Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program
Did you know…?
- Pueblo County ranks second in teen fertility rates in the state of Colorado.
- 358 babies were born to teen moms in Pueblo County in 2006.
- Only 33% of teen moms continue their educations.
The mission of the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program is two-fold: (1) to improve the knowledge of adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and their impact on the community and build the community’s will to work on prevention efforts and (2) to encourage behavioral change to support the prevention and reduction of adolescent pregnancy and STIs.
The program utilizes a message of abstinence and contraception to encourage teens to make responsible, healthy decisions. This mission is reached using various strategies, including one-on-one counseling, relationships with community agencies and implementation of an ongoing teen pregnancy/STI prevention media campaign.
Values:
- Youth are smart, valuable and responsible.
- Adolescent pregnancy and STI transmission are completely preventable.
- Too-early pregnancy is a community issue that can be addressed with collaborative partnerships.
- Parents, families and schools are an integral part of communication and education for adolescents.
- Adolescents should abstain from all sexual activity and be carefully taught both the medical rationale for abstinence as well as real-world tools for maintaining continued abstinence.
- If adolescents are sexually active then they should be taught the medical rationale for renewed abstinence as well as the most effective and safe methods for contraception.
- Sexually active adolescents must have access to medical advice and care along with counseling, advice and support to assist them in developing a safe and healthy lifestyle.
- Tolerance and diversity are necessary to reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancy and STIs in Pueblo County.