South Dakota Planned Parenthood Advocate

National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month

May marks the National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. And in the state of South Dakota this is an important month because teen pregnancy rates remain too high despite the fact that they have dropped nationally. In 2008 the pregnancy rate (number of pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15-19) of teens was 53. While this has dropped over the years, and in data from another source the rate was as low as 35 in 2010, this doesn’t mean South Dakota shouldn’t be cautious.

What can we do to continue to make sure that the teen pregnancy rate in South Dakota declines?

Make sure that teens in South Dakota have access to sex education and birth control first and foremost. Communication is also vital. Parents and schools need to have these conversations about sex with teens.

STIs on the Rise in South Dakota

A disturbing trend has recently come to light concerning the spread of sexually transmitted infections in South Dakota.

The South Dakota Department of Health has released the July 2012 Health and Disease Summary, a monthly report that records the numbers of reportable diseases in South Dakota from the beginning of the year through July, and compares the numbers to the average recordings found in the last five years.

 2124 cases of Chlamydia were recorded between January 1^st and July 31^st, a 24% rise from the five-year median. Numbers of HIV/AIDS have risen by 33%, and rates of gonorrhea came in 58% over the previous average.

Perhaps the most startling rise, however, comes in the recorded cases of syphilis. Nine cases of syphilis have been reported in South Dakota in 2012. However, as the disease has been so rare in the area, this is a rise of 350% from the five year median ("July 2012 Health and Disease summary").

These numbers, and the ages behind them, highlight the importance of sexual education for people of all ages, and especially among teenagers and young adults. The new cases of gonorrhea and Chlamydia are largely focused in the 15-24 year old demographic, with 185 gonorrhea cases and 1530 Chlamydia cases. The nine syphilis cases, however, are all comprised of older adults, with six cases reported in people between ages 40 and 64.

The lack of awareness and education abut safer sex is reflected in these troubling numbers. In an interview with The Daily Republic, a South Dakota publication, state epidemiologist Dr. Lon Kightlinger said “People aren’t having safe sex…[State reporting] can go a long ways to helping stop these diseases from spreading, but it is still alarming to see how this disease can start with one person and spread like a web” (Huber).

Hopefully, unfortunate numbers like this can bring about the push for greater openness and education about the spread and risks of sexually transmitted infections. Schools need to be able to give their students thorough, factual and practical information about the sexual choices they are making, and parents need to be willing to have the conversation with their children as well. Only then can the spread of these serious diseases be stemmed.

New Drug Approved for HIV Prevention

Earlier this month, the FDA approved a new drug in the fight against HIV, one that lowers the risk of transmitting the virus to a partner.  The drug, Truvada, is the first of its kind, working to prevent transmission in high risk communities before it happens. While this drug cannot totally eliminate the risk of contracting the virus, used in combination with other safe sex practices, this drug substantially alleviates the chance of contracting the virus.  One study found that correct use of the drug lowered the risk of contracting HIV by 75% in heterosexual couples and 42% in same-sex couples.  These findings mark a substantial milestone in the effort to reduce the spread of HIV.  Many in the public health community are hopeful that the approval of this drug will be able to reduce the rate at which the virus spreads.  Over the past 15 years, the rate of HIV infection has held steady at about 50,000 new cases per year in the US.

National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

May 2 was the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, organized by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and observed each year in May.

Nearly 40% of teens aged 14 to 17 are using digital technologies to seek out health related information, including information on sexual health. In response, a growing number of sexual health organizations are creating online and Smartphone-based tools aimed at providing reliable information and helping teens and young people prevent unintended pregnancy.

Cupid's Basement at Northern State University

I spent Valentine’s Eve with some outstanding students at Northern State University at an event called Cupid’s Basement, co-sponsored by Residential Life and Planned Parenthood.

Like any good college event, there was free pizza and free condoms. Students watched MTV’s Top 10 Most Outrageous Sex Myths and then engaged in a hotly contested game of Sex Ed Trivia.

