New Generation of Communication....

While attending a recent youth workshop on social media hosted by the SC Campaign's FABULOUS Health Communications Specialist Taylor Wilson, I learned a few things about the art of social media. My discoveries included:


1) As a blogger, I tend to RANT. If you look back at any of my previous blogs on Personal Perspectives, you’ll notice that I’m often motivated to write because something or someone has ticked me off (see my blog on lingerie football if you don’t believe me). Fortunately for me, RANTS are a type of blog content that drive social engagement. Today, however, I’m choosing to LIST and discuss TRENDS. See? I’m learning! http://socialmediatoday.com/node/585646

2) My daily tweet totals (at both @upstateSC and @nrnspartanburg) contributed to the 16,000 tweets-per-second in 2012. (Yes. That is SECONDS. As in 60 seconds in a minute which results in 960,000 tweets-per-minute which results in 57,600,000 in an hour which results in numbers larger than I care to calculate!). http://socialmediatoday.com/your-social-move/438780/noteworthy-social-media-facts-begin-2012

3) Only 19.7% of the Facebook user-base is located in the United States. Hablas ingles, mi amigo? http://socialmediatoday.com/your-social-move/438780/noteworthy-social-media-facts-begin-2012

4) Twitter makes people better writers. While I tend to think I’m an excellent writer already, any of my college professors could tell you I had trouble with fluff, embellishment, and excess in my writing. (Notice how I just used three words there that basically all mean the same thing? Yeah. The profs noticed it, too.) Twitter forces you to say what you need to say in 140 characters or less so you must learn to be concise. This, of course, also means that what SHOULD say “Welcome to Not Right Now Spartanburg! We’re glad you’ve decided to be part of this amazing teen pregnancy prevention initative to improve our community and look forward to seeing what you bring to our team” will end up saying “Welcome 2 NRN Sptbg. Glad u joined teen preg prev work 4 our community. Get 2 work.” http://girlswithpens.com/2011/05/23/top-5-reasons-to-join-twitter/

5) I am old. In the world of social media, those of us who didn’t GROW up with it have much more trouble KEEPING up with it. My 13-year old niece taught me things I could do on my i-pad that I’d never known about. My 11-year old nephew added a baseball game app that now keeps flashing at me to do something with it. Young people aren’t afraid to try out something new and, in fact, are often looking for the even-better next thing out there.

Why did I choose to share all of this with you? Because, as one incredibly smart Health Communications Specialist I know shared, if we aren’t bringing the issue of teen pregnancy to the social media realm, we will quickly make ourselves irrelevant. And one of the best ways to bring the issue to social media is by engaging our young people using that platform.


To learn a little more about the power of social media, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi34kVUEL5c. Then post a video of your own. Share it on Facebook. Tweet it to all of your followers. Blog about it yourself. Let’s keep the conversation going and meet young people where they are. I’m sure there’s an app for that.

by Dana Becker, Spartanburg Community Specialist for the SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

The Purity Ball Movement

The other day, I watched the National Geographic Channel series, TABOO. The episodes was about the rise of Purity Balls across the nation. If you aren't familiar with the concept, it's a formal ball where young ladies make a promise to remain a virgin until marriage. Their father places a promise ring on their finger to be replaced by a wedding ring from their husband. I watched father after father speak from their heart, sharing the hope that their beloved daughter would wait until marriage. A neighbor, who was watching it with me, made a backhanded comment about teen pregnancy. Naturally, I went into work mode and as I snapped back in my Jerry Maguire voice, "Show me the data", Professor Helen Fisher from Rutgers University pops on the screen and says, “research says that young girls who swear off sex, postpone for a short period of time, then impulsively have sex without any sex education.” Needless to say, I had to give my elevator speech on the power of Self-Efficacy. Self-Efficacy is a person's belief in his or her ability to succeed in a particular situation. (Albert Bandura) These young ladies have promised to abstain, but will they be taught the refusal skills and gain the self-efficacy to maintain that promise?

A while back, our CEO made a comment that shifted the way I approach my work. He said, “We must stop addressing teen pregnancy as a moral issue, but as a public health issue.” Personally, I respect the intention behind The Purity Ball Movement. Professionally, I question the impact they actually have on delaying the initiation of sex.

by Meredith Talford, Upstate Technical Assistance Specialist

Teen Prom Decision Challenged by Uninformed!

