In the Press (media, policy)

As we begin the second year of our Youth First Initiative, funded by a five-year CDC grant, The Republican covered our efforts in Springfield and Holyoke in Planning to combat teen pregnancy in Springfield and Holyoke pleases director of Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy:

The first year was mostly a planning year. However, approximately 18 local agencies participating in the program are sold on the mission that it is “really about changing the landscape for youth sexual health in the Holyoke-Springfield area,” [Patricia Quinn] said. 

“I don’t think I have ever been more hopeful about the community capacity to move teen pregnancy prevention in the right direction,” Quinn said. 

Holyoke was ranked the highest in the state in teen birth rates for the fifth consecutive year in 2009 even though the number of teen births declined. Springfield was ranked fourth highest in the state.

The second year will focus in part on creating “a very aggressive and effective message campaigns developed in partnership with all the organizations, parents and community groups,” Quinn said. 

The Alliance’s Director, Patricia Quinn, and Training and Technical Assistance Manager, Consuela Greene, visited WGBY Springfield to discuss the teen pregnancy rates in Holyoke, Springfield, Pittsfield, Lowell, and other parts of Western Massachusetts.

What do young people need to prevent teen pregnancy? Watch their interview on Vimeo.

Following the release of updated Massachusetts teen birth data, WAMC Northeast public radio provided coverage featuring Alliance member organization Berkshire United Way, as well as our director, Patricia Quinn.  From the piece, As Massachusetts teen birth rates decline, the Berkshires are poised to combat rising teen pregnancy trends:

Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy, said communities need to focus on three things to bring teen pregnancy rates down; comprehensive sexual education, access to contraceptives, “and third is motivation.”  Over the past year, the Berkshire United Way has been working with the alliance towards the development of an action plan to address teen pregnancy in the county. Kris Hazzard, president and CEO of Berkshire United Way, said the county needs improvement in all three areas mentioned by Quinn.

After news that young mother Bristol Palin had received a $262,000 salary as spokesperson for The Candie’s Foundation, Patricia Quinn was interviewed by The Boston Herald:

What would have been more effective is if she would have been a spokesperson for the needs of pregnant and parenting teens,” said Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy. “She’s very successful, yes, but it would have been good for her to talk to teen moms about what kind of resources it took to make that possible.”

According to Quinn, that $262,000 is about the same amount of money her organization got from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a few years ago to educate schools, health-care providers and community outreach programs about teen pregnancy prevention, reaching 8,000 teens each year.

Read the rest: Teen mom Bristol Palin’s hefty check gives birth to outrage.