Oral

This session examines the impact and use of policies on and with diverse populations. Existing policy approaches to Latina adolescent sexual and reproductive health focus largely on funding state- and community-level teen pregnancy prevention programs. An analysis of the strengths and limitations of current policies meant to impact Latina adolescent sexual and reproductive health, and policy approaches that utilize a reproductive justice framework will be addressed. Research suggests that science-based adolescent sexual health approaches have been successful in preventing teen pregnancy. To identify the extent to which science-based approaches to adolescent sexual health programs were used by organizations in Illinois, an online Illinois Adolescent Sexual Health Needs Assessment was conducted. Twenty-eight percent of the organizations were not familiar with science-based programs. California voters recently considered three propositions to require parental notification for minors seeking abortion care. The role that academic researchers played in synthesizing and making readily available data on teen childbearing and the impact of these laws in states that had previously adopted these policies will be discussed. Results of research on the sex differences in human mortality rates related to the degree of economic inequality and the degree of polygyny as well as the rapid transition to market economies in Eastern Europe will be presented.

Session Objectives: 1) Identify three sexual and reproductive health inequities that negatively impact Latina adolescents. 2) Describe the needs and challenges to adopting or implementing science-based approaches to adolescent sexual health programs in the state of Illinois. 3) Describe the background leading up to the consideration of parental involvement requirements by California voters in three elections 4) Identify population and environmental characteristics related to sex differences in mortality patterns.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)