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 On Monday, August 30th, the Colorado Department of Human Services submitted a federal application to fund real, comprehensive sex education through the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP).
PREP, created through the national health care reform bill, provides grants to states to provide medically accurate sex education in order to help youth reduce their risk of unintended pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections. Financial literacy, education and career success, and healthy life skills such as goal setting are also emphasized under this program.
Colorado will receive nearly $800,000 a year for the next 5 years for comprehensive sex education that includes an emphasis on life skills.
Congratulate Governor Ritter on bringing $4 million into Colorado that will provide comprehensive health education that has been shown to help youth delay sexual activity and use condoms and contraception when they do become sexually active.
Send a letter to the Governor by clicking here. |
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Denver School Offers Contraceptives to Fight Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections |
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As reported in The Denver Post on Sunday August 22, Bruce Randolph School has begun distributing contraception including condoms, birth-control pills and emergency contraception to students whose parents have signed them up for services at the school-based health centers.
This important move, supported by 90 percent of Bruce Randolph parents who voted on the issue in a March schoolwide meeting, prioritizes the health, wellness and academic success of students.
The Healthy Colorado Youth Alliance supports the decision of the parents and staff at Bruce Randolph and believes that adequate access to comprehensive sexuality education, resources and services is essential for creating a student body of informed youth making responsible decisions and leading healthy lives.
To read The Denver Post article, click here. |
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High Rates of Sexual Violence, Risky Behavior Found in Urban Indian & Native Women |
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From the Family Violence Prevention Fund
Jul 1, 2010
American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women living in urban areas are more likely than non-Hispanic whites to report: non-voluntary first sexual intercourse, unintended and teen pregnancies, unprotected first sex, and first sex with older partners. Those are among the findings from a new study from the Urban Indian Health Institute.
The report calls the high rates of sexual violence experienced by urban AI/AN women “intolerable.” It recommends that “the context in which sexual violence occurs for urban AI/AN communities must be examined closely to learn how to promote justice and address the underlying issues.”
Urban AI/AN women who had been forced to have sexual intercourse were more likely than non-Hispanic whites to have initiated sex at a young age. Lead researcher Shira Rutman told USA Today that this was “a sign of early risky behavior.”
The report, Reproductive Health of Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Women, recommends more youth-focused programming that addresses unintended pregnancy, poor birth outcomes and sexually transmitted infections, since risk factors were found to occur especially among young urban AI/AN women. Ralph Forquera, director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, said the findings show the importance of having culturally appropriate health information available. “Funding is needed for these programs to assure that they are most effective in addressing the issues outlined in this report,” he said.
To read the full article, click here. |
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Special Youth Election Training |
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The Colorado election is in November and several ballet measures are threatening Coloradan's personal freedom. Young people are speaking out for justice.
Join Choice USA, COLOR, and friends to learn about the ballot measures and how to talk to voters and get involved. The training will cover it all—from the basics of voter registration and encouraging your friends to get to the polls to the skills necessary to join progressive campaigns working to defeat the so-called “fetal personhood” amendment and the dangerous Tabor initiatives.
COLOR and Choice USA are looking for young activists across Colorado to join this training and speak out for justice. Join youth organizers like yourself on September 18, 2010 from 9 am – 6 pm in Denver (location TBD) for the Youth the Vote Training.
For more information, click here.
Get educated. Get trained. Get out there.
If you have any questions, email Jos Truitt, Choice USA Western States Field Associate, at
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On June 17th School Board Members at Denver Public Schools unanimously voted in support of the resolution on comprehensive sexuality education. Before casting their votes, many of the Board Members spoke in favor of the resolution and their eagerness to support it. President of the Board, Nate Easley, commented on the sexuality education that his children have received and said in regards to the resolution, "I wholeheartedly support this." Even Superintendent Tom Boasberg expressed his thanks to Vice President Arturo Jimenez for bringing the resolution to the Board and to the community and organizations coming together to support it.
Through our work with our partnering organizations, The Healthy Colorado Youth Alliance was able to generate over 5,000 emails of support to the DPS School Board. As a result of this resolution passing, the more than 78,000 students in DPS are one step closer to having guaranteed access to life-saving information about STI and pregnancy prevention.Thank you to all of you who took action to support this essential step!
Thank the Board by sending them an email today at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
View the final resolution here. |
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