| One in Two Sexually-Active
Americans Contracts an STD by Age 25
According to the CDC about half of new sexually transmitted infections
each year are among
those 15 - 24 years of age. Since STDs often have no symptoms, most of
those who are infected don’t know it. Lack of information, misconceptions and
social stigma keep many people from getting tested. Others may mistakenly
believe they have been tested as part of general health care.
Testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea, two of the most commonly reported STDs, is easier than
ever before with many clinics now offering urine-based tests. Rapid HIV tests
can provide results in as little as 20 minutes with a swab inside the mouth.
Diagnosis and treatment of STDs is critical to safe guarding personal health,
fostering sexual responsibility and addressing the wider STD epidemic.
Get Yourself Tested!
GYT short code (49809) provides details about local testing locations to mobile
phones by simply texting a zip code. Use the testing location finder at
www.GYT09.org .
|
- National AIDS & STD Hotline 1-800-342-2437
- Crisis Hotline
1-800-273-TALK.
Where can you get
tested for HIV in Michigan?
Think you can tell if we have HIV?
Some of us are HIV positive and some are negative.
All of us want to challenge your assumptions about HIV.
Play the game and see if you can tell who is "Pos or Not".
Check it out at:
http://www.posornot.com |
Think you can tell if we have HIV?
Some of us are HIV positive and some are negative.
All of us want to challenge your assumptions about HIV.
Play the game and see if you can tell who is "Pos or Not".
Check it out at:
http://www.posornot.com
Youth living
with HIV/AIDS is a reality. What are your risks for infection?
If you are
sexually active you are at risk for STIs (sexually transmitted infections)
including HIV. Do you know how to reduce your risks? Have you been tested for HIV? Do you know you can have a
sexually transmitted infection and not know it? If you have questions, please
call a hotline.
Michigan Services for HIV-Positive Teens and Youth |
 Mobile phone users can send a text message with their zip code to "KNOWIT"
(566948). Within seconds, they will receive a text message containing
information on HIV testing sites near them. This mobile phone service connects
users with CDC’s testing database found at
http://www.HIVtest.org .
|
Michigan Organizations for Youth Sexual Health
The Michigan Coalition on Adolescent Sexual Health started
off the year creating an organization infrastructure of this revamp of the state
Adolescent HIV & STD Networking Committee. MiCASH will be guided by MOASH, which
will serve as the parent or lead organization complete with a Board that
includes at least one MiCASH member. MiCASH will have a four-member Steering
Committee comprised of the MOASH director, two community members and a
representative of the State. The Steering Committee will also aid the
collaborative relationship between MOASH and MiCASH. 2010-2011 Steering
Committee members: Ellen Ives (MOASH), Jessi Talamo (MDCH), Cherie Sietz (PPSCM)
and Jessica Daniel (Horizons). The meetings also include an educational
presentation for members. At this meeting Tammy provided an informative overview
of the Michigan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. The next meeting
will be held on April 22, 2010, location TBA. For more information, contact
Ellen Ives
ellenives@yahoo.com
MiCASH -
Michigan
Coalition on Adolescent Sexual Health
In 2009 a group of key stakeholders redefined
and refocused the statewide networking group for providers of youth services to
work better for the sexual health and prevention of sexual risk behaviors for
our youth. See the Meeting Brief
from the April 2009 meeting for the mission and goals of Michigan
Coalition on Adolescent Sexual Health and the schedule for
upcoming meetings, which will be held quarterly in Okemos.
MOASH - Michigan Organization on
Adolescent Sexual Health
In Dec. 2007, State Directors of HIV, STD, adolescent health and
school health programs wrote a white paper, the State of Adolescent Sexual
Health in Michigan. The paper served as a call to action to policymakers,
educators, health professionals, youth serving agencies, parents, and other key
stakeholders. Michigan needed to take action, and form a free-standing 501(c)3
that could focus on these issues. A Steering Committee was formed, consisting of
six people with over 80 years combined experience and expertise working in HIV,
STD, abstinence, teen pregnancy prevention, and adolescent health. They came
from diverse organizations including state government, local public health,
family planning, an AIDS service organization, and private consulting. In March
2009 a Board of Directors met as a non-governmental state-level 501(c)3
organization, uniquely positioned to provide statewide leadership on
evidence-based approaches to adolescent sexual health and pregnancy prevention.
