The End of the Beginning or the Beginning of the End?

Hello listeners!

This podcast is late in coming, mainly because I was swamped by life and success and any number of other issues. This podcast is pure catch-up, but I wanted to hit two points in the blog here.

1. The NY Times article I referenced is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/fashion/03sexed.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
2. The NEW Birds&Bees Text Line number is "36263" and you must add "nc" before your first post when you text, as in "nc Where can I buy condoms?"

That does it for us. Expect a new podcast soon! The show can be downloaded or listened to here. And until next time, keep up the good work!

Ads, Art and Registration: Oh My!

This week’s Podcast looks at the UK’s newest effort to get out the word on contraceptives and pregnancy prevention. We also are very happy to announce the Raising Them Right panel and Art Opening at Duke University, which features Amanda Van Scoyoc’s photography and a panel discussion about teen parenthood featuring experts galore and Sarah Brown of the National Campaign! In addition, we’re happy to report that APPCNC’s 2009 Annual Conference registration is now live online, so be sure to sign up early, before all the good spots are taken!

And now, LINKS:

• Can Ads cut teen pregnancy rates? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7965412.stm
• Raising Them Right Show and Panel Discussion (It’s FREE!): http://www.raisingthemright.org/exhibit/
• 2009 APPCNC Annual Conference Registration Online: http://events.appcnc.org/index.php/home
• 2009 APPCNC Annual Conference Brochure in PDF: http://www.appcnc.org/websitepdf/conference/APPCconference09.pdf

As always the show can be downloaded here. That’ll do it for this week! Keep up the good work!

Two-tracks and Gaston's Woes: Episode 17

Good day, podcast listeners! This week’s ‘cast features two local stories, one about the Healthy Youth Act and one about Gaston County’s struggle to get information to teens. Without further ado, let’s jump right in:

• States Move Away Fromt Abstinence-Only Sex Education as Teen Birth Rates Rise: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,505647,00.html
• Related Video: The Birds and the Bees: http://www.foxnews.com/video-search/m/21952676/birds_and_bees.htm#q=north+carolina
• Abstinence vs Sex Ed in Battle to Fight Teen Pregnancy: http://www.gastongazette.com/news/gaston_31371___article.html/bridger_sex.html

And if you have any questions about AHAD, go hither! And as always, you can hear the podcast here! And until next time, keep up the good work!

"Forget the airbags and seat belts, honey! They fail 0.05% of the time!"

Car crashes account for more teen deaths each year than any other cause. Most everyone drives, and most everyone who goes through high school gets driver's education.

But why?

If car crashes kill that many teens, shouldn't we just tell them not to drive?

Of course not. We give them Driver's Education: a series of lessons on safety, situations that might arise during driving and equipment that might save their lives, such as seat belts, anti-lock brakes and airbags.

So why would we tell teens "don't have sex" and leave it at that? That's exactly what North Carolina does currently and parents don't have much of a say in it. But there's a solution!

The Healthy Youth Act, House Bill 88, would Let Parents Decide what their kids need from sex education in schools. You can support it by calling and writing your representative and senators or by going to this site, Amplify and sending an email to your legislators!

And remember: always wear your seat belt and Let Parents Decide!

From the Mouths of Teens

The Birds-N-Bees Text Line, a service of APPCNC, has been active now for a week. I've had the honor of answering the first texts (46 thus far) and the questions have been telling. There's been a lot of concern over sexual identity, a lot of concern over relationships and a lot of concern about whether a given behavior is normal or not.

Sex is a minefield. Everyone does it, everyone has a sexual identity, but we're not allowed to discuss it in polite company. There's a ton of misinformation out there and some outright lies, and I think these texts show that teens are clearly confused, worried and concerned about their sexual lives and identities.

Let me assure you: whatever you're feeling, it's probably perfectly normal. If you have any medical concerns, call your doctor. It's what they do. And last, but not least, yes, everyone else goes through that, too and no, nobody likes to admit it.

Edit: I'm sorry to have to do this, but this service is only available in North Carolina, so I'm forced to edit this post to remove our number. If you're a teen in North Carolina you can still see our adverts on MySpace. Look for the ads on the right side of the page!

Busting Myths and Building Bridges: Podcast 15!

This week’s podcast focuses on two recent articles and our newest initiative: the Birds-N-Bees Text Line! The Text Line is a free service where teens can text their questions about sex, STIs or relationships and we’ll respond with 24 hours with the best medically accurate advice we can give. It’s free, but standard text message fees apply.

Edit: I'm sorry to have to do this, but this service is only available in North Carolina, so I'm forced to edit this post to remove our number. If you're a teen in North Carolina you can still see our adverts on MySpace. Look for the ads on the right side of the page!

In other news, the Healthy Youth Act is now online and you can read the text of the bill here. Call your senator and representative and let them know that you support this bill!

And last, but not least, links:

• The Myth of Rampant Teenage Promiscuity: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/health/27well.html?_r=3&8dpc
• 2 choices on table for sex education: http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=317632

You can check out the new show here. Until next time, keep up the good work!

Choosing a Better Future for NC Teens

We’re back on schedule with the podcasts and this week we have two local news stories as well as a call to arms!

• Supporters sense a new chance for broader sex ed: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/story/1373041.html
• Activists emphasize sex education: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1378665.html
• The event takes place on February 3rd, 2009 at 10am in the NC Legislative Building. Show up and show your support or call your legislators and urge them to support parent choice with the Healthy Youth Act!

The new show can be found here. Till next time, keep up the good work!