Told ya'!

I like to believe I am an average (slightly neurotic), informed citizen in these United States.  I read the news, I watch CNN, and I talk to other informed friends about world happenings.  I thus, understand a few things as more true than others, 1) The North seems slightly less conservative than the South on many issues, 2) there is a current insurgence in media coverage of reproductive rights, and 3) I could never be a news anchor and not crack up constantly.  Seriously, anyone out there who knows me, do you see me on the news...without giggling?  “Tonight on News at 7, Federal Agents Raid Gun Shop, Find Weapons”  (That, by the way, folks, is a true headline used in the news…found weapons…at a gun shop-well call me shocked!)

Anyway, with the following things above being mostly true, in my opinion (maybe minus the last one), it struck me when I passed an article the other day, in the Huffington Post, about a New York school that was changing its mind about handing out condoms at the prom.  You read that last part correctly-“changing their minds”, meaning prior to the “changing”, a school had decided TO provide condoms at the prom.  There was some vitriol responses from SOME parents and community members about the schools decision to provide condoms at the prom, with some stating it gave the teens “permission” to go and have sex after the prom. 

There are statistics that tell us in high school, around 46% of teens report having had sexual intercourse (at least once)-with more than 1/3 of all high school students reported being sexually active.   Nearly half (49%) of all high school 12^th graders (READ:  PROM GOERS) reported being sexually active compared to (21%) of high school 9^th graders.  So what does this data mean in relation to this report? 

More than streamers, folks!

Well, first it means that the school district had a good idea-because teens in high school are having sex, with or without protection.  Secondly, it means that those who were worried that giving condoms would give teens “permission to have sex” need not worry-teens aren’t waiting for anyone to give them permission.  Thirdly, it means that now, because of some misinformed people, teens who are going to be sexually active on prom night have to purchase their own condoms, get them from their local health center, or worse case scenario, have sex without protection. 

Folks, here in America, we have to stop and understand the statistics.  Teens are having sex.  And because teens are sexually active, if we don’t provide them with access to the correct protection, they run the risk of unplanned pregnancy, STDs or even HIV.  We have to stop worrying that teens are waiting on the “go ahead” from adults to have sex.  They aren’t-whether we like it or not.  And we have to understand that providing protection doesn’t mean that they are going to make the decision to have sex.  I applaud the original intention of the high school administrators who started this idea, and am astonished at the ignorance of the people who fought to get this option removed from the school prom. 

Americans, teens need more than streamers to have a safe prom night! 

Giving Back on Our "Road Trip"!

The clouds hang heavy and low, and the air is thick with humidity. The sticky days of summer are back in South Carolina. Despite the fact that the weather is hot and bothered, the SC Campaign staff is celebrating Christmas!

Well, not exactly Christmas. May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, which around our office is almost just as exciting as when old St. Nick visits! We’re packing our cars full of staff to travel around the state raising awareness around teen pregnancy. The Road Show 2012 is already well underway and staff  have already visited 23counties in South Carolina. As a part of our Road Show event, we’re hosting volunteer events around the state. As a lifelong busy body, community service has become a passion of mine.

Volunteering helps individuals feel more connected to their community while improving their overall mood. It’s a win-win: the individual gains a stronger sense of community engagement while the organization is able to save money to invest in its efforts elsewhere. Many non-profit organizations do not have the budget to cover all of the projects on their to-do list – not to mention the time to spend completing them. Instead of spending time and money on planting flowers or painting, the organization is likely to focus on making ends meet to fund the staff who are working so hard to achieve the goals of the organization. As community members, we may not have the skills necessary to help balance the budget or construct a marketing plan, but we do have a little spare time.

What if you talked to the staff at the child center down the road whose yard looks like a desert about planting some flowers? What if you talked to the staff at the teen clinic about painting the beige walls of the waiting room a more inviting color? The staff would be blown away with your generosity and you would be forever grateful for the experience.

