Advocates must work to eliminate roadblocks to integrated programs. (From the President).I must admit that the topic of integration puzzles me. It's not that integrating STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialing) Long distance dialing outside of the U.S. that does not require operator intervention. STD prefix codes are required and billing is based on call units, which are a fixed amount of money in the currency of that country. , HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. , and teen pregnancy prevention efforts doesn't make sense. It's that it makes so much sense, Why isn't it standard procedure?Young people have repeatedly told me that they are equally concerned about each of these issues and that they want accurate and complete information. Parents have told me that they clearly see the connection between these issues and that they have taken it for granted that their child's school or after-school program was dealing with all three. Yet the reality is that most educators are operating under strict rules imposed by funding streams, education policies, and school mandates to handle these topics separately. It has been my experience that the problem of integration of prevention programs is most often one of overcoming administrative and bureaucratic bu·reau·crat n. 1. An official of a bureaucracy. 2. An official who is rigidly devoted to the details of administrative procedure. bu barriers established by government agencies and other funding sources. We need advocates at the federal, state, and local level to help create an environment where the political and administrative roadblocks to true integration of prevention efforts are eliminated. Only then will this logical approach to prevention and sexual health education become a reality. CHANGE STARTS ON THE GROUND I have always believed that true change starts at the community level. Advocates across the country have already created some model programs that others may want to replicate. Hartford, CT, is an excellent example of an integrated plan created by community advocates. Not many years ago, Hartford faced alarmingly high rates of teen pregnancy and STDs among its adolescents. Individuals worked together to create a strategic plan that not only brought together teen pregnancy, STD, and HIV information but also united community-based organizations, private businesses, and government agencies. Thus far, this multi-pronged plan has resulted in school-based health centers where contraception is distributed; a new high school health curriculum that better addresses STDs, HIV, and teen pregnancy; and an upcoming revision to the middle school health curriculum. Maine used a different tactic to simultaneously work on the issues of teen pregnancy, STDs, and HIV from a statewide perspective. It passed the Family Life Education Act last year that mandates comprehensive family life education. This includes providing medically accurate information on family planning family planning Use of measures designed to regulate the number and spacing of children within a family, largely to curb population growth and ensure each family’s access to limited resources. and STDs as well as information on developing solid communication and decision-making skills. I hope advocates will use both the Hartford and the Maine success stories as models for action. FROM THE TOP DOWN I feel, however, that it is unfair to put the burden of integrating programs on states and communities, which are most often operating under the confines con·fine v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines v.tr. 1. To keep within bounds; restrict: Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. See Synonyms at limit. of a system set by the federal government and other funding sources. In the years that I worked with communities on teen pregnancy prevention, for example, I can't remember a single community-based organization or a state coalition telling me they had no interest in also working to prevent HIV and STDs among the young people they served. Yet, the reality of their single-issue funding stream often reared its ugly head. In the past few years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. (CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation ) has taken a leadership role on the issue of integration. For example, its Division of Reproductive Health Within the framework of WHO's definition of health[1] as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, reproductive health, or sexual health/hygiene funded 13 communities to help them integrate STD, HIM and teen pregnancy prevention messages and services. More recently, the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health funded SIECUS SIECUS Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States and five other national organizations to provide technical assistance, training, and resources on the importance of integrating STD, HIM and teen pregnancy prevention programs and messages. INTEGRATED PROGRAMS These are fantastic first steps but, in truth, our nation continues to have a system that focuses not on young people as a whole but on the individual problems they may face. Individuals and organizations on all levels--federal government and private funding sources, state and local governments, nongovernmental organizations Transnational organizations of private citizens that maintain a consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Nongovernmental organizations may be professional associations, foundations, multinational businesses, or simply groups with a common interest in , state-based organizations, schools and community-based groups--need to intentionally address the integration of STD, HIM and teen pregnancy prevention programs and messages. We all need to think creatively and flexibly in order to restructure funding streams, refocus Verb 1. refocus - focus once again; The physicist refocused the light beam" focus - cause to converge on or toward a central point; "Focus the light on this image" 2. priorities, and foster an environment where organizations, parents, and communities can work together to ensure that their youth are sexually healthy |
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