SIECUS Report articles from February 2002

SIECUS Report archives from February 2002

Pregnancy issues cover diverse subjects: gay adoption, unwanted babies, and racism. (From the Editor).
February 1, 2002... My life partner Reggie and I have two very close gay friends who have been together for over 15 years and who have just adopted a baby Vietnamese boy--the first, they hope, of many children. Since the state in which they reside does not...

Critical issues about pregnancy and parenting. (From the President).
February 1, 2002... I came into the field of sexual health through my work on adolescent pregnancy-prevention programs, and, like everyone else in this field, I have been pleased to see the teen pregnancy and birth rates drop in recent years. Many factors have...

Let it shine: promoting school success, life aspirations to prevent school-age parenthood.
February 1, 2002... Although it is difficult to untangle the pathway of adolescent parenthood from the intricate web of economic, cultural, and social forces that influence the life course of an adolescent, it is abundantly clear that the factors influencing a...

States implement 'safe surrender' laws for people who give up their babies.
February 1, 2002... Although media reports of abandoned babies appear on the rise, experts caution that this is not necessarily evidence that the numbers have dramatically increased. In fact, there are no official statistics although the federal government...

Asian Pacific Islander subpopulations: a true look at teen pregnancy.(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Over the past two decades, there has been a national focus on the issue of teen pregnancy. However, the agenda created to address this important issue has been based on an incomplete understanding of the available data. The box titled "U.S...

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families: vital strategy to prevent non-marital births.
February 1, 2002... The impending reauthorization of the welfare reform block grant for the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program provides an opportunity for the federal government to recognize that teen pregnancy prevention is a vital strategy to...

African American mothers' substance abuse: punishment over treatment?
February 1, 2002... In the never-ending "war" on drugs, the battle over maternal substance abuse, always on shifting and contested ground, is escalating. Medical researchers have become increasingly vocal in their protests against criminal sanctions for...

Pregnancy and state policies.
February 1, 2002... States have a variety of policies on pregnancy-related issues. Seven subjects are examined in these charts: (1) substance by pregnant women, (2) infertility insurance coverage, (3) Medicaid family planning waivers, (4) minors' access to...

Bush Administration releases 2003 budget proposal. (Policy Update).
February 1, 2002... Much has been made of Secretary of State Colin Powell's remarks on MTV encouraging condom use by sexually active young people. Powell offered his opinion when he was questioned about curbing the spread of HIV infection among teens. ...

Teenage pregnancy, birth, and abortion. (Fact Sheet).(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates among teenagers in the United States have declined over the past decade but still remain an endemic public health issue. Reasons for the decline include the increased motivation of youth to achieve...