During the Road Show last year, SC Campaign staff hosted three volunteer events. When you mention these events around our office, faces light up. The warm feeling still persists within these volunteers. Giving back to the community not only helps the organization, but helps ignite a fire within the volunteer to send good into the world.

With the fire still burning from last year, we wanted to do more volunteer events this year. So far we have many events planned: a book drive for an underprivileged school in Horry County, planting flowers at a children’s home in Clinton, reading to elementary school children in Lexington County, and a staff appreciation day at a clinic in Charleston.

Volunteering is a way to give back to your community. These past few years have brought on tough economic times for every community. We have all been affected by this in one way or another. Volunteering your time to an organization that serves a cause that is near and dear to your heart is tremendously valuable (and free!). I encourage all of you to get involved in your community. Find an organization whose beliefs align with your own and give them a call. Perhaps you can spare a few hours a month to walk dogs at a local shelter, deliver hot meals to senior citizens, read to children at a local hospital or organize a clothing drive for a homeless shelter.

As my Yogi tea bag reminded me the other day “you are limitless.” Go forth and do good.

On the Road Again...

It’s May and that means staff of the SC Campaign will be traveling thousands of miles across the state to spread important messages about teen pregnancy prevention. Now in its 4th year, the Road Show (May 1 – May 19) will honor Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month by taking our staff to more than 23 counties, participating in more than 80 events! Here are a few highlights – please join us when we are in your area.

May 1, 2012

4:00 PM: The Afternoon Drive with Keven Cohen – 560 WVOC – Columbia

May 2, 2012

8:10 AM: WACH FOX Good Day – WACH FOX Columbia

10:00 AM: Recognition of SC Campaign and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month in SC House of Representatives

2:00 PM: Recognition of SC Campaign and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month in SC Senate

6:30 PM: Young Professionals Wine and Oyster Night at Pearlz in the Vista. 25% of all sales will benefit the SC Campaign.

May 4, 2012

4:05 PM: U Need 2 Know Radio program – 1230 AM WOIC (Columbia)

May 6, 2012

6:00 PM: Judi Gatson N’Touch radio program – Kiss 103.1 (Columbia)

May 7, 2012

10:00 AM: Regional Roundtable – Orangeburg Chamber of Commerce, 979 Middleton Street, Orangeburg, SC 29115  (Register here.)

May 9, 2012

10:00 AM: Regional Roundtable – United Way of Greenville, 105 Edinburg Court, Greenville (Register here.)

5:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Wine Night at Cribbs Kitchen, 226 B West Main Street, Spartanburg – 25% of bottled wine sales will be given to the SC Camaign. We still need $100 and $500 hosts for this event. Email Cayci if interested.

May 10, 2012

8:30 AM – Awake with Drake radio program, 103.3 FM (Spartanburg)

May 11, 2012

10:30 AM: Chersterfield County Coordinating Council Meeting, DSS Commons Room, 201 N. Page Street, Chesterfield. SC Campaign will honor Senator Vincent Sheheen for his commitment to SC’s young people.

May 14, 2012

10:00 AM: Regional Roundtable, Florence County Library-(Register here.)

May 16, 2012

10:00 AM: Your Carolina (WSPA Spartanburg)

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Wine Night at Collector’s Café, N. King’s Higway, Myrtle Beach. $100 and $500 hosts needed for this event. Email Cayci if you are interested.

May 17, 2012

8:10 AM: Kinard n Coffee radio program 93.7 FM (Florence)

May 18, 2012

9:15 AM: WKDK 1240 AM (Newberry) Coffee Hour

2:00 PM: Service Opportunity – Landscaping at Thornwell Home for Children, 302 Broad St., Clinton

May 19, 2012

9:00 AM: Teen Pregnancy Prevention Walk-a-thon benefiting the SC Campaign, 710 West Dekalb Street, Camden (We have a team of walkers and would love to have you join us.)

BOOK DRIVE

We are collecting new and used books for children and adults that we will deliver to an impoverished community in Horry County. Books will be given to the Elementary School, High School, and parents of school-aged children. If you would like to donate books, please bring them to the SC Campaign office by Friday, May 11.

 

Why I Walked a Mile

Yesterday, I walked a mile. I walked a mile across cobble stones and pavement. I walked a mile in 3” platform heels. 