For more information: Laurie Bechhofer, MPH, HIV/STD Education Consultant,
Michigan Department of Education,
bechhoferl@michigan.gov , 517-335-7252.
Teen
Peer Educators
Services for HIV-Positive Teens and Youth
GHB Warning and Club Drugs
Reaching
GLTB Youth / Providing Safe Schools for Sexual
Minority Youth
Runaway Youth Programs
See more Teen
Resources and Teen Websites (For both
Youth/Teens and adults providing services/education) See also
Prevention
Education; and the Funding
Resources for grant opportunities for youth serving program support.
Teen Peer Educators
Peer health education involves training young people to lead workshops for
their peers with a focus on skills building through interactive and experiential
activities. The goals of such programs are usually to reduce high risk behavior
and promote healthy behavioral choices.
Peer Education...a little help from your friends
2004 Edition -See Teen Resources
Services for HIV-Positive Teens and Youth
This is a special program of Children's Hospital in Detroit providing
services for HIV positive teens and youth aged 13-24 yrs. For more information,
call (313) 924-9486, fax (313) 924-9519.
For those in the Detroit metro area looking for a therapist who works with
adolescents, LGBT or straight, Tracy Niyo
[niyot@royaloakschools.com]is
taking new clients. She is with Counseling Insights located in Southfield at 12
Mile Rd. and Telegraph. Niyo works in middle/high schools currently and
has worked with HIV+ and LGBT youth through Children's Hospital and in private
practice. Email or call 248-224-3754 for more info or a referral. She takes
insurance and has a sliding fee.
Reaching GLTB Youth
See Teen Resources page
and Making
Schools Safe for Sexual Minority Youth
Support Groups
Detroit: MPowerment
MPowerment Detroit offers a clean, safe place for gay male youth ages 14-24
to hang out and meet new people. Funded by the Michigan AIDS Fund, MPowerment
sponsors social groups and events and HIV and STD prevention. For more
information, call (313) 963-4202. Weekly M-Group sessions on Sundays from 7 - 10
pm.
Traverse City: Windfire Gay/Lesbian Youth Support Group
Call Amanda (231)922-4800 for more
information and location.
National Organizations
The National Youth Advocacy Coalition
The nation’s pre-eminent voice for an increasingly sophisticated and
politically active population of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
questioning youths. One hundred thirty such youth-serving organizations comprise
the Coalition and each year more than 1,000 such youths attend one of the
Coalition’s five regional organizing conferences and its Washington, D.C.-based
National Youth Summit. The Coalition is preparing to celebrate its tenth
anniversary.
The Trevor Helpline
This crisis line is the only 24-hour toll-free line solely dedicated to
counseling gay and questioning youth. Youth can call (866) 488-7386 or visit the
web site: www.TheTrevorProject.org.
Michigan Network for Youth and Families
Street Smart - HIV Prevention
Program for Runaway Youth
The Ruth Ellis Center
GLTBQ Youth now have a safe refuge
The Ruth Ellis Center has a "transitional living facility" for runaway and homeless gay,
lesbian, transgender, bi-sexual and questioning (GLTBQ) youth in metropolitan
Detroit. This temporary facility offers life skills and other resources so
they will be able to transition to independent living. The facility, known
a "Ruth's House" will maintain an anonymous location. It is one of a handful of
facilities of its kind across the U.S. (However, Ozone House in Ann Arbor also
provides housing services for homeless youth and support services for gay and
lesbian youth.)
The Ruth Ellis Center has offered a Drop-In Center and Street
Outreach Program for the past several years. It also has a Host Home Project,
where they match up responsible people in the community who have extra space in
their homes. For more information, call (313) 867-6936.
The Ruth Ellis Center was named in honor of a woman who in the 1930's and
40's opened her home in Detroit to GLTBQ youth so they would have a safe place
to socialize and receive support from the members of the GLBTQ community.
Your tax-deductible contribution of money, clothing, personal care items and/or
time will help them get started. These can be sent to:
The Ruth Ellis Center,
Inc., P.O. Box 661, Royal Oak, MI 48068-0661
For more information,
e-mail or call (313) 867-6936 or visit the
website.
