ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

July 2007 update on new publications, actions you can take, and more!

Advocates for Youth's e-News Update

News You Can Use

Blog: Beyond Shame: Democrats Sell Out Youth

In June, the House Democrats waltzed into the mark-up of the Labor HHS Subcommittee and proudly presented a bill that puts their stamp of approval on domestic abstinence-only-until-marriage programs--an ideological boondoggle that threatens the health and well-being of America's youth.

In one inglorious motion, the Democrats have sold the health and well-being of young people down the proverbial drain, delivered a public slap in the face to evidence-based public health, and made a mockery of their "prevention first" message.

Consider this irony. The first domestic policy the Democrats will endorse on the prevention front will be to fund abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for young people up to the age of 29! Good work, gang. You make me proud to be a Democrat--NOT!

Excerpted from a blog by James Wagoner, President of Advocates for Youth.
Click here to read the full blog.

House of Representatives Eases Harmful International Abstinence-Until-Marriage Earmark

By a vote of 200-206 the House of Representatives defeated an amendment offered by Representative Joseph Pitts (R-PA) to reinstate the 33 percent abstinence-until-marriage earmark in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The Foreign Operations Appropriations bill contains a provision giving the administration greater flexibility to respond quickly to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and specific countries' needs - the President may waive the 33 percent requirement on a country-by-country basis, and abstinence-only programs will no longer have to be segregated from the continuum of prevention efforts.

"Hopefully, this new provision in PEPFAR will push the administration to set ideology aside and do what is best to fight this pandemic," said James Wagoner, President of Advocates for Youth.

Click here to read the Advocates' press release.

HIV Prevention Act Introduced!

The HIV Prevention Act of 2007 (S. 1553) was introduced on June 5, 2007 by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), along with 10 original co-sponsors. It calls for implementation of a comprehensive approach to prevention strategies funded under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). If passed, the HIV Prevention Act would remove entirely the earmark from PEPFAR's authorizing legislation that mandates at least 33 percent of HIV prevention programs be spent on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

Click here to read more about the HIV Prevention Act.

Take Action! Tell your Senators to support the HIV Prevention Act!

PEPFAR's abstinence-only approach has created a culture of fear around condoms - some organizations that receive PEPFAR funds even think that condom demonstrations for adults are not allowed, according to a recent GAO report. Worse yet, research shows that in a number of African countries, married women are at higher risk for HIV than their unmarried counterparts - data demonstrating that marriage is not the panacea that proponents of abstinence-until-marriage programs claim it to be.

The HIV Prevention Act won't single-handedly end the spread of HIV/AIDS. But removing the ideological abstinence-only-until-marriage earmark from U.S. global AIDS programs is a critical step in the right direction.

Let's make sure our Senators understand how important this issue is - after all, millions of lives are on the line. The time to act is now!

Go here to take action!

News of the Absurd

No Kissing! ...if you're gay.

When the seniors at East Side High School in Newark, New Jersey received the yearbooks they had bought, one picture was mysteriously missing: that of Andre Jackson kissing his boyfriend. School officials had blacked it out, saying it was "suggestive." However, the yearbook features many pictures of heterosexual couples embracing and kissing - including the one on the page immediately opposite Mr. Jackson's, which shows a young man and a young woman kissing on a couch, his hand on her leg as she sits on his lap.

Read the article here: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/06/gay_pairs_photo_blacked_out_of_1.html

Don't say the word "rape" during a rape trial.

A Nebraska district judge, Jeffre Cheuvront, granted a motion by defense attorneys barring the use of the words rape, sexual assault, victim, assailant, and sexual assault kit from the trial of Pamir Safi - accused of raping Tory Bowen in October 2004.

Read the article here:
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/06/17/news/local/doc46745fdc16768519275420.txt

New At Advocates

Job Opening: International Policy Manager

Advocates for Youth is seeking applications for the International Policy Manager. The International Policy Manager promotes international policies that will improve adolescent access to comprehensive reproductive and sexual health information and services. The Manager acts as the organization's voice on these issues on Capitol Hill, the United Nations, foreign governments, and with colleague organizations. The Manager also develops policy and education materials for policy makers and the media.

To read the full description and to learn how to apply, please click here.

Apply for the Youth of Color Initiative!

Through the Youth of Color Initiative, organizations may receive strategic capacity building assistance, including publications and materials; written and electronic correspondence; telephone consultations; on-site training; and seed grants in the amount of $8,000 to implement HIV/STI and teen pregnancy prevention projects. This assistance from Advocates is made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Adolescent and School Health. Services offered through this initiative are tailored to fit the needs of your organization. The deadline to apply is July 25, 2007.

The deadline has passed.

In the Spotlight

Jesse, 18, is a peer educator with Advocates for Youth's Youth Resource and an intern this summer; he was also the First Place Winner of Advocates' Condom Contest.

I am a volunteer peer educator with YouthResource, the peer education component of Advocates for Youth for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender youth. Through YouthResource I answer questions from young people regarding a range of issues, from coming out to sexual health questions.

The most difficult challenge I face in my work is, hands down, communicating with my peers about why this work is so vital. Explaining to the average high school student about theright to get comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information isn't easy, especially when they have numerous other things, like grades, sports, and after school work on their minds.

But the effort is worth it. Recently I had the opportunity to read e-mails from youth who have participated in the Advocates for Youth condom art contest, and I was struck by one e-mail from a young person in the Midwest who talked about how the contest enabled him and his father to discuss safer sex for the first time.

While the things that inspire me to work as an activist are constantly changing, my biggest motivators remain the people I help. As a volunteer with Advocates for Youth, I am privileged to witness, first hand, how my work changes lives. I know that every person deserves a voice, and so I make use of mine when others cannot.

Right now, I am preparing for the rest of my life. I just graduated high school, and am starting college in the fall. I intend to earn a Bachelor's of Political Science and a Master's of Public Policy in college and become a political speech writer. Eventually I plan to run for public office, and I hope to win the race!

Read All About It

New Publications at Advocates

The Facts: Male Circumcision as HIV Prevention

Recent studies have demonstrated that circumcision offers men considerable - though not complete - protection against acquiring HIV through heterosexual intercourse. This fact sheet discusses recent studies on male circumcision, biological mechanisms by which the practice may reduce men's risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection, global prevalence of male circumcision, and recommendations for HIV prevention programs and policies. (http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/factsheet/fsmalecircumcision.htm)

The Facts: The Impact of Homophobia and Racism on GLBTQ Youth of Color

As members of more than one minority group, GLBTQ youth of color face special challenges in a society which often presents heterosexuality as the only acceptable orientation and in which nonwhites have disproportionately higher rates of negative sexual outcomes. Economic and cultural disparities, as well as sexual and other risk-taking behavior, make these youth vulnerable to HIV, pregnancy, and sexual violence. Holistic, culturally competent health care is essential to their well being.

Policy Brief: The HIV Prevention Act of 2007

The HIV Prevention Act of 2007 (S. 1553) was introduced on June 5, 2007 by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), along with 10 original co-sponsors. It calls for implementation of a comprehensive approach to prevention strategies funded under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). If passed, the HIV Prevention Act would repeal the earmark from PEPFAR's authorizing legislation that mandates at least 33 percent of HIV prevention programs be spent on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

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 >>