Today is National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Did you know that today, May 5th is National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy? The purpose of this day is to have teens focus on the importance of avoiding teen pregnancy and other consequences of unprotected sex, (i.e., STDs, HIV, etc.):

About the National Day
"The ninth annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy will take place on May 5, 2010. The purpose of the National Day is to focus the attention of teens on the importance of avoiding teen pregnancy and other serious consequences of sex. On the National Day, teens nationwide are asked to go http://www.stayteen.org/ and take a short, scenario-based quiz (available in English and Spanish). The online quiz challenges young people to think carefully about what they would do in a number of risky sexual situations.
In addition to the online quiz, The National Campaign is also offering an online game with challenging puzzles testing teens’ knowledge about issues related to teen pregnancy. Teens can add the game their social networking profiles and those who complete the puzzles will be eligible to win prizes. Also, The National Campaign is launching a PSA design contest encouraging teens to submit their artwork and ideas about teen pregnancy prevention. Winning submissions will be distributed nationwide.

Organized by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, the National Day has widespread support from more than 200 national organizations and media outlets who serve as official National Day partners.

Why a National Day?
The extraordinary declines in teen pregnancy and childbearing over the past two decades have proven to cynics that progress can be made on tough issues. In fact, few social problems have improved quite as dramatically over the past decade as teen pregnancy. The most recent news on this front, however, has not been positive. After consistent and steady declines beginning in the early 1990s, the nation's teen pregnancy rate rose 3% in 2006, according recent data from the Guttmacher Institute.Clearly a renewed focus on preventing teen pregnancy is needed. We hope that—in some modest way—the National Day will help teens think carefully about sex and contraception, the possibility of pregnancy, and the lifelong challenges of being a parent

How Do Teens Participate?
Teens can support the National Day by simply logging onto StayTeen.org on May 5th (and throughout May) and taking the National Day Quiz. The online Quiz will be posted in both English and Spanish on May 1, 2010 and will be available throughout May. Print versions of the Quiz will also be available so that teens without internet access can still participate. The National Day Quiz is appropriate for teens ages 13 and up.

Making a Difference
Each year, we ask teens to tell us what they thought about the National Day Quiz in a post-quiz evaluation survey and many do. Among the findings from last year’s survey:
74% said the Quiz made them think about what they might do in such situations;
61% said the Quiz made the risks of sex and teen pregnancy seem more real to them;
56% said they’d learned something new from the Quiz about the consequences of sex;
62% said they’d talk to their friends about the situations described in the Quiz;
53% said the Quiz made them think about things they hadn’t thought about before;
54% said they’d encourage others to take the Quiz;
59% said some of the situations in the Quiz were things that they or their friends had faced; and
45% said they’d talk to their parents or other adults about the situations described in the Quiz.
Additionally, one-helf (50%) of the respondants reported taking the quiz as part of a school activity and 35% said they took the quiz at home. Nearly one-third of teens (31%) learned about the quiz from a parent, teacher, or another trusted adult and more than one-quarter (27%) of teens learned about the quiz from one of our National Day partners.
Teens were also given the opportunity to comment on the quiz. Here is a sampling of their responses:
“I thought it was a very good eye-opener. Most teens don’t think about how much getting pregnant could screw up their lives. I think this quiz will help people start thinking about sex and teen pregnancy and help them realize that they might not be as smart as they think.” ~ Girl, age 15
“I thought the quiz was put together in a way that made it both informational and entertaining. I know lots of people who could have benefited from this quiz and will recommend it my friends so they don’t get caught up in similar situations.” ~ Guy, age 17
“I thought the quiz was a great way to show what could happen if you don’t protect yourself. Sex is very serious, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. This quiz is a wake up call to many teens.” ~ Girl, age 15
“I thought it was a good quiz. It seems like a good way to teach teens about sex if they are too afraid to ask their parents and are afraid of what they might say or do.” ~Guy, age 15
“This quiz made me think about how this stuff really does happen in real life. Before prom, many of my friends told me that they were thinking about having sex. If I had known about this website, I definitely would have recommended it!” ~ Girl, age 16

Source

Are you a Cut It Out! Girl?!

xo

World AIDS Day 2009

Today is World AIDS Day. HIV/AIDS affects millions around the globe, so we are dedicating this post to all of those out there dealing with the disease. Cut It Out! strives to empower females to take control of their health, inside and out. We encourage everyone to be proactive in living healthier lives and part of that involves taking better steps to prevent contracting the HIV/AIDS virus. We support those that are living with the virus and encourage them to seek the most suitable treatments available to prevent the onset of AIDS.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC), Act Against AIDS website provides factual information about HIV/AIDS, disease prevention, ways in which to delay the onset of the disease, and how you can get involved and volunteer.

Want to know what women can do to prevent the disease? Please read the information on prevention we've posted below, (provided by the CDC):

"Your risk of getting HIV or passing it to someone else depends on several things. Do you know what they are? You might want to talk to someone who knows about HIV. You can also do the following:

• Abstain from sex (do not have oral, anal, or vaginal sex) until you are in a relationship with only one person, are having sex with only each other, and each of you knows the other’s HIV status.
  • If both you and your partner have HIV, use condoms to prevent other STDs and possible infection with a different strain of HIV.
  • If only one of you has HIV, use a latex condom and lubricant every time you have sex.
• If you have, or plan to have, more than one sex partner, consider the following:
  • Get tested for HIV
    • If you are a woman who is planning to get pregnant or who is pregnant, get tested as soon as possible, before you have your baby.
  • Talk about HIV and other STDs with each partner before you have sex.
  • Learn as much as you can about each partner’s past behavior (sex and drug use) and consider the risks to your health before you have sex.
  • Ask your partners if they have recently been tested for HIV; encourage those who have not been tested to do so.
  • Use a latex condom and lubricant every time you have sex.
  • If you think you may have been exposed to another STD such as gonorrhea, syphilis, or Chlamydia trachomatis infection, get treatment. These diseases can increase your risk of getting HIV.
• Even if you think you have low risk for HIV infection, get tested whenever you have a regular medical check-up.
• Do not inject illicit drugs (drugs not prescribed by your doctor). You can get HIV through needles, syringes, and other works if they are contaminated with the blood of someone who has HIV. Drugs also cloud your mind, which may result in riskier sex.
• If you do inject drugs, do the following:
  • Use only clean needles, syringes, and other works.
  • Never share needles, syringes, or other works.
  • Be careful not to expose yourself to another person's blood.
  • Get tested for HIV test at least once a year.
  • Consider getting counseling and treatment for your drug use.
• Do not have sex when you are taking drugs or drinking alcohol because being high can make you more likely to take risks.

To protect yourself, remember these ABCs:

A=Abstinence

B=Be Faithful

C=Condoms

If you are a woman, there are even more things you can do.

DO

Use a female condom.

Get tested, especially if you’re pregnant.

If you are pregnant and have HIV, talk to your doctor about taking medicine so your baby does not get your HIV.

DO NOT

• Do not use spermicides that contain nonoxynol-9 (N-9). This product may help keep you from getting pregnant, but it will not protect you from HIV. In fact, using N-9 often may actually make it easier for you to get HIV.
• Do not count on most birth control methods to protect you from HIV. The following birth control methods will NOT protect you from HIV:

• The pill
• Diaphrams
• Shots
• Implants
• N-9

Do not douche. Douching removes some of your body’s natural protection."

Source: CDC

To learn more, visit World AIDS Day.

Remember, if you are sexually active, it is extremely important that you get tested and take the proper preventative measures to protect yourself.

Are you a Cut It Out! Girl?!
xo