TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute all necessary documents with the State of California Department of Health Services to provide a Male Involvement Program in an amount not to exceed
$450,000 for a four and one half year period; and increase appropriations in the Health Fund (SR 130) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HE) by $150,000. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
Since 1994, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been providing
teen pregnancy prevention services under grants from the State of California
Department of Health Services, Office of Family Planning (State). Services have
included: prevention education and informational presentations; education and support
for teen parents, and parents and caregivers of adolescents; peer-provided services;
clinic outreach; mentoring; and community awareness. Teen pregnancy prevention
services are offered to all at-risk populations in the greater Long Beach area.
The overall purpose of the Male Involvement Program is to decrease the rate of
unintended pregnancies in teens. The program strives to develop and increase the
understanding of the role that males have in the prevention of pregnancies and increase
community involvement in building healthy families through awareness of unintended
teen pregnancies. The program has in the past utilized a prelpost test survey to assist
in measuring the effectiveness of the program. In analyzing the data from past prelpost
tests which were implemented from July 1999 to February 2003 with Male Involvement
Program participants, we found that young males were more likely to report use of
condoms or other forms of contraceptives from their last sexual encounter following
completion of the program. Participants also indicated an increase in knowledge
regarding the awareness of California’s statutory rape law and about places where
youth could obtain birth control. From July to December 2004, 554 young men received
educational presentations...
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