NCJ Number
196005
Date Published
December 2001
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This report describes the demonstration program called "Plain Talk," which was designed to increase the amount and quality of communication that American adults provide youth regarding responsible sexual decision-making, which in turn was intended to reduce teen pregnancies.
Abstract
One of Plain Talk's goals was to create a consensus among parents and other adults about the need to protect sexually active youth by encouraging early and consistent use of contraceptives. A second goal was to provide parents and other community adults with the information and skills they needed to communicate more effectively with teens about responsible sexual behavior. The third goal was to improve adolescent access to quality, age-appropriate, and readily available reproductive health care, including contraception. To test the usefulness of its strategy in diverse settings, Plain Talk was implemented in five low-income urban neighborhoods in Atlanta, Hartford, New Orleans, San Diego, and Seattle between 1993 and 1998. Each program recruited a core group of residents charged with crafting the Plain Talk message about the needs of sexually active youth in a manner appropriate for the community. The core group was also responsible for developing an education program to increase the amount of communication between adults and youth about sexuality. In addition, sites were asked to engage in tasks to increase the availability of reproductive health services and contraceptive access for teens. As anticipated, each site took a different approach in attempting to achieve program goals. Changes in youth attitudes and behaviors over the course of the program were tracked through a neighborhood survey of 12- to 18-year-olds, once in 1994 and again in 1998. Overall, the evaluation concluded that communication between a youth and a knowledgeable adult about sexuality, combined with an increase in access to contraceptives, was positively associated with teens' sexual knowledge and behavior. Further, using resident educators to spread the message ultimately enhanced the sites' capacity to reach a large number of people in a relatively short time. The report advises that training should include both community adults who are parents as well as those who are not, particularly those adults who work or interact with youth. 12 tables, 2 figures, 12 notes, and 14 references