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With the generous support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, we are able to offer a one-time special rate of $1250 per person, if you register two or more people at the same time.
Interested but have more questions? Reach out to Valerie Sedivy.
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Headlines of the Week
Coronavirus Pandemic a Perfect Storm for LGBTQ Homeless Youth
Finding a secure place to live has not been easy for Nez Marquez, 23, who has experienced homelessness for the past five years. Born in Mexico and raised in New York, he left home at 18 because his family did not accept his gender identity and sexual orientation, he said. Marquez is staying at Sylvia's Place, an emergency shelter for LGBTQ young adults on the bottom floor of a Manhattan church. He said shelters that specifically cater to LGBTQ people are safer for him because he has been subjected to homophobic attacks at general-population shelters. But now, in addition to anti-gay violence and the inherent dangers of life on the streets, Marquez has another fear: the coronavirus and its ripple effects. "I've been worried about not having housing," Marquez said in an interview. "If where I'm staying shuts down, I'll be out of options." LGBTQ youth and young adults, like Marquez, make up a disproportionate number of homeless young people, and this vulnerable demographic is facing unique hardships amid the global health crisis. With countrywide shutdowns of schools and youth programs, diminished office hours at LGBTQ community centers and, for many of them, unsupportive family members, these young Americans and the organizations that serve them are forced to find new ways to get and provide support. ( NBC News, 4/5/20)
What to Do if You're Isolated With an Abuser During the Coronavirus Crisis
As everyone is practicing social distancing in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, many young people have suddenly found themselves isolated with an abuser. Schools have closed, college students have been sent home, and millions of Americans are either working from home or have recently lost their jobs due to the economic impact of COVID-19. Without a chance to prepare, someone may be spending every waking hour in an abusive parent or partner's presence. Unsurprisingly, domestic violence organizations report that phone calls for help have increased. Although official data isn’t yet available, Erica Fischer-Kaslander, Executive Director of Passaic County Court Appointed Special Advocates, tells Teen Vogue she’s observed an increase in her county of new domestic violence cases. So if someone isolated with an abuser, the most important thing to remember is that they’re not alone and help is still available. Shelters are doing their best to remain open, but having a detailed safety plan is necessary if the need to escape arises. Many safety plans hinge on being able to confide in a trusted person who will do everything in their power to help. If there isn't a friend or family member who fits this description, there are systems in place to help. Fischer-Kaslander tells Teen Vogue that The National Domestic Violence Hotline is the best resource for victims all over the country. The organization can be reached online or by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “They’ll take basic info to find where you are,” she explains. “If you need a shelter referral they’ll connect you directly to not only shelters but also other resources you may need like counseling.” (Teen Vogue, 4/2/2020)
New Effort Aims to Provide COVID-19 Resources to Non-English Speakers in U.S.
COVID-19 is impacting lives across the U.S., and health officials are racing to provide communities with important information about the illness. But language divides are likely to put non-English speakers at greater risk. While some health information is being translated into commonly spoken languages including Spanish and Chinese, the U.S. is home to non-English speakers who speak any of more than 350 other languages. A new initiative from medical students and physicians at Harvard Medical School aims to help members of these communities by translating fact-based COVID-19 information. The initiative, known as the COVID-19 Health Literacy Project, has already translated essential COVID-19 information about prevention and possible treatment options, among other issues, in over 35 languages, including Navajo, Oromo (spoken by an ethnic group in Ethiopia), and Swahili. (STAT, 4/1/2020)
What Does ‘Safe Sex’ Look Like During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
With shelter-in-place orders enacted across the country, people are figuring out how they’d like to spend their extra time at home. The prospect of “quarantine and chill” can be enticing for some, but for others, it brings up questions about safety, health, and what it means to practice safe physical distancing when it comes to sex. As far as experts currently know, COVID-19 can’t be transmitted through vaginal fluids or through semen, but that doesn’t mean that COVID-19 can't be transmitted during sex. Kissing and other sexual activities can be riskier as COVID-19 is primarily transmitted by touching or breathing in “droplets”—small amounts of saliva or mucus that someone infected by the virus might cough or sneeze up. COVID-19 also survives in fecal matter, which means that anal play—particularly analingus without a barrier—is considered higher-risk. It is also important to know that anyone can carry COVID-19 but not show the symptoms. The potential for being an asymptomatic carrier means that it’s important to not engage in activities that could unknowingly transmit the virus to someone else. “Young people in particular might not understand what it means to have a compromised immune system,” said Heather Corinna, Founder and Director of Scarleteen, a sex education website for young people, and author of S.E.X. “They might not see themselves or their friends in that definition, even if they have something like diabetes or asthma, so it’s important for caregivers to emphasize the importance of following the guidelines.” The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently released a set of guidelines on safer sex practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, and physicians have also weighed in on ways to get intimate during physical distancing. (Rewire News, 3/30/2020)
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This Week on Our Blog
By Ella Dorval Hall
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Have you seen the rising rates of STIs and falling rates of pregnancy? Do you know how to respond to a young person who is resistant to using condoms? Research shows that pregnancy rates are decreasing and STI rates are increasing. Many young people are using contraceptive methods like implants and IUDs, also called Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC). And often, when they start using a LARC, they stop using condoms…as a result, STI rates are dramatically increasing. Read more...
