Education Keeps Communities Safe and Healthy

Planned Parenthood plays a major role in helping people understand the realities of sexuality and teen pregnancy, as well as the importance of open and honest family communication. Our trained educators travel throughout our four-county region to present medically-accurate, age appropriate sexuality education at schools, health fairs, churches, synagogues, and civic organizations.

In 2005, we gave parents and guardians in our community two more valuable resources to help them educate their children about sexuality. PPSCNY expanded our web page to include a parent information site, www.ppscny.org/ family, and also created three mobile libraries for schools, community groups, religious organizations, or other youth-serving agencies to borrow.

“Parents want to be good sex educators,” said Drue Brenner, Director of Education, “but may not always understand how to do the job well.” Visitors to our parent information web page can go down a virtual “yellow brick road” and learn about “ages and stages” of sexuality, “conversation starters and stoppers,” a list of useful books about sexuality, and web links to trusted organizations such as SIECUS, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. They can also take an interactive quiz on the web page to test their knowledge and skills as they prepare to educate their children about sexuality.

“It’s important to start early, to talk often and to listen as much as you talk.” said Brenner. “Our web page and mobile libraries can help parents and guardians teach children responsible, positive attitudes and behaviors about sex.” Research shows that adolescents who have discussed issues of sexuality with their parents are more likely to delay having sex and to use contraception correctly and consistently.

Success Stories from the Education Department

A mom realized her teenage daughter had become sexually active and brought her to PPSCNY for education. When our educator explained to the teen how to sign up for free services, the mom chose to sign up for them as well. The mom had gone for years without medical care because she was uninsured. We were able to keep them both healthy.

A teenage boy who attended a PPSCNY educational program brought his girlfriend in a year later to talk with our educator and get an appointment for birth control and an exam. A parent who attended one of our programs told our educator, “Thanks, after 41 years, I’m finally getting ‘the talk’.”

PPSCNY Selected as Pilot Program to Reduce Alcohol Affected Pregnancies

In 2005, PPSCNY was selected by New York’s Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and New York’s Department of Health to serve as a pilot project for family planning clinics to assist in reducing the incidence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). CEO Debra Marcus was appointed to the New York State FASD Prevention Task Force. All PPSCNY nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants were trained in both FASD and in motivational interviewing techniques.

All patients receive information about preventing FASD by not drinking during pregnancy. Patients are interviewed about their medical history, including questions about alcohol consumption, and patients are counseled to use effective methods of contraception. In short, if you are pregnant, don’t drink. If you drink, don’t get pregnant!

Within four years, all family planning clinics in New York State will likely be required to adopt the protocols being developed at PPSCNY.

Go back to the Annual Report 2005