I walked a mile as a male wearing those heels. I walked a mile in her shoes to raise awareness for sexual assault in the Midlands of South Carolina. In 2007 there were over 1,500 arrests for sex-related crimes in South Carolina according to Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands. And those are just the numbers of reported crimes that reached an arrest. What about all the crimes that are never reported to police? There’s no way of knowing how many of our neighbors, friends, coworkers, and family members have experienced unwanted sexual contact. That’s why I walk, so that those without voices will have someone to represent them.

According to RAINN.org approximately 10% of sexual assault survivors are male, but I bet that number is under reported in the US. So I walked a mile in his shoes too, to be a voice for men and boys who don’t feel comfortable to speak out about their difficult experiences as survivors of sexual assault. We teach our young men to be tough, to stay strong, and yet how often do we teach them how to express their feelings and how to speak up when they’ve been wronged?

I walked a mile as a former victim’s advocate who, for more than two years, sat beside victims of sexual assault to help them through the process of healing and if they chose, to find justice for the crimes committed against them. I walked a mile in their shoes so that people who know me, will know that I am still a confidential ear who will listen to them, a shoulder that they can cry on, a resource that they can turn to if they have experiences that they wish to share with someone they can trust.

I walked a mile as an educator helping to teach youth about love, sex, and relationships. So often we don’t talk to youth at all about sex. Sometimes when we do talk about sex, we only tell them not to do it or else. Other times we teach them about how to protect themselves from HIV, STDs, and from unplanned pregnancy. But, how often do we teach our youth actual skills for refusing unwanted sexual activity? How often do we give them a chance to learn and practice how to give a firm “no” and how to respect someone who has said no? How often do we take the time to teach young people how alcohol and drugs can impair their judgment in sexual situations? Instead, we focus on issues like drunk driving; it is easier to talk about that than to talk about sex. Well, I walked a mile to remind youth that consent is sexy, that anything less than a yes is still no, and that it is ok to say no if you are not ready to have sex. I walked a mile to inspire parents to talk to their kids about the difficult topics, just like walking on cobblestone in high heels is difficult. Sometimes we must show courage and step forward to do what is right even when we are embarrassed. Come on parents and trusted adults, will you walk a mile with me?

I personally believe that we must empower our young people to take brave stands to protect themselves, while giving them the skills they need to make healthy and smart choices for their future. Like shopping for the right pair of shoes, not one size fits all. We sometimes have to use different approaches with different young people. We have to educate them on all the options so that they can chose the shoes that fit right, look right, and feel right for them. These empowered and educated young people will then be able to walk many miles without having to wear her shoes, or the shoes of anyone who is a survivor of sexual assault. I walked a mile so that hopefully others in the future, will not have to walk; so that by raising awareness of issues we often don’t address, we can put an end to the problem forever.

That’s why I walked a mile in her shoes yesterday. Next year I’m going to be a team captain and recruit all of my friends to walk with me. Will you walk with me?

by:  Ryan Wilson, Training Coordinator, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.  Reach out to Ryan at rwilson@teenpregnancys.org.

Denim Day

This week I am using our blog to support another awesome organization in South Carolina – Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands.  STSM supports survivors in recovery from the trauma associated with sexual assault and abuse and educates the community to identify and prevent sexual violence.

As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April) the organization has many events planned, but one I want to draw your attention to is Denim Day.  On April 25, STSM is asking anyone and everyone to wear jeans to raise awareness and educate the public about rape and sexual assault.

Why jeans?  Glad you asked – this is an important part of the awareness.  Here is the answer straight from STSMs website.

In Italy in 1993, an 18 year old girl was forcefully raped by her 45 year old driving instructor.  The assailant was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to jail. He appealed the sentence, and the case made its way to the Italian Supreme Court. The Supreme Court released the perpetrator and dismissed all charges. The reasoning behind this was “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex.” The women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans in protest, and the California Senate and Assembly did the same. Thus, Denim Day was born.

The SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy will be participating in Denim Day and we hope you will join us!

By: Cayci Banks, Director of Communications, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Mustache Madness....A different type of March Madness

So it’s almost down to the wire…this competition of MEN. The competitors are starting to look more than a little…scruffy. Who will be crowned champion of these men among men? Well, we will just have to wait and see, but it’s anyone’s guess at this point, when you remember the madness…the MUSTACHE MADNESS!