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Funding & Other Opportunities
#CareNotCages Week of Action
Join the Young Womxn of Color for Reproductive Justice Leadership Council, in partnership with URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, BYP100, and Black & Pink for a week of action taking place from April 13-17 about the need for access to reproductive care for young womxn who are incarcerated. From the lack of access to menstrual products, the mistreatment of pregnant incarcerated folks through shackling during childbirth and other deeply inhumane practices, there are many issues that are at the intersection of reproductive justice and the rights of the incarcerated.
Understanding Root Causes -- Connecting Families to Health Resources in Your Community
April 21, 2020
1:00 PM ET
Many current health and educational disparities have their roots in institutionalized racism and policies that resulted in segregation and the limiting of access for communities of color to resources and infrastructure. Due to this history, the way that people engage in this work is just as important as the doing of the work in the first place. This webinar, hosted by the American School Health Association, provides a comprehensive toolkit for school staff to utilize in referring families to health services available in the community via methods that increase referral follow-through. Participants will explore resource lists available online and through local health departments, begin mapping resources in their community, and practice referring families to local health services.
GLSEN Day of Silence
The GLSEN Day of Silence on April 24th, 2020 is a student-led national event where folks take a vow of silence to highlight the silencing effects of discrimination and harassment against LGBTQ young people at school. And this year, staying diligent and mindful in keeping safe through spatial distancing, Day of Silence has gone virtual. GSA leaders, individual students, and educators should all register to receive updates to prepare lessons and activities leading up to the Day of Silence, and tips on hosting a Breaking the Silence event.
Understanding and Combating Cyberbullying and Digital/Online Hate
April 27, 2020
2:00 PM ET
This webinar, hosted by the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, will give the audience a clear understanding of cyberbullying, including online/digital hate, and provide strategies to help youth build protective factors against these negative influences.
Reducing Risk for Girls in the Juvenile Justice System
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is seeking applications for funding for fiscal year 2020 Reducing Risk for Girls in the Juvenile Justice System. This program supports prevention and early intervention strategies for girls who are involved in the juvenile justice system. The goal of this program is to reduce risk factors and promote protective factors for girls who come in contact with the juvenile justice system, and place them on a path toward success, stability, and long term contribution to society. The webinar on April 23, 2020, at 2:00 PM ET, will provide a general overview of the program as well as discuss the application process. There will be a time for questions from participants at the end of the webinar.
Deadline: 6/1/2020
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 How We Can Take Down the Tampon Tax and End Period Poverty
Sitting at home on a Saturday morning recently, writer Janice Miyoshi Days got a surprise visit from her period. Unprepared, she asked her father to run to the drug store for her. He did, and Janice continued her day as usual. Unfortunately, for millions around the world, getting their period every month is not so uneventful. At any given moment, 800 million people around the world are on their periods, and many of them cannot afford period products. In the U.S., 20% of teens have struggled to afford period products, and 25% have missed class because they did not have access to period products. What they are facing is period poverty, or limited access to menstrual products due to a lack of income and resources. What are the real-life implications of these statistics? The reality is that people around the world are pushed into isolation by missing out on their education or work. And many of them are at risk of infection while using unhygienic alternatives like toilet paper, newspaper, cardboard, or socks instead of pads or tampons. Along with social isolation and health risks, there's an economic impact. A person will spend anywhere from $400 to over $2,000 on period products in their lifetime, according to some calculations. And while many already can't afford this expense, period poverty is exacerbated by the "tampon tax." The tampon tax isn't a tax specifically added to menstrual products. Rather, it's the regular sales tax applied to menstrual products when the state fails to exempt them by categorizing the products as necessities, or non-luxury goods. Currently, 31 states tax items like pads and tampons, vital products that people who menstruate need. Fortunately, lawmakers in many states are pushing for tampon taxes to be eradicated, and some have already succeeded. Eight states—Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Utah, and now Ohio—have eliminated the sales tax on period products. California has a temporary tax exemption that only lasts from 2020 through 2022. (In some states, menstrual products were already tax-exempt, while others don’t have a sales tax at all.) Read more...
