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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2010)
Drama brings Civil Rights Era to Life 'City of Roses’ Ballots go out Friday VOTE Registered? Call county elections, 503-988-3720 see A&E page 8 j.ìortlauò hsm ter years E s ta b lis h e d in 1970 Volume XXXX, Number 40 www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • October 13, 2010 Committed to Cultural Diversity ducating Teens » ^ fl tS M 7Ä • / '"V-, photo BY M ark W ashincton ZT he P ortland O bserver Getting ready to implement new sex education programs from the Planned Parenthood’s headquarters on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard are Camelia Hison. vice president of education for Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (from left), and Amanda McLaughlin and Bianca Taveras, education coordinators for the local organization. Teen pregnancy prevention in the Portland area will see a major boost in funding and direction thanks to funding from the U S Department of Health and Human Services. A new direction for sex ed Teen pregnancy prevention program s in Portland and the Pacific N orthw est will get a m ajor boost o f financial support and change o f direction because o f a new sex education policy th at’s a departure from the form er Bush adm inistration’s absti nence-only directives. The Northwest Coalition for Adolescent Health has been awarded $20 million by the U.S. Department o f Health and Human Ser vices to replicate a proven, evidence-based youth development sex education program in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska that reduces teen pregnancy while boosting aca demic achievement, extracurricular activities and smarter life decisions. The coalition is comprised o f six Planned Parenthood affiliates, including Portland. It of •^community service will focus on areas throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska where teen birth and pregnancy rates are high and health disparities exist. As part o f the Obama administration’s new sex education policy, eligibility for the federal support was limited to teen preg nancy prevention programs that have been proven to make a positive effect on sexual activity, contraceptive use, sexually trans mitted infections, pregnancy or births. For hundreds o f Portland area young people, that will mean access to Planned Parenthood’s Teen Outreach Program, a youth development program aimed at reduc ing teen pregnancy. continued on page 4