Making
Schools Safe for Sexual Minority Youth
National Education Association Report:
A Report on the Status of Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People in Education: Stepping Out of the
Closet, into the Light
"Stepping Out of the Closet, Into the Light," highlights the struggle
of GLBT students as well as that of GLBT school employees and offers concrete
steps schools can take to improve their educational experience. It is National
Education Associaton's first publication that combines research on GLBT issues
and outlines program work by the Association to better the lives of students and
its members.
The report outlines intervention strategies and practical
measures for school districts to improve the learning environment for not only
GLBT students, but for all students whom public schools serve. It is intended to
inform and equip NEA's membership to deal effectively with GLBT concerns and
ensure equal educational opportunities for students, but it also has the
potential to influence policymakers and to serve as a resource for anyone who
knows GLBT individuals.
The Psychology of Sexual
Orientation Unit Lesson Plan Available
Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS), an affiliate of
the American Psychological Association (APA), in partnership with the APA
Committee of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns (CLGBTC), have
published a new modular lesson plan on The Psychology of Sexual Orientation,
which features content, activities, and resources for teachers. See more
information in Teen Resources.
EDUCATION, HEALTH AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS UNITE
TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE
APA Press Release
February 14, 2008
WASHINGTON—A diverse coalition of 13 national organizations has
joined in a renewed effort to protect the safety and emotional well-being of
students, including those who are at higher risk because of their sexual
orientation. The group of education, health, mental health and religious
organizations today released "Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation and Youth:
A Primer for Principals, Educators, and School Personnel."
The publication serves as a guide for employees who confront sensitive issues
involving gay, lesbian and bisexual students. It is intended to help school
administrators foster safe and healthy school environments, in which all
students can achieve to the best of their ability. "Just the Facts" includes the
most recent information from professional health organizations, as well as
up-to-date information on the legal responsibility of school officials to
protect students from anti-gay harassment. "Just the Facts" has been mailed to
all 16,000 public school superintendents in the United States.
The coalition issued the following joint statement:
"The opportunity for students to learn is diminished when they do not feel safe
or supported at school. In addition to assault and harassment, gay, lesbian and
bisexual students experience high rates of emotional distress, suicide attempts
and substance abuse. These factors hinder their emotional and social
development, as well as their ability to succeed in school. It is our
responsibility to provide accurate and factual information. We believe this
publication will be a valuable tool to help educators, administrators and others
concerned with caring for America’s students."
Members of the coalition are the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American
Counseling Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the
American Federation of Teachers, the American Psychological Association, the
American School Counselor Association, the American School Health Association,
the Interfaith Alliance Foundation, the National Association of School
Psychologists, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the
National Association of Social Workers, the National Education Association and
the School Social Work Association of America.
First formed in 1998, the coalition produced the original version of "Just the
Facts" to respond to concerns that school personnel were receiving inaccurate
information on the issue of sexual orientation. The updated publication reflects
the coalition’s continuing concern about the safety and well-being of gay,
lesbian and bisexual students.
(Full text of the booklet is available at
http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/justthefacts.pdf )
The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the
largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the
United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's
membership includes more than 148,000 researchers, educators, clinicians,
consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology
and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial
associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and
as a means of promoting human welfare.
Providing a Safe Learning Environment in Michigan
Providing a safe learning environment for all teens –
especially GLTBQ adolescents, making the schools safe from harassment and
bullying, is starting to be addressed in Michigan. In Michigan, a statewide coalition
emerged in the summer of 2001 called the Safe Schools for Sexual Minority Youth
(SMY) Workgroup. The group is represented by the
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, several school
districts, the Michigan PTA, gay and lesbian groups around the state – including
PFLAG, the Parents for Lesbians and Gay youth, MDE, two state universities and,
of course, the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP). Its members include
teachers, health educators, counselors, parents and legal professionals.
The same summer, the ACLU of
Michigan along with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) of
Detroit published a document, What Schools Need to Know, which addressed
the responsibilities of all school personnel to protect GLTB students.
A Silent Crisis: Creating Safe
Schools for Sexual Minority Youth
The Safe Schools for SMY Workgroup has developed a resource
guide, A Silent Crisis: Creating Safe Schools for Sexual
Minority Youth, a guide to policy and procedures around anti-violence
and anti-bullying, and corresponding posters for schools. The development of
the resource guide involved technical assistance from the National Network for
Youth and the American Psychological Association.
