May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. Before we continue, here are this month’s affirmations:

The Prevention Department in Touchstone Health Services was awarded a three-year grant funded by the Office of Population Affairs, to play a part in obtaining overall optimal adolescent well-being and reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month (NTPPM) is about more than just preventing teen pregnancy – it is about ensuring positive outcomes for youth and leading them to be capable of making their own healthy decisions. Adolescents all too often believe they are not at risk for unplanned pregnancies, or that it is “not possible for me”. Leaving this life-altering event to chance is what we aim to avoid by increasing youth knowledge about healthy relationships, avoiding sexually transmitted infections, and youth development. May is the perfect opportunity to continue teen pregnancy prevention efforts and the perfect time to start a conversation with teens. Each part of the community plays a crucial role in obtaining overall optimal adolescent wellbeing as they navigate and foster their capabilities of making healthy and wise decisions for their health.

Adolescents: This month is a great opportunity to ask questions and learn about the resources in your community. Do not leave pregnancy prevention to chance, instead of practice abstinence or if you choose to have sex, use an effective method of birth control to avoid an unplanned pregnancy. Talk openly and honestly with a trusted adult or health care provider about how you can protect yourself. Embrace your abilities as a young adult to oversee your body and the choices you have. Enrolling in Making Proud Choices! or Safe Dates offered by Touchstone Health Services can help you feel prepared to make healthy decisions for yourself. Visit these following resources for more information:

• https://carecoalitionaz.org/available-programs/
• https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/teens/index.htm
• https://beforeplay.org/pregnancy/

Parents/Caregivers: This month is a good time to have open and honest conversations about sex, relationships, consent, STIs, and of course pregnancy prevention with your youth. Have a conversation with them about their hopes for the future, go over your family values, and explain how an unplanned pregnancy could affect both their short and long-term goals. Participating in the parenting programs offered by Touchstone Health Services, Active Parenting of Teens and Positive Parenting Program, is a great place to start to ensure you feel comfortable and prepared to engage in these important conversations with your youth. These other wonderful resources are here to help you if you are not sure how to start a conversation with your youth:

• https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/parent-guardian-resources/index.htm
• https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health?resources-and-publications/info/parents/conversation-tools/

Other community members: Whether you have adolescents or work with them, anyone can support teen pregnancy prevention. Supporting teen pregnancy prevention efforts do not necessarily need to be done using grand gestures. You can be a resource for youth and caregivers, including providing information and education within your abilities. Show your support for NTPPM by creating a social media post (or using one of the suggested posts from shiftnc.org) and start the conversation with those in your community.

Check out these wonderful resources for more information:

• https://opa.hhs.gov/NTPPM#toolkit
• https://www.shiftnc.org/ntppm

Other ways YOU can be a Touchstone Prevention Partner:

If you would like to learn more about mindfulness skills, CARE offers many free virtual classes for teens and parents to support you on your journey into yourself. For more resources, please visit our resource page.

If you or someone you care about is feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others:

For the youth, if you know you or your friends need immediate help, call Teen Lifeline. Teen Lifeline is a 24-7 crisis line for teens where teens can call or text another teen about any problems or issues they are facing. This resource is also available to parents and families for support.