Donna Bell Sanders's blog

Birth Control Sabotage and Pregnancy Coercion

Submitted by Donna Bell Sanders on Tue, 09/06/2011 - 19:01

An interesting article is available from the National Institutes for Health on the topic of Birth Control Sabotage and Pregnancy Coercion as a form of intimate partner abuse. The researchers found that 53% of respondents reported physical or sexual partner violence, 19% reported experiencing pregnancy coercion, and 15% reported birth control sabotage. One third of respondents reporting partner violence (35%) also reported reproductive control. Both pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage were associated with unintended pregnancy. Professionals working in the field of reproductive health need to be aware of this issue to properly assess and assist their clients in being successful contraceptors.

Help Teens Prevent HIV.

Submitted by Donna Bell Sanders on Wed, 12/01/2010 - 22:13

Experts believe young people may suffer from up to 30 percent of all cases of HIV in the United States. Youth of color and young men who have sex with men continue to be most at risk. It is important to promote programs that help young people to lower their risky sexual behaviors. Parents can encourage teens to use condoms, wait to start having sex until later in their lives, and to have fewer partners. If teens do have sex, it's important for them to get tested for HIV and to get the treatment they need early on.

Advocacy for Youth has more information on HIV and what teens, parents, and professionals working with youth can can do.

You can also go to Amplify Your Voice for more information about World AIDS Day.

Talk With Your Kids is Now In Spanish

Submitted by Donna Bell Sanders on Tue, 10/26/2010 - 16:13

Talk with Your Kids is now in Spanish! Spanish-speaking parents now can have access to these helpful hints about talking with children about sex and reproductive health. Every parent wants their child to navigate successfully into adulthood. Talking with your kids about these important, but sometimes difficult, topics is one way to help! Simply click on Para Padres at the top of the page or under the picture of parents.

Outreaching to Young Men

Submitted by Donna Bell Sanders on Mon, 05/17/2010 - 04:00

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has an excellent resource to help you outreach to and include men in your family planning services.

We all know that it takes two to make a pregnancy, but a lot of times men are left out of pregnancy planning. In an effort to remedy that, The National Campaign presents For Your Consideration, a selection of organizations that are trying innovative approaches to reach males.

Letter of Intent for New Grant Due on May 14, 2010

Submitted by Donna Bell Sanders on Tue, 05/11/2010 - 04:00

The Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working together to support a new program entitled: Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Integrating Services, Programs, and Strategies through Community Wide Initiatives. This Funding Opportunity Application (FOA) is due June 27, 2010 but the Letter of Intent is due MAY 14, 2010.

May 5th: The National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Submitted by Donna Bell Sanders on Mon, 05/03/2010 - 04:00

The only sure way to prevent getting pregnant is to not have sex at all. There are a lot of other good reasons to wait. But if you do decide to have sex, use your birth control method the right way.

The best time to think about how you would handle a risky situation is before you're in it. Will you say no? If so, how will you say it? And if you do decide to have sex, how will you protect yourself and your future?

Take the quiz to find out how you would handle different situations you might find yourself in.

This is My Reality: The Price of Sex

Submitted by Donna Bell Sanders on Fri, 04/30/2010 - 04:00

Motivational Educational Entertainment (MEE) Productions developed a powerful report called This is My Reality: The Price of Sex. The report provides insights into the sexual attitudes and beliefs of Black urban youth who live in poverty. By understanding this often overlooked segment of teens, parents and professionals alike can help support these teens who are at high risk of teen pregnancy.

The key findings are joltingly honest and serve as a wake-up call to both parents and professionals. Teens in this study feel they are not getting adequate information at school or at home. And they report significant barriers to getting the health care they need, including feeling that they had been "disrespected" and "shamed" during visits to clinics.

What to Do for Heavy Kids

Submitted by Donna Bell Sanders on Tue, 04/27/2010 - 04:00

This easy-to-read, easy-to-use book entitled What to Do for Heavy Kids is designed for parents of kids who are overweight. Heavy kids have a higher chance of having poor health when they grow up. It's good to help your children make changes now to stay healthy their whole lives long.

This book will help you and your family to make healthy lifestyle choices. Keeping active, eating the right kinds of food in the right amounts, drinking lots of water, and family support are all important. What to Do for Heavy Kids is a part of a whole series of books designed to help you work together as a family to keep healthy.

Getting the Conversation Started

Submitted by Donna Bell Sanders on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:00

It isn't always easy to talk with your kids about sex and keeping safe and healthy. Where do you start? Talk with Your Kids has some great suggestions to get you going.

Teens Transforming Themselves and The World

Submitted by Donna Bell Sanders on Fri, 04/16/2010 - 04:00

Check out this article entitled Teen Revolution to get an idea of all the amazing things teens are up to. This article highlights four unique groups: CityKids, Art in Action Youth Leadership Program, Seeds of Peace, and Chat the Planet. Teens in these groups are working together and transforming their own lives and helping to create positive change in their own communities as well as reaching out to the world.

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