The workgroup, which has 18 active members, has provided
awareness sessions for school district regional coordinators and developed a
one-day training for school staff. For more information on this training,
contact either the Calhoun County ISD, either Bob Higgins, 616-789-2415 or Holly
White, 616-789-2434.
To order
Safe Schools for SMY manuals, see the Central Michigan University website
www.emc.cmich.edu/products/misc/silentcrisis.htm,
call 1-800-214-8961
or email
emc@cmich.edu.
To order posters, call MAPP (248) 545-1435.
Sexual
Orientation and School Policy
Since the 1980s there has been ample documentation that the school
experience of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered, students is not only
miserable, but dangerous. According to the Human Rights Watch (2001), gay youth
spend a great deal of time in school simply trying to avoid verbal harassment,
slurs, and shoves, if not outright beatings.
With little energy to focus on their studies, many gay youth give up and leave
school rather than face continued harassment. As bad as is student harassment,
administrators and teachers frequently avoid assisting gay youth, and often
actually blame them for asking for trouble by being openly gay. There are
numerous cases of gay students being punished and taunted by teachers and
administrators for not appearing or acting "normal" (Human Rights Watch, 2001).
Although there are recent court cases where harassed students have won
significant victories, it seems clear that gay, lesbian and transgendered kids
continue to suffer verbal and physical abuse in schools. There continues to be a
manifest need to create safe and accepting spaces for students who are somehow
different from the accepted heterosexual norm. Clearly there is a need, writes
Arthur Costigan, for a book such as Ian Macgillivray's "Sexual Orientation and
School Policy." This book, based on the author's doctoral research, is an
attempt to present a discussion of political possibilities for creating safe
spaces and equal treatment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, intersexed,
and queer/questioning students -- GLBTIQ to use the author's accurate but
unwieldy acronym.
http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentID=11275
See Teen Resources page
Conferences, Trainings and Upcoming Events
April 14, 2010
Southfield
Why Media Matters: Teenage
Sexuality and the Public Eye
*NEW!*
It’s not just TV and movies
anymore. We’ll talk about
Facebook, Twitter and more!
In Southfield
April 14, 2010 9am - 4pm
Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan will offer a training tailored for
youth focused educators and social workers. It will provide expert insight into
the power and importance of media and social networking in youth culture. The
negative effects of sex in the media, as well as ways to use media as a tool for
positive sex education and social change will be discussed. Social Work CEU’s
are offered for this training.
Complete registration information is available in
pamphlet. Access our
online registration at
http://www.ppaction.org/mppan/events/whymediamatters_clone_1973002/details.tcl
If you have conferences or events for Teens/Youth or adults who provide
services for them please send to bwood@mihivnews.com
Alternative for Suicide hotline
1-800-SUICIDE Hotline Set to Shut Down on
Saturday August 12
The nation's largest suicide hotline, 1-800-SUICIDE,
is scheduled to go out of service this Saturday, August 12, 2006. There are
currently negotiations in progress that may prevent this. However, in the
event that these negotiations are not successful, NAMI is issuing this alert
to raise public awareness of the alternative for those in need of help.
The alternative number for those in crisis is
1-800-273-TALK. This number will put callers in touch with the
federally-funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a service that has
been in operation since January, 2005. It functions as a central switchboard
to immediately connect callers to virtually the same network of certified,
local crisis centers accessed by 1-800-SUICIDE. So callers can receive
counseling or emergency services, if needed, close to home.
All calls to the 1-800-273-TALK Lifeline are private
and confidential. Confidentiality of personal information and of personal
disclosures during calls is a high priority for the parties involved in
operating the Lifeline.
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) is working with the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline and the entire suicide prevention community to ensure that every
call for help during a suicide crisis is answered. Some of the measures
being put in place include:
- Ensuring that the entire suicide-prevention community is working the
phones and Internet to make sure that all referring agencies know that
1-800-273-TALK is the number to call for suicide intervention.
- Notifying service providers, including directory 411 and 211
operators, that 1-800-SUICIDE is scheduled to go out of service
beginning August 12, 2006 and to direct callers to 1-800-273-TALK for
help.
- Redirecting callers who call 1-800-SUICIDE to call 1-800-273-TALK
through a recording.
