delivery room and my foster mother urged the doctors to try and save both of us.  Situations such as mine are not abnormal and we should support our teenagers and young adults by supporting the funded needed to keep them healthy.