The Adolescent Health Care Program
The Adolescent Health Care Program serves the youth of the neighborhood who are at high risk for contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. It is also directed towards the prevention of teen pregnancy, and provides nutritional education and services to neighborhood youth and children. High risk factors in our neighborhood include lack of safe social spaces, unemployment, traumatic home situations, a school system that fails to address the special needs of minorities, and inadequate health care assistance.
In addition to the factors that put teens at risk, there is a high infant mortality rate and teenage pregnancy rate, and a large school drop out rate (the high school in our neighborhood has the highest drop out rate in San Bernardino school district). Many of our teens have been homeless and are currently homeless.
This neighborhood development project employs a comprehensive approach in the lives of adolescents by providing a safe social space where adolescents can grow and learn about themselves, employment for teens, and education on HIV/AIDS, STD's, and prenatal health care. The Adolescent Health Care Program is run by teenagers from the neighborhood. We serve a large community of people of color.
" Half of all new HIV cases each year occur among people under the age of 25 "
The Adolescent Health Care Program is also concerned about the lack of social space for teens who may be dealing with sexual orientation questions. There are many gay and lesbian, bi, and transgender teenagers in our neighborhood who are dealing with these issues alone. As a neighborhood development project, we provide a safe social space for teenagers who are gay, bi, lesbian, and transgender, or who have questions about their sexual orientation.
Overall San Bernardino has a huge lack of services for teenagers. In addition to poor health care and a failing school system, there are very few constructive activities provided for teenagers after school hours. Many parents do not play an active role in their teenagers lives.
It is estimated that half of all new HIV cases each year occur among people under the age of 25. Years of research have shown that the provision of information is not enough to reduce rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among our young people. Peer education is an effective way to reach young people with information, and also to give them skills and motivation so they can make healthy decisions for themselves. Peer educators help to create positive peer pressure and normalize healthy behaviors.
As many teenagers report that they receive most of their information about sex from their peers, informed peer educators with accurate information are well-placed, credible sources to help correct misinformation and to dispel myths.
By providing employment, safe social spaces for teens, training adolescents as peer educators, and involving teens in activities in which they learn about health issues they face as adolescents, our program helps lower the risks of transmission of HIV and other STDs. Our programs not only work to reduce risky behaviors. They work to reduce risky exposures.
Teen pregnancy is another issue addressed by our Adolescent Health Care Program. National statistics show that nearly 80 percent of teen mothers eventually go on welfare. If we are serious about breaking the cycles of poverty and underachievement that, too often, result from kids having kids, then we must expand our efforts to help those teens who are at greatest risk. CCLM's peer education program involves teen mothers in the education of their peers, helping teens avoid pregnancy and create support groups for teen parents so they can overcome obstacles and provide adequate health care, nutrition and nurturing to their children.
