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September 2006 update on new publications, actions you can take, and more!
Advocates for Youth's e-News Update
October is Let's Talk Month
Let's Talk Month is a national public education campaign celebrated in October and coordinated by Advocates for Youth. Let's Talk Month is an opportunity for community agencies, religious institutions, businesses, schools, media, parent groups and health providers to plan programs and activities which encourage parent/child communication about sexuality.
For more information on Let's Talk Month, please visit:
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/news/events/letstalk.htm
To download the Let's Talk Month guidebook and sample materials, please visit:
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/ltm.htm
October 15th is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day
Latinos in the United States continue to be disproportionately affected by the HIV and AIDS epidemic, with the second highest AIDS case rate in the nation. (Kaiser Family Foundation. HIV/AIDS Policy Fact Sheet: Latinos and HIV/AIDS. February 2006). [http://www.kff.org/hivaids/upload/6007-03.pdf]
Social, economic, and cultural barriers limit the ability of many Latino youth to receive accurate and adequate information on preventing HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancy. Latino youth need 1) comprehensive, accurate information and 2) culturally competent, confidential, and affordable services in order to help stop the spread of HIV.
For more information about Latino youth, please read:
The Facts--Youth of Color: At Disproportionate Risk of Negative Sexual Health Outcomes
From Research to Practice--The Sexual Health of Latina Adolescents--Focus on Assets
Please visit Advocates for Youth Web sites:
http://www.mysistahs.org - by and for young women of color
http://www.ambientejoven.org - for Spanish speaking GLBTQ youth (Web site is in Spanish)
Trojan® Releases Sexual Health Report Card
Condom manufacturer surveys colleges and universities on how they are helping to protect students' sexual health
The makers of Trojan brand condoms recently released the results of a nationwide survey of the sex education and sexual health resources of United States colleges and universities. One hundred public and private schools were assessed on numerous criteria, including the availability of condoms and contraception on the school's campus, the depth of the sexual health information provided on the school's website, and the accessibility of counseling services on sexual health issues.
Ninety-three percent of schools offer tests for sexually transmitted infections, while less than 25% percent offer free condoms to students.
The top scorers on the Sexual Health Report Card Survey were Yale University (with a perfect score); University of Iowa (#2), University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor (#3), Stanford University (#4), and Oregon State University (#5).
At the bottom of the list, with the worst scores on information and availability of resources and contraception, were University of Memphis (#96), Oklahoma State University (#97), University of Utah (#98), University of Notre Dame (#99), and Brigham Young University (#100).
Read more about this study at http://www.trojancondoms.com.
News of the Absurd
Banned Book Week
Conservatives think that factual, medically accurate information should be banned from the library
This week (September 23-30) is the American Library Association's Banned Book Week, when the ALA raises awareness of censorship by reporting the books library patrons most often "challenged" or requested they be removed from the shelves. This year's #1 most "challenged" book was Robie Harris' It's Perfectly Normal, a sex education book whose honest discussions of human development and sexuality have made it the target of social conservatives since it was first published in 1996.
Read more about Banned Books Week:
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm
2006 Urban Retreat
Advocates for Youth's 5th Annual Urban Retreat took place in Washington, DC September 14-18. Sixty-five dynamic activists from across the country joined AFY staff for four days of education, skills-building, and planning. These young activists will now take their organizing skills to Washington State, the southern tip of Texas, Minnesota, Virginia, and other states to advocate for adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
Advocates for Youth is dedicated to building youth leadership and developing young people's skills to serve as activists and peer educators. The Urban Retreat is an annual event that provides youth activists with an opportunity to learn from AFY staff, colleagues, and each other.
2006 Lobby Day
On Monday, September 18, 31 young people from 16 states who had participated in the Urban Retreat went to Capitol Hill to meet with their Congressional Representatives. They visited the offices of their member of the House of Representatives and both of their Senators to lobby for the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act, which would provide funding for comprehensive sexuality education. Each young person expressed why comprehensive sexuality education is important to them and their communities, sharing stories from their high schools, families, and churches. The lobby day was an opportunity for the youth to voice their opinions on issues that matter and a chance for policy makers to hear from youth leaders within their community.
Look for more details on the 2006 Urban Retreat in the October issue.
Read All About It
New Publications on Advocates'
Coming Soon!
Watch for the launch of Advocates' third Respect Yourself. Protect Yourself. condom education campaign!
You can help Advocates for Youth with a contribution today. To donate, visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/about/donatetoday.htm
Read previous issues from the Archive of e-News Updates >>
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