The Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy advocates statewide and mobilizes communities to prevent teen pregnancy, to increase opportunities for youth and young parents and to empower young people to make healthy decisions about relationships, sex, parenting and life.
News
For Parents
Are you a parent of a teenager? If so, you probably have concerns about teen pregnancy, sexual behavior, and sexual health. The good news is, you may be a bigger influence on your teen than you think.
- For resources on what you can do, download our fact sheet Tips for Parents.
- One of the most important things you can do as a parent is talk with your kids about sex, including sharing your values and what you think is and isn’t OK for teens. For some tips on talking with your teen, download our fact sheet Tips for Talking with Teens.
- For more information on teen births and sexual behavior in Massachusetts, read our annual report Teens and Sex in Massachusetts.
Our partners have many resources for parents as well:
- Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
(Trainings for parents on how to talk with their kids about sex)
- The National Campaign
- Advocates for Youth
- Some thoughts from Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign on the abstinence-only-until-marriage group “Parents for Truth” can be found here
- How Much Do You Know About Teen Sexual Behavior? A True-False Quiz
This new Child Trends fact sheet lists ten things that parents, policy makers, and practitioners should know about teen sexual behavior. To view the fact sheet, click here.
In the Media
On June 23rd, Patricia Quinn, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Alliance on teen Pregnancy appeared on Channel 2, WGBH’s Greater Boston to discuss teen pregnancy at Gloucester High School.
Hear what she has to say.
Select news articles on the Gloucester High School
rise in teen pregnancy:
There have been several recent news stories on teen pregnancy. To read the articles please click on the following links:
Teen pregnancy in western Massachusetts
WBUR, 6/16/08
For the pdf, click here
Teen pregnancy, part III -- Meeting teen moms, mp3
WFCR, 6/13/08
Teen pregnancy, part II -- Teen parents do their part, mp3
WFCR, 6/12/08
Teen pregnancy on the rise -- part I, mp3
WFCR, 6/11/08
Lowell middle schools stick with teaching abstinence
The Boston Globe, 6/8/08
For the pdf, click here
Efforts to cut teen sex, STDs faltering, report says
The Boston Globe, 6/5/2008
For the pdf, click here
Report grim on teens after foster care
The Boston Globe, 6/5/2008
For the pdf, click here
Gloucester stymied by rise in teen pregnancy
The Boston Globe, 6/6/2008
For the pdf, click here
The Alliance has been featured in several news stories.
Less affluent areas see increase in teen births
Boston Globe, 3/16/08
for pdf version click here
New approach on Latina teen pregnancy
Springfield Republican, 3/9/08
Co-authored by Alliance Board Member Dr. Sarah Perez McAdoo
for pdf version click here
Spike in Gloucester High pregnancies alarms officials
Gloucester Daily Times, 3/7/08
for pdf version click here
Our view: GHS pregnancy spike needs a communitywide response
Gloucester Daily Times, 3/10/08
for pdf version click here
Teen STD rate not surprising to some area health experts
Sentinel and Enterprise, 3/12/08
for pdf version click here
Teen Birth Rates Increase Significantly in Many Massachusetts Communities
On February 13, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released Massachusetts Births 2006. The statewide teen birth rate continued its slow decline, reaching 21.3 births per 1,000 teen girls ages 15-19 in 2006, down 2% from the following year, when the rate was 21.7 per 1,000. While this is good news, there are still substantial ethnic and racial disparities; the Latino teen birth rate in 2006 (72.7 per 1,000) was nearly 6 times that of White teens (12.4 per 1,000).
Many communities, such as Lawrence, Springfield, New Bedford, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Framingham, Leominster, Plymouth, and Cambridge witnessed double-digit increases in the teen birth rate between 2005 and 2006. Leominster had the highest increase, at 73%.
Several communities with perennially high teen birth rates saw significant decreases in 2006. Pittsfield’s rate dropped 6%, Revere’s dropped 19% and Chicopee’s dropped 19%.
Note: community-specific data are based on 2005 population estimates and will be updated as soon as more recent estimates are available.
For our fact sheet on selected communities in Massachusetts please click here
For our press release please click here.
To read the full Department of Public Health report please click here.
2010 Fiscal Year Budget
With a dreary fiscal forecast for 2010, your advocacy for young families and teen pregnancy prevention is more important than ever!
The Conference Committee has passed their version of the fiscal year 2010 budget onto Governor Patrick. If Governor Patrick plans on completing the budget by the beginning of fiscal year 2010, he will need to announce any vetoes and have signed the final budget by July 1st..
We need your help to ensure the Governor does not cut any teen pregnancy prevention or teen parent services. Please call the Governor and urge him to support these important line items listed in this alert.
For more information on the FY2010 Budget proposals from the Governor, House, Senate and Conference Committee, along with the Alliance’s recommendations, click here.
You can find your legislators and their contact information at www.mass.gov/legis.
Partners in Prevention Community Partnerships
The Alliance is currently partnering with nonprofit organizations serving youth in five Massachusetts communities. The Partners in Prevention project, with generous funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, assists these partners in selecting, implementing, and evaluating science-based approaches to teen pregnancy prevention.
Lawrence
Health Quarters
Family Service, Inc
YMCA of Greater Lawrence
Holyoke and Springfield
The YEAH! (Youth Empowerment Adolescent Health) Network
Southbridge
Health Awareness Services/Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program, Oxford Public Schools
Attleboro
Community Care Services
For more information on this project, please contact the Prevention Program Manager at fletcher@massteenpregnancy.org
Upcoming Workshops!
2009 Teen Pregnancy Institute:
A New Era in Adolescent Sexual Health and Support
for Young Families
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The conference will include three workshop sessions throughout the day, and a Keynote Presentation by James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, a leading national organization on adolescent reproductive and sexual health.
Click here to learn more about how
PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCY SAVES TAXPAYER DOLLARS
New Resources Available
To view our new report, From the Community, for the Community: Bridging Research and Practice in a Local Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, click here. In addition, we have also posted a resource manual for those working with pregnant teens in English and Spanish, entitled Baby Steps. To view these documents, please click here.
*HIV Content Notice: *
CDC Announcement: The Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy Website contains HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences.
Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy
105 Chauncy Street, 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02111
617.482.9122 Main, 617.482.9129 Fax
