Posts Tagged youth

Why is the Obama administration endorsing a virginity pledge-based abstinence-only program?

Recently, the Obama administration quietly updated its list of “evidence-based programs” that “met the effectiveness criteria” for preventing teenage pregnancy and are therefore endorsed by the Department of Health and Human Services. This list includes the Heritage Keepers Abstinence Education program. Which is weird because, like basically all abstinence-only programs ever, it doesn’t work.

According to RH Reality Check, a 2007 study found that the program “had little or no impact on sexual abstinence or activity.” But that makes it sound like Heritage is just ineffective but harmless. In fact, while it “contains little or no information about puberty, anatomy, sexually transmitted diseases, or sexual behavior,” it does teach kids some stuff. Here’s a sample:

“Males and females are aroused ...

Recently, the Obama administration quietly updated its list of “evidence-based programs” that “met the effectiveness criteria” for preventing teenage pregnancy and are therefore endorsed by the Department of Health and Human Services. This list includes the ...

What do Peru and Utah have in common? Fierce youth advocates for starters

This week, youth advocates from around the world are in New York for the Commission in Population and Development, the United Nations’ annual meeting on development, health and rights. This year’s meeting is focused on adolescents and youth, and these young advocates are in town to ensure that governments uphold prior commitments to advancing the sexual and reproductive rights and health of all.  We sat down with Thomas Alberts, a college student from Utah and Stefanie Suclupe, a young nurse from Peru, to find out what’s at stake—at the UN and beyond—when it comes to young people and sex.   

Stefanie:  In Peru, young people face many barriers to accessing health services, and violations of their sexual and reproductive ...

This week, youth advocates from around the world are in New York for the Commission in Population and Development, the United Nations’ annual meeting on development, health and rights. This year’s meeting is focused on ...

Pariah: Best movie of last year*

Eesha, Miriam, Zerlina, Lori, Deanna Zandt and myself all went to see Pariah together last week and I think I speak for all of us when I say, if there is one movie you see this year–make it this one.

Pariah is set in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and tells the story of Alike (pronounced A-lee-kay and brilliantly portrayed by newcomer Adepero Oduye) and her trials and tribulations figuring out who she is, managing her middle class family’s expectations, her crushes, her heartbreaks and her best friend Laura–a very lovable AG. She is also a poet, a talented student and loves indie rock. Alike is probably one of the closest depictions of someone I might know in real life, I have ...

Eesha, Miriam, Zerlina, Lori, Deanna Zandt and myself all went to see Pariah together last week and I think I speak for all of us when I say, if there is one movie you see this year–make ...

Happy Birthday to the 7 billionth person!

Have you heard? The world population hits 7 billion today!

Conflicting reports put the 7 billionth baby as having been born in a few different places (The Philippines! India! China!) but it matters little to me: for the most part the milestone is symbolic.

So .. what of it? Behind all the rhetoric and symbolism, what does this milestone really mean for us, for our families, and for our quality of life? What kind of world is the 7 billionth baby in being born into?

Lots of people have weighed in on what this all means.

As Miriam pointed out back in July, coverage of global issues related to population, health, and ...

Have you heard? The world population hits 7 billion today!

Conflicting reports put the 7 billionth baby as having been born in a few different places (The Philippines! India! China!) but it matters ...

On Spirit Day, push for enumerated anti-bullying policies

Today is the nation’s annual Spirit Day. Today, I think of 18-year old Tyler Clementi, 11-year old Carl Walker-Hoover, 13-year old Asher Brown — or 15-year old Jamie Hubley, who ended his life just this past weekend because of anti-LGBT bullying.

While the major “ask” on Spirit Day is for folks to wear purple in order to raise awareness around the issue of anti-LGBT bullying, I’d also like to talk problem-solving. We need to use today not just for awareness-raising, but to make specific calls for action, like pushing for enumerated anti-bullying policies in school districts (which means the listing of protected categories, such as race, religion, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation) — and calling ...

Today is the nation’s annual Spirit Day. Today, I think of 18-year old Tyler Clementi, 11-year old Carl Walker-Hoover, 13-year old Asher Brown — or 15-year old Jamie Hubley, who ended his ...

Gaga for good works

There has been no shortage of analysis of Lady Gaga on this blog and so many others. From the meat dress, to the egg crackin’, to, well, to everything disappointing, performative, and courageous about her–she gets folks talking.

I could not be happier that her latest gimmick is actually not really a gimmick at all. She is teaming with the Robin Hood Foundation, an amazing entity, to donate $1 million to five organizations serving youth: The Door, Hetrick-Martin Martin Institute, Lawyers for Children, Safe Horizon, and SCO Family of Services.

At a time when there has been no shortage of truly bad examples of celebrities trying to make their mark for the ...

There has been no shortage of analysis of Lady Gaga on this blog and so many others. From the meat dress, to the egg crackin’, to, well, to everything disappointing, performative, and courageous ...

Quick Hit: Protests continue in Egypt.

I am sifting through the mountains of coverage on protests in Egypt right now and came across this picture and had to share.

And appropriately captioned by Jamia Wilson on Facebook with a Jimi Hendrix quote, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.” via the Atlantic tumblr.

For live coverage of the protests check Al Jazeera. MSNBC also has some really upsetting, but powerful pics up as well. There is coverage everywhere, so please leave more links in comments.

UPDATE: Mother Jones is updating their blog with the most recent information and some critical basic information for those just geting caught up.

I am sifting through the mountains of coverage on protests in Egypt right now and came across this picture and had to share.

And appropriately captioned by Jamia Wilson on Facebook with a Jimi Hendrix quote, ...

DC event: We are the Champions!



Choice USA
, a youth reproductive justice organization that’s also my full time employer, is putting on a kick ass event in Washington, DC on January 20. Six young reproductive justice leaders will do battle (the verbal kind) in three rounds of knock down, drag out fighting (or probably mostly peaceful exchanges, but I’m rooting for a few good left hooks).

I’m psyched about the line up of contenders. Round 1 will be Shelby Knox, of The Education of Shelby Knox, The Ms. Education of Shelby Knox and Twitter fame vs. Mimi Madrid, a fierce activist who works at one of my favorite places, the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR). Round ...



Choice USA
, a youth reproductive justice organization that’s also my full time employer, is putting on a kick ass event in Washington, DC on January 20. Six young reproductive justice leaders will do battle ...
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