ACLU

The ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project protects everyone's right to make informed decisions free from government interference about whether and when to become a parent. Learn more about our work in reproductive health and take action to protect rights guaranteed to all Americans. Click here to Learn More.

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RH Reality Check

Information and Analysis for Reproductive Health.  RH Reality Check is an online community and publication serving individuals and organizations committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights. Click here to Learn More.

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When Girls Don't Graduate
We All Fail

At a time when every hour counts, the dropout rates and educational experiences of female students cannot be ignored. What has been generally overlooked, however, is that girls, too, are dropping out of high school at dangerously high rates. In fact, one in four girls overall do not finish high school, and the numbers are worse for girls of color. One in two Native American female students, four in ten Black female students, and nearly four in ten Hispanic female students fail to graduate with a diploma each year. Click here to Download PDF.

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Gaining Support for Teen Families: Mapping the Perceptual Hurdles

Beginning in September 2007, Healthy Teen Network, a national advisory committee and the FrameWorks Institute began to collaborate to identify, test and deploy new messages that might have the potential to change the public conversation about support for young families. Click here to download the PDF.

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The New 3Rs: Rights, Respect, Responsibility

The New 3Rs is a groundbreaking, long-term initiative that uses proven public health strategies to support youth in developing healthy sexual attitudes and behaviors. Click here to Learn More.

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Science and Success 2008

Advocates for Youth have released their Second Edition of "Sex Education and Other Programs That Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections. Click here to download the PDF.

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What Programs Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Over the years, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has produced and disseminated a number of detailed reports and publictions designed to answer this question. Here, in shorthand form, is an overview of what is known about carefully evaluated interventions that help prevent teen pregnancy. We encourage those who want to learn more to review materials on this topic. Click here to download the PDF.

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Emerging Answers 2007: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy released Emerging Answers 2007: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, by researcher Douglas Kirby, Ph.D. This update of the author's influential 2001 study Emerging Answersis the most comprehensive review to date of evaluation research that answers the question, what programs work to prevent teen pregnancy and STDs. The report’s findings are based on a total of 115 program evaluations. Please visit the National Campaign's website to download the full report, summary report, press release, and other supporting materials.

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A Tool to Assess the Characteristics of Effective Sex and STD/HIV Education Programs (TAC)

The TAC is designed to help practitioners assess whether curriculum-based programs have incorporated the common characteristics of effective programs. Click here to download the TAC (PDF)

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2007 Teen Birth Stats

Prepared by the Iowa Department of Public Health Center for Health Statistics, Vital Records. Find out the 2007 Statistics of Teen Births by Single Years of Age, Total, and Out-of-Wedlock for Iowa Residents. Click here to download the Exel File.

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A Guide to Mandatory Reporting Of Sexual Abuse and Minors

Here you will find a guide designed to help professionals who work with minors to understand Iowa Mandatory Reporting Laws with regard to sexual abuse. Your main goal as a mandatory reporter is to protect children and youth. The aim of this guide is to help you make more informed decisions about when you must report and when you can report. Remember that you will not be penalized for reporting when the law does not require you to. You can be penalized if you fail to make a report when it is required. As professionals we need to let our agencies’ policies, our experience, and common sense guide us when we are not required by law to report.
 
This publication was developed by a coalition of service providers in FutureNet’s Region 5 who work with teens. After months of comparing notes and swapping stories, we began to research the Iowa Code. Once we understood the laws and how they pertain to mandatory reporting, we wanted to share what we learned. This brochure is not a substitute for legal counsel or your own agency’s policies regarding mandatory reporting. 

 

 

Helpful Links

Advocates for Youth - Advocates for Youth provides resources and advocates for policies to help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. They offer information, training, and assistance to youth-serving organizations, policy makers, youth activists, and the media in the U.S. and the developing world.

Alan Guttmacher Institute - Features sexual and reproductive health research, policy analysis, and public education materials related to U.S. and international communities.

ETR Associates - The Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention compiles best practices in pregnancy prevention education, information on evidence-based programs and current research.

Families Are Talking - Features resources that help caregivers to talk with children about sexuality.

Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education - Reprinted with the permission of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, Fact Sheet, 1997

Healthy Teen Network - A national network of diverse individuals and organizations dedicated to preventing adolescent sexuality, pregnancy and parenting (formally NOAPPP).

Iowa Gender-Specific Services Task Force
A progressive force within the state of Iowa advocating for equitable services for girls involved with or at risk for involvement with the juvenile justice system.

La Familia Habla - Features resources in Spanish that help caregivers to talk with children about sexuality.

Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting (MOAPPP) - MOAPPP develops and strengthens policies and programs that promote adolescent sexual health, prevent adolescnet pregnancy and support adolescent parents.

Minnesota Sexuality Education Resource Review Panel (MSERRP) - Coordinated by MOAPPP, this site offers written reviews of sexual health, curricula, videos and other materials.

National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy A nonprofit, nonpartisan initiative supported almost entirely by private donations. Its mission is to improve the well-being of children, youth, and families by reducing teen pregnancy.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America - Features information on current issues surrounding adolescent sexuality, and offers resources for caregivers to talk with children about sexuality.

Planned Parenthood Freedom Fund - Freedom Fund is the political arm of Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa which educates and mobilizes activists to help protect the reproductive health rights of Iowans.

Religious Leaders on Sex Education - Religious Declaration on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing.

Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (ReCapp) - Designed for school teachers, health educators and program planners working in the field of adolescent pregnancy prevention. ReCAPP provides its users with practical skills and learning activities grounded in current research findings and health behavior theory.

Sex, etc. - Written and produced by teens for teens with solid advice from adult experts.

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) - Develops, collects, and disseminates information, promotes comprehensive sexuality education, and advocates for the right of individuals to make responsible sexual choices.

Sociometrics/PASHA - Develops research-based products and services for practitioners working in the areas of teen pregnancy and STI/HIV/AIDS prevention, including program evaluation.

Teenwire - A resource for teens providing information about sexual health.

U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action - To Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior. (Download the PDF)

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Iowa Specific Teen
Pregnancy Information

1991-2006 Iowa Births to Teens under age 20 Review data from the Iowa Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics, Vital Records.  Included are graphs, and tables of births by year and county and total births by year and county. Click here to review the 2006 Iowa Teen Births by Age (12-19) and by County.

Iowa Department of Education Releases Sex Ed Resource List In an effort to assist Iowa schools in compliance with Iowa Code 256.9(54) (formerly known as House File 611), the Iowa Department of Education released a resource list, “Age-appropriate/Research-Based Information for Human Growth and Development.” The list includes examples of age-appropriate and research-based materials and resources which schools and school districts may use to update their human growth and development curricula regarding sexual exploitation by means of the Internet, health and wellness literacy, sexually transmitted diseases (including HPV), and human sexuality. These items are not intended to represent an exhaustive list. This list will be reviewed/updated on an annual basis. Additional research-based materials and resources are available from many other sources, including survey data.

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Teen Pregnancy Rates
Decline Between 2002-2004

The teen pregnancy rate in the United States continued to decline between 2002 and 2004, according to data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The teen pregnancy rate (girls aged 15-19) declined 5% between 2002 and 2004.  Click here to view the National Campaign’s April 2008, press release.