In 2004, a Human Services Committee appointed by the Mayor concluded that
addressing the issue of teen pregnancy is a major priority area for the City, and decreasing teen pregnancy rates is one strategy to breaking the endless cycles
of poverty and crime.  The Human Services committee recommended the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPP) to focus on cooperative public and private involvement, expand adolescent health programs in the public schools and in the community, and specifically target high risk children and communities with the poorest health indicators.

To implement the recommendations of the Vision 2020 report and on focus the scope, and direction of the City’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention activities, a Coordinator for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Services was hired. This individual serves as the lead person for the Initiative, oversees the TPP Steering Committee, and serves as the primary coordinator for implementing the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative.

Programs: Currently, the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative oversees the implementation of several sexual risk reduction programs that reach citizens in the Richmond area.

Prevention Education through Integration Project (PEIP) – The Prevention Education through Integration Project combines existing prevention programming to create a comprehensive twelve session program.  The PEIP curriculum is facilitated by prevention specialists from three partnering agencies, City of Richmond, Richmond Public Schools, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Key components of the integrated curriculum include:

(1) Gaining support from youth, parents, and schools
(2)  Developing positive interpersonal relationships among students and staff
(3)  Learning about the acquisition of sex and drug refusal skills, coping and problem solving skills
(4) Strengthening cultural attitudes and behaviors 

PEIP serves middle school students enrolled in Health/Physical Education (HPE) classes. Only participants with parental consent can participate in the program.

During the 2006-07 school year, the program reached over 1,500 students through 65 programs in nine middle schools.

Postponing Sexual Involvement (PSI) – Postponing Sexual Involvement consists of four abstinence-based sessions targeting youth in various programs throughout the City of Richmond. Peer educators, recruited from Richmond high schools, are trained to facilitate the Postponing Sexual Involvement curriculum.  The program emphasizes building awareness about the risks of sexual involvement, social pressure, and peer pressure.  The curriculum also teaches and provides practice of negotiation and refusal skills.

During the initial 2006-07 school year, Peer Educators provided services to 20 students at King Middle School.

Teen Outreach Program (TOP) – the Teen Outreach Program goals are to:

 (1) Promote healthy behavior for successful achievement in school
 (2) Help youth acquire valuable life skills to develop the necessary competencies and capacities to grow into healthy, self-sustaining adults
 (3) Give youth a sense of purpose through participating in opportunities that allow them to contribute in meaningful ways to their community

The goals are achieved through the implementation of two program components: a service learning component and a classroom based component.

- The classroom based component consists primarily of small group activities and discussion on topics of special interest to young people. The curriculum focuses on building knowledge and skills related to self esteem, values, relationships, sexuality, decision-making, communication and other topics.

-The service learning component helps young people prepare for and participate in volunteer community service. Youth have an opportunity to share their volunteer experience through discussion, research activities, writings and/or creative presentations. As part of this sharing, youth receive consistent messages about the values that underlie the program.

During the 2006-07 school year, 105 students were enrolled in the Family and Consumer Science course at Armstrong High School, Wythe High School, and the Adult Career Development Center.

Plain Talk –Plain Talk is a neighborhood-based initiative that focuses on helping adults, parents, and community leaders develop the skills and tools they need to communicate effectively with young people about reducing adolescent sexual risk-taking.  There are three components of the intervention:

(1) Recruitment and information gathering that identifies community residents and agencies to conduct outreach to their neighborhoods and to increase resident awareness and knowledge of teen pregnancy issues
(2) Coordinate the outreach work of trained community residents serving as community outreach workers who go door-to-door to share prevention messages
(3) Organize small community meetings in which community residents receive prevention skills training and resource information

To learn more about Teen Pregnancy Prevention programs, contact the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative at 646-3343..