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Research
COVID-19 Abortion Bans Would Greatly Increase Driving Distances for Those Seeking Care
As states around the country grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, some anti-abortion politicians are callously exploiting the current crisis to try to shut down access to essential and time-sensitive abortion care. These states have a long history of trying to shut down abortion care by implementing a variety of restrictions and are considered hostile to abortion. Leading medical experts, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have made it abundantly clear that abortion is essential health care. Abortion cannot be delayed without risking the health and safety of the patient. Using the current public health crisis to target abortion is a ruthless move that reveals just how far some politicians will go to limit reproductive freedom and autonomy. Court challenges are underway in several states to block these unconstitutional attacks from going into effect. This analysis from the Guttmacher Institute shows that potentially affected states would force people to travel much further to reach the nearest abortion clinic. This creates a significant new barrier to obtaining care, further compounding the web of other barriers and restrictions those seeking an abortion already have to navigate. It would undoubtedly prevent some individuals from obtaining an abortion and, for some people still able to access care, it would result in more second-trimester abortions.
The Youth Aware of Mental Health Intervention: Impact on Help-Seeking, Mental Health Knowledge, and Stigma in U.S. Adolescents
Suicide is a leading cause of death among U.S. youth aged 12–18 years. Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM), a promising, universal, school-based mental health promotion/suicide primary prevention intervention for adolescents, has been evaluated in Europe but not in the U.S. The study, published int he Journal of Adolescent Health, used an uncontrolled, pretest/post-test design to document the potential for YAM to reduce suicidal ideation, attempt, and suicide. A demonstration that help-seeking behaviors, mental health literacy, and mental health stigmatizing attitudes improve after the intervention would suggest that the program is promising in the U.S., as well as in Europe, and that further investigation is merited. YAM was delivered to 1,878 students in 11 schools as part of regular school curricula. Researchers found that among the 436 adolescents, significant increases were found pre- to post-intervention in three of five help-seeking behaviors, along with improved mental health literacy and decreased mental health-related stigma. The intent to seek help was unchanged.
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Resources
COVID-19 and Vulnerable Populations
The National Juvenile Justice Network has compiled an extensive list of resources to address concerns about the health and safety of youth who are in custody or under supervision by state justice systems across the country.
Homeschool-Style Sex Ed Resources
Right now, as families across the country follow recommended social distancing guidelines, parents and children are spending a lot more time together at home. And while there is an incredible amount of uncertainty during these times, there are also some important opportunities. With nationwide school closures, many parents, and even some older siblings, are finding themselves taking on a new role: teacher. Thanks to the variety of credible, online sex education resources, parents are better suited to serve as substitute sex educators than they might think. SIECUS has put together a list of some of their favorite online sex ed resources that families can take advantage of right now.
Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth
It can be tough for transgender and nonbinary people to bear the burden of educating others about their lived experience. The Trevor Project has released this guide as an educational, 101-level handbook that covers the difference between sex and gender, as well as gender expression, names and pronouns, labels, best practices, and common mistakes.
Ways to Promote Children’s Resilience to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated social and economic stressors can undermine children’s development and well-being. Not only must they cope with major changes to everyday life, such as physical distancing and home confinement, but their families may struggle to meet their basic physical and emotional needs. Rates of poverty, unemployment, parental mental health problems and substance abuse, child abuse and neglect, and intimate partner violence tend to rise during disasters. Children may not receive critical supports they need when community services are limited and fewer adults have direct contact with children. The good news is that over four decades of research on resilience shows that protective factors can buffer children from harm and increase the chances they adapt positively to adversities such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This fact sheet from Child Trends outlines these protective factors and how families and communities can work together to promote them.
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Do you have news or resources to share with fellow Healthy Teen Network Members?
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