It all started with 19 brave men. The number 19 represents the number of teens that give birth each day in South Carolina. The contestants all started with baby faces and individual fundraising goals, and then, the game began. Each man has, for the last three weeks, been growing their mustache (ONLY A MUSTACHE) and raising money through the help of friends and family. As each man reaches his goal, he is allowed to go back to his facial hair status (bearded, shaved, or the inevitable Soul Patch!), but until he reaches his goal, it is MUSTACHE MADNESS for him.


The SC Campaign staff have gotten in on the fun and have been supporting the competitors that are co-workers in different ways, including temporary tattoos! SC Campaign competitors include training coordinator Ryan Wilson, CPO Doug Taylor, and CEO Forrest Alton.



Other agencies have gotten in on the act too, and the men are doing whatever they can to raise the money to be done with the competition. They have hosted beer nights at their homes where the $5 went to the donations, put out “Stache Cash” jars at their work places to grab money from good humored customers, and have even resorted to using cute furry friends or children in their weekly photos to get the “Aww” votes!

So if you are interested in getting in on the fun too, please do! Go to our website, www.teenpregnancysc.org and visit our DONATE NOW page. Click on MUSTACHE MADNESS and donate to your favorites!


By: Taylor Wilson, Communications Specialist -Contact Taylor at twilson@teenpregnancysc.org.

My Trip through the APHA Expo Hall: Where Theory Meets Practice

From October 29 – November 2, 2011, APHA’s held its 139th Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington, DC. APHA stands for the American Public Health Association which, I believe, is the largest organization of public health researchers and professionals in our country. Over 13,000 people reportedly registered to attend APHA this year. One of those persons was myself, the Training Coordinator for the SC Campaign. While I grew up near Washington, D.C., and lived there as an intern in 2007, I was not prepared for the experience about to take place. I truly believe anyone who works in the field of Public Health should attend APHA at least once. You need to see with your own eyes, the scope and scale of this conference. Imagine how Dorothy felt when seeing OZ for the first time.

When I first arrived at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center (which takes up two full city blocks) – I followed the crowd and signs up to the third floor where I registered with a swipe of my conference issued ID card. That’s right, you don’t just get a name badge, they give you an ID Card (I’ll explain why in a minute). They handed me the conference program with the complete list of presentations, poster sessions, meetings, caucuses, meet n’ greets, and vendors was 418 pages long. “That’s not a program,” someone remarked to me, “it’s a phone book.” Good thing they gave us an APHA branded recyclable shoulder bag to carry the book and other items.

Then I took a walk through the Expo Hall. Now “hall” is a deceiving term, think more like airplane hanger, or better yet, picture a sci-fi movie with spaceships landing in a spaceport. That’s the size and scale of this room. APHA reported that over 650 businesses had spaces in the Expo Hall, but from where I stood, it looked like thousands of booths!

Overwhelmed by the scale of the spaces, I quickly retreated to a couch in the internet lounge (offering free Wi-Fi) so that I could review my conference ‘phone book’ (I mean, program) and chart my course for the next few days. I planned out each day, where I would be every 1-2 hours. There were 30 minute breaks between sessions, which seems like a long time but with long walks across the building, lines for coffee/food, and the time it took to find the closest restroom, 30 minutes seemed barely enough time to get a good seat in the next session.

The scientific presentation sessions were just that - very scientific. The opportunity to hear from expert researchers in the field was eye-opening but often over my head since everyone who knows me, knows that research isn’t my cup of tea. I like to read the executive summaries at the beginning of each journal article, and I’m infamous for skimming through a 30 page report in too short a time. I’m sure others in the field of teen pregnancy prevention can relate, while others who love research and data are saying “shame on you, Ryan.”

So after hours of sessions – hearing lots of theory and tons of data points, regression models, p values, etc.... it was time for me to rerevisit the “spaceport” (I mean, Expo Hall). The Expo Hall was alive with activity. The loud speaker announced upcoming book signings and raffle drawings for those who had visited 24 premiere vendor books and gotten a stamp from each on their conference ‘passport’. There were booths from most of the major universities and schools of public health in the country. Students looking for advanced degrees or graduates looking for employment stopped from station to station. My favorite was a booth set-up like a living room and the admissions staff invited you to have a chat on their sofas.

