Today’s teens ask some tough questions.
Should they agree to have sex to please someone they care about? Can a girl become pregnant if she has sex only once? Can a person get AIDS by kissing? Do birth control pills prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?
“For young people who do not or cannot turn to their parents or teachers for answers, there’s the professional health educators of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of San Mateo County,” said Nancy Mangini, coalition board chair.
They bring “Teen Talk,” the coalition’s comprehensive sexuality education program, to some 3,000 young people each year in 23 schools in San Mateo County.
Working in collaboration with the schools, health educators present “Teen Talk,” a series of eight to 10 sessions, to freshmen in science classes at high schools, including Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia and Woodside, and to eighth-graders in Redwood City the Ravenswood City School District, and other schools, mainly in South San Mateo County.
“I think our program is really in touch with the realities of today’s teenagers and gives them the information they need to make healthy choices,” said Valerie Brown, the coalition’s new executive director.
“Teen Talk” provides students information on preventing teen pregnancy, HIV infections and sexually transmitted diseases. It teaches them communication and decision-making skills in peer pressure situations, helping them clarify values and make healthy choices.
Ms. Brown knows the territory. She came to the coalition last August after managing for the last four years the University of California, San Francisco’s New Generation Health Center for high-risk youth. The center focuses on pregnancy prevention and delivers information and services to more than 10,000 young people.
“It was a great opportunity to have the experience of working every day with teenagers,” said Ms. Brown during an interview in the coalition’s office off Woodside Road in Redwood City.
Ms. Brown received a master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University and has 10 years of experience in social service management in the areas of teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and STD prevention.
“Valerie comes to the coalition during a time of transition when the organization moves into its teen or adolescent years,” said Ms. Mangini.
Cheri Livingston, the coalition’s executive director since 1997, worked to establish the coalition’s reputation for highly valued service to youth of San Mateo County.
The challenge now, said Ms. Mangini, is working toward financial sustainability by actively pursuing partnerships with local school districts and broadening the donor-support base.
The coalition operates its programs for teens and adults on a $300,000 annual budget. The cost per student of providing “Teen Talk” is $100. Most of the funds come from private foundations and individuals.
The coalition receives no funding from the federal government, which spends millions of dollars annually on “abstinence-only” programs.
In California, public schools are required to offer a broader “comprehensive sexuality education program.”
Besides offering “Teen Talk” and “Teen Parent Panels,” the coalition sponsors “Plain Talk,” a workshop designed to help parents learn effective communication skills. The coalition also offers a teacher-training program in human sexuality education through San Francisco State University.
“While we have a strong program and the teen birth rate has declined in the county during the past 10 years, we can’t be complacent. There’s always a new crop of teenagers that are becoming sexually active,” said Ms. Brown.
HOLIDAY FUND
Gifts to the Almanac’s Holiday Fund help support the Teen Pregnancy Prevention’s education and outreach program. For more information, go to teenpregnancycoalition.org or call Valerie Brown, executive director, at 367-1937. The address is 707 Woodside Road, Suite 7, Redwood City, CA 94062.