After the event I hung around and talked Federal and state legislation. Of particular interest was the “Good Samaritan” bill which would have granted limited immunity to people who attempt to help minors in need of emergency assis-tance, assumedly from drugs or alcohol. (SB 86 ultimately failed in the house judiciary committee.) I was impressed at the breadth of their knowledge and interest in politics. The next generation is in good hands.

~ Carmen, Planned Parenthood Advocate

AIDS Free Generation Ambitious but Possible

Last month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on the world to create the first “AIDS free generation.” “The goal of an AIDS-free generation is ambitious, but it is possible,” she said. “An AIDS-free generation would be one of the greatest gifts the United States could give to our collective future.”

Globally, 33.4 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS and more than 25 million people have died of AIDS worldwide since the first cases were reported in 1981. On this World AIDS Day 2011, 30 years after HIV/AIDS emerged as one of our greatest public health tragedies, we need to commit ourselves to working together as a planet to eradicate HIV over the next 30 years.

Sex Education Protects the Future

Sex. It's something we are exposed to on a daily basis. From billboards to music to television, sex is a common theme in our society. We are exposed to sex everywhere except where it counts the most: in the classroom. When I ask my peers where they learned about sex, almost all of them answer "from TV" or "from the Internet," and I think this is dangerous.

Young adults can be misinformed and make mistakes that will affect them for the rest of their lives. And that is why I support Planned Parenthood's Sex Ed Week of Action so fully. I believe that comprehensive sex education is the best way to protect our future, and as president of the SDSU Campus Women's Coalition I am doing my part with my fellow coalition members.

Senate Committee Bans Presidents from Playing Politics with International Family Planning Programs

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to a bill that, if signed into law, will block re-imposition of the Mexico City Policy, also known as the Global Gag Rule.

The amendment, introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), would mean that future presidents will not have the authority to refuse funding to foreign NGOs that provide advice, counseling or information regarding abortion, or that lobby a foreign government to legalize or make abortion available.

A bill approved this summer cut international family planning funding by 25 per cent from current levels and re-instated the Global Gag Rule. It also included a blanket prohibition on U.S. funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). This week¹s bill reversed all that, approving funding for international reproductive health programs and U.S. contributions to UNFPA. The current senate bill includes $700 million for family planning programs.

The Global Gag Rule has been an intermittent government policy, put in place by President Reagan in 1984, rescinded in 1993 by President Clinton, re-instituted in 2001 by President Bush, and rescinded again in 2009 by President  Obama.

The original policy directed the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to withhold funds from NGOs that provided advice, counseling, or information regarding abortion, or lobbied to legalize or make abortion available, even if the NGOs engaged in those activities with non-USAID funds. Some NGOs that did decline U.S. funding under the Gag Rule were forced to close clinics and/or cut services.

In addition to reducing the overall funding provided to those NGOs, the Gag Rule cut off their access to USAID-supplied condoms and other forms of contraception. This lead to a decrease in contraception use and, as a result, an increase in unintended pregnancies, abortion, and transmission of STIs.

By Anna, Web Correspondent, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

June 27th is National HIV Testing Day

Marking National HIV Testing Day on June 27, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota will promote its testing for HIV and other STDs to encourage women, men, and teens to get tested. Rapid HIV tests have been available in Sioux Falls and Rapid City locations since Jan 1, 2011 and can provide results in about 20 minutes.

A Badge for GYT

I was rather disappointed in a recent post from one of my new favorite sites, BlissTree. The topic is whether one would actually want Foursquare’s STD badge.  

“Partnering with MTV to meld social media with social awareness, Foursquare created an online ‘movement’ to encourage young people to get tested. Every time users checked into a clinic, they unlocked badges and shared their whereabouts across social media platforms. According to them, their campaign resulted in thousands upon thousands of participants.”