The next row over, there was a mobile dentist office in a converted RV set-up complete with a LCD TV on the side showing educational videos about oral hygiene. One booth featured the APRIL aging software that helps you see what you will look like at 72 if you eat unhealthy foods, smoke, or tan without UV protection. Trust me, the smoking, tanning, fast food eating Ryan at 72 is NOT someone I hope to ever become… There was one vendor that asked us to take off our shoes and stuck special support cushions in there, before you knew it, they felt so good you almost gave them $38 to keep them in your shoes – but I resisted their sales ploy. If you saw a vendor who you liked and wanted more information from, you could give them your ID card and with one swipe, you were added to their mailing list. Goodbye age of business cards – hello digital age!

The thing about the Expo Hall that I liked the most was that the vendors weren’t just selling junk or giving away useless information. Every single booth was there for a reason! This was public health theory in its most practical form. Research had been conducted, theories had been developed and from those theories, products were create and now either being given away, raffled off, or sold. This Expo Hall was a place to find the latest demonstration models for those working in nutrition and healthy eating, software for those conducting qualitative interviews, services to help you translate documents or in real-time into over 160 languages, and the vendors that caught my attention most – companies or non-profits related to HIV and Teen Pregnancy prevention.

I filled my conference bag with condom samples and models of IUDs, brochures, and postcards. I spoke to national organizations and groups local to Washington, D.C. I visited the booths of ETR, Select Media, the CDC, and Health and Human Services (HHS). These practical tools that I gathered at the conference now rest on shelves in my office, spread across my desk, and distributed among my coworkers at the SC Campaign. From what I learned and gathered at APHA, we can now bring some of the theories home to South Carolina and some of the practice recommendations home to you at your agency or directly into the places where your kids will learn how to be better prepared for adulthood.

I’m glad I took a stroll through the ‘spaceport’ to collect stamps for my 'passport' with my ‘phone book’ under my arm. It was worth every minute I spent in the Expo Hall at APHA!

-Ryan Wilson, MEd., is a Training Coordinator for the SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Contact Ryan at  rwilson@teenpregnancysc.org (803) 771-7700 ext. 126.

Consider Gender in Addressing Teen Pregnancy

Earlier this month I attended Healthy Teen Network’s 32nd Annual Conference. The week was filled with thought provoking conversations surrounding gender. During the opening session, Keynote Speaker Elizabeth Schroeder, had us do a simple activity. She asked us to write down five roles we play. Next, she asked us to make note of how many had something to do with gender. That question set the tone for the conference. Over the next few days I attended session after session where presenters asked us to think of how much we ignore and focus on gender simultaneously.

The NRN Spartanburg Community Action Group chose male involvement as one of the determinates to target as part of the CDC Project. Therefore, I chose to attend breakout sessions specifically about that population. My favorite session was titled, "No Resources Left Untouched: Engaging Young Males and Men in the Effort to Build Healthy Families and Communities." 

As a music lover, getting tips on using music to encourage young men to talk about what being a man and becoming a father means to them was invaluable. There was one sentence in the conference booklet that I think spoke volumes to this subject. It read, “By not serving the needs of young men, programs can be complicit in reinforcing the ideal that young men are the problem and not part of the solution to preventing teen pregnancy.” 

One of the other breakout sessions I attended was "Engaging Young Male Athletes and Coaches to Prevent Sexual Violence." The presenters gave us an overview of a violence prevention program entitled “Coaching Boys into Men.” We had a discussion about how commonly used phrases such as “You are throwing like a girl. You are running like a sissy.” have an effect on adolescent male attitude towards the opposite sex. If you’d like to download the Coaching Boys into Men Coaches Kit visit www.coachescorner.org. Overall I was pleased with my first HTN conference and look forward to next year in Minneapolis, MN.

- Meredith M. Talford, MPH, CHES, is the Upstate Training and Technical Assistance Specialist. E-mail Meredith at mtalford@teenpregnancysc.org.