tailieunhanh - Fostering Connections: Improving Access to Sexual Health Education

Some teachers and school administrators find sexuality education personally objectionable or lack sufficient understanding of the subject and thus are reluctant or refuse to go along with such programs (Smith, Kippax, and Aggleton, 2000). For instance, such opposition from teachers and teacher organizations is a problem in South Africa (Department of Education, 2002). Other school officials may have no personal objection but resist sexuality education because they fear overcrowding the existing curriculum, taking on increased responsibilities with no increase in compensation, or complaints from irate parents (McCauley and Salter, 1995). . | Virginia Roundtable on Teen Pregnancy Prevention for Youth in Foster Care Fostering Connections Improving Access to Sexual Health Education Policy Recommendations to Enhance Success and Sustainability for Youth in Out-of-Home Care The Virginia Teen Pregnancy Prevention Partnership for Youth in Foster Care Preventing Teen Pregnancy Among Youth in Foster Care The Challenge Youth in foster care face multiple factors that put them at increased risk for teen pregnancy STIs and HIV and early parenting. Many of these youth have little access to information about sexuality and do not receive consistent messages about teen pregnancy prevention. During adolescence many of these youth engage in unhealthy behaviors and relationships. Foster care youth both boys and girls alike are less likely to use contraception at first sex compared to their non-foster care peers Teen girls in foster care are two and a half times more likely than their peers not in foster care to experience pregnancy by age Half of 21-year-old men aging out of foster care report they had gotten someone pregnant compared to 19 of their peers who were not in the Juvenile and Family Court systems recognize teen pregnancy prevention as an important issue in their professional These data indicate that youth in foster care are more likely to become pregnant and have a child compared to teens in general. Children born to teen parents also face many challenges. The children of teen mothers are at increased risk of either being in foster care or being a victim of abuse and neglect when compared to children born to mothers aged 20 or older. The federal state and local costs associated with these child welfare outcomes were billion in 2004 alone. In Virginia in 2004 child welfare costs associated with children born to teen mothers was 27 Almost half of teen girls in foster care will become pregnant at least once by age The Richmond Experience These facts prompted teen .