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3Rs in Action: Oregon & California
After the first European study tours in 1998 and 1999,
Advocates determined that encouraging teams of four or more people from a
single state to participate in the study tours would be the most effective
way to build support for Rights. Respect. Responsibility.® (3Rs).
Since then, teams that participated in study tours have been working energetically
in California and Oregon. In fact, Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon
and the California team are Advocates' first state-based partners
in the 3RsCampaign.
California
Adapting the 3Rs to a state environment was a major goal of Advocates' 2000
European study tour. Under a two-year grant from The California Wellness Foundation,
Advocates hosted four California policy experts on the tour: Carmen Narvarez,
Vice President for External Relations for the Public Health Institute; Beatrice
Olivera Stotzer, Chief Executive Officer of New Capital; Cathryn Rivera, Deputy
Secretary for Cabinet Affairs; Winna Davis, Director of Programs for the City
of San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Families.
California presents an unusual policy climate. California's public schools
are not required to teach sex education; however, if schools provide sex education,
they must stress abstinence and include information about contraception.
The state's elected leadership has a history of supporting comprehensive sex
education. State policies rank among the best in the country regarding adolescents'
confidential access to a full range of health care services. California is
also the center of the entertainment industry, which plays an important role
in shaping social norms around sexuality.
At the same time, California offers significant challenges when it comes
to teens' sexual and reproductive health. California's teen pregnancy rate
remains high. California faces issues of cultural competency and fairness
regarding health care access for multi-ethnic and immigrant populations. Progressive
legislation and policies on education still meet with some public opposition.
Legislators repeatedly introduce bills to curtail confidential access to health
care. Although a bill mandating medically accurate sex education was signed
into law in 2000, there is no clear indication that it is being widely implemented.
While in Europe, the California team designed a policy plan with three goals:
- Educate policy makers on the benefits of comprehensive sex education.
- Compile information on what parents want and what young people need in
sex education.
- Hold policy makers accountable for responding to concerns of parents and
youth.
Advocates and the state team view California's current policies regarding
sex education as a starting point for advancing a more comprehensive approach
to sexuality education. The approach will include encouraging parent-child
communication, promoting an appreciation of diversity, and teaching skills
in making decisions based on individual values and accurate information.
In February 2001, Advocates hosted a strategy session to further develop
the policy plan. Participants included the team, the Director of Advocates' Media
Project, five California participants from earlier study tours, and representatives
from state agencies involved in teen pregnancy prevention, HIV/AIDS education,
reproductive health care, and adolescent health research and programming.
As a result of the discussions, Advocates teamed up with the Planned Parenthood
Affiliates of California to develop model language for comprehensive sex education
and teen pregnancy prevention. The state team made over 30 presentations to
a wide variety of organizations, including several Planned Parenthood affiliates,
teachers' groups, public health organizations, and state legislators' staff.
Local radio stations and newspapers carried interviews with team members.
Later in the year, Advocates, the California Family Health Council, and Planned
Parenthood Affiliates of California also hosted successful policy briefings
on sex education in Los Angeles and San Diego. Because of these successes,
the California Wellness Foundation provided funds for Advocates to take eight
more Californians—including policy experts from local boards of education,
city councils, and city/county agencies—on the 2002 study tour.
Oregon
The Executive Director of Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon also
participated in the 2000 tour and witnessed Advocates' new team approach.
Upon returning, he shared his enthusiasm with staff and Board, and the Planned
Parenthood affiliate applied for a grant from an Oregon foundation to send
a large team on the tour in 2001 and to bring the 3Rs approach to the state.
To build support across western Oregon and to identify those who might apply
for Oregon's 2001 team, Advocates' Director of Education and Outreach began
a whirlwind speaking tour through six cities. She gave 10 media interviews
as well as presentations to 12 groups of 25 to 450 people, and Oregonians
responded positively. Youth and parents in each community overwhelming endorsed Rights.
Respect. Responsibility.® anddiscussed strategies
for implementing the 3Rs. As a result, 16 Oregonians participated in Advocates
for Youth's 2001 study tour. They included a school board member, a minister,
staff from Planned Parenthood, an attorney, a registered nurse, health and
sexuality educators, one young person, and representatives from the Department
of Education and Healthy Start.
Upon their return, the Oregon team got into action. Team members from Planned
Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon created RRR Oregon—We Can Do Better! as
well as a companion Web site, www.WeCanDoBetter.org.
The mission of We Can Do Better! is to help Oregon youth develop
healthy sexual attitudes and behaviors, supported by proven public health
strategies that reduce teen pregnancies, births, abortions and sexually transmitted
infections. The multi-year project aims to:
- Create a new vision for adolescent sexual health in Oregon.
- Learn from those who have successfully demonstrated a long-term, pragmatic
approach to reducing teen pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates.
- Develop a statewide cadre of individuals and organizations committed to
reducing Oregon's teen pregnancy rates and who will advocate for effective
policies and programs.
- Adapt and implement proven strategies to improve sexual health indicators
for youth in Oregon.
Under the leadership
of Planned Parenthood affiliates in Eugene and Portland, western Oregon's
communities will continue to meet, planning changes in policy and practice
that will support the 3Rs.
In August 2006, Planned Parenthood Health Services of Southwestern Oregon and Advocates for Youth held a national conference, "Rights. Respect. Responsibility® A Bold New Vision for Sexual Health in America".
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