CFHC President & CEO, Julie Rabinovitz, co-authored recent Op-Ed published in The Sacramento Bee

An op-ed co-authored by CFHC President & CEO, Julie Rabinovitz, and Kathy Kneer, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC), ran in The Sacramento Bee about the importance of passing AB 2348.  The bill, introduced by Assembly Member Holly Mitchell, seeks to authorize registered nurses to dispense hormonal contraceptives under a standardized procedure to increase timely access to birth control.

New Study Shows Publicly Funded Family Planning Clinics Provide Critical Care to Millions of Poor and Low-Income Women each year

A new nationally representative survey shows that the national network of publicly funded family planning clinics—which helps millions of women avoid unintended pregnancies and plan the timing of wanted pregnancies—gives women vital access to contraceptive and other preventive care, according to "Variation in Service Delivery Practices Among Clinics Providing Publicly Funded Family Planning Services in 2010," by Jennifer Frost et al.

For more information on services provided in sites that receive Title X funding, see "Going the Extra Mile: The Difference Title X Makes," by Rachel Benson Gold, in the current issue of the Guttmacher Policy Review.

The newly updated Facts on Publicly Funded Contraceptive Services in the United States.

“Digital media interventions shown to improve sexual health knowledge”

CFHC would like to congratulate Jenna Gaarde, STD Program Coordinator, co-author of the editorial “Interventions Using New Digital Media to Improve Adolescent Sexual Health A Systematic Review” for the online journal Elsevier. The article explores the use of digital media to improve outcomes for adolescent sexual health.

Family Planning Provider Education and Training in California

Bixby Reproductive Health Brief #2:

A recent study by UCSF’s Bixby Center  Highlight: Providers enrolled in California’s Medicaid family planning expansion program Family PACT receive support and training from Family PACT and, from Title X funding, administered by the California Family Health Council (CFHC).

 

Good News from the White House -- Religious exemptions under ACA will be kept narrow!

Exciting news released today by the Obama Administration.  After months of pressure from the Catholic Bishops lobby, the administration announced that they will keep the religious exemption for contraceptives in the Affordable Care Act narrow.  This is great news for millions of women and we will be reaching out to press throughout the day.  A release outlining our position on the topic is available here. The official statement from  HHS can be found here.

Contraception Journal January 2012 Highlights

Congratulations to Ron Frezieres and Terri Walsh for their article in Contraception!!  Amazing work!!

Couples' acceptability of the SILCS diaphragm for microbicide delivery

Hookup in the NY Times!

The NY Times article below featuring CFHC's hookup program and a link to our redesigned TeenSource website! Sex Education Gets Directly to Youths, via Text.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/31/us/sex-education-for-teenagers-online-and-in-texts.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha3

"Weekly Wrap-Up"

AB 499 to Take Effect on January 1, 2012

This year, among other new laws to be enacted in 2012, AB 499 was passed and signed by Governor Jerry Brown to allow patients 12 years of age or older to consent to medical care related to the prevention of a sexually transmitted disease. This new law will take effect on January 1, 2012.

Prior to the passing of AB 499, patients 12 years of age or older were able to consent to medical care related to the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Starting in the new year, they will also be able to take preventative action against sexually transmitted diseases as well. You can find an AB 499 implementation fact Sheet here.

One of the prevention methods that young adults will be able to consent to is the Human Pappillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. A new report published by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine disclosed findings showing that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine does not increase risky sexual behavior.

 

2012 Title X Funding Announcement Response

On December 19^th CFHC reported that the final FY 2012 appropriation for Title X is $296.8 million, a $2.6 million (0.8%) cut from FY 2011 funding, representing a $2million cut to the Title X program plus a 0.189% across-the-board cut to all programs within the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education. CFHC has not yet received notice from the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) about how the cut will affect California’s Title X award. As soon as we have confirmation from OPA as to whether our funding will be cut further or will remain the same, we will notify all delegate agencies.

CFHC Response to FDA Hearing on Combined Hormonal Contraceptives

In the November 23^rd “Weekly Wrap Up,” CFHC shared information about an upcoming FDA hearing, scheduled for December 8^th and 9^th, in which an FDA committee would consider the results of a recently released study evaluating the risk of adverse health events associated with the transdermal patch, the vaginal ring, and “third generation” oral contraceptive pills that contain drospirenone. CFHC Response to FDA Hearing

 

NHSC Scholarships for 2012

2012 Loan Repayment Application Now Open!

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) opens its 2012 application cycle! The application cycle will be open until May 2012, however providers are strongly encouraged to apply early.

Program Updates
Award amounts for this year’s program have been modified to help ensure communities with the greatest need – those with the highest Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) scores – receive recruitment support to fill much needed clinical positions. Initial awards amounts are as follows:

	2 Years  Full-time	4 Years Half-time	2 Years Half-time
Providers at Sites with HPSA Score 14+	Up to $60,000	Up to $60,000	Up to $30,000
Providers at Sites with HPSA Score 0-13	Up to $40,000	Up to $40,000	Up to $20,000

With continued service, NHSC providers may be able to pay off all of their student loans.

For additional program details, please see the 2012 NHSC Loan Repayment Program At-A-Glance Fact Sheet and the complete Application and Program Guidance

 

CFHC Weekly News!

CFHC Press Release: U.S. Teen Birth Rate Drops 9%, California Leads the Way

LOS ANGELES, CA – November 18, 2011 – According to the latest data released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the birth rate for U.S. teens hit a record low in 2010 falling to 34.3 births per 1,000 teenagers aged 15-19.  California continues to play a critical role in this national success story, with a decline of 9.9 percent for teens aged 15-19. 

"The unprecedented drop in the teen birth rate further underscores the importance of Title X and statewide programs like California's Fam­ily Planning, Access, Care and Treat­ment, Family PACT," said Julie Rabinovitz, President and CEO of the California Family Health Council.  "Fam­ily PACT, combined with the pre­vention activ­ities support­ed by fed­eral Ti­tle X funding, has dramatically decreased the rates of adult and teen unin­tended pregnancies statewide.  Without these programs, many teens would not have access to the confidential, comprehensive, and no cost contraceptive services they need to help them prevent pregnancy." 

Title X of the Public Health Services Act is the cornerstone of the federal domestic family-planning program. It is the only federal program exclusively dedicated to family planning and reproductive-health services.  In California, Title X and Family PACT make up a critical piece of the state's teen pregnancy prevention strategy. 

•  Title X clinics provide comprehensive health services in 43 of the state's 58 counties
• In 2010 alone, Title X clinics in California served 1,222,677 patients
• Of those patients, 244,363 -- approximately 20% -- were 19 or younger
• Roughly one out of every five Family PACT clients is under 20 years old

Cost-benefit analysis further stresses the importance of programs like Title X and Family PACT:

• Unplanned pregnancies cost taxpayers an estimated $11 billion per year. Without publicly funded family planning services, these costs would be 60 percent higher.
• Every $1 invested in Title X and in helping women and teens avoid unwanted pregnancies saves taxpayers $4.02.
• The total public sector cost-savings of the pregnancies averted attributable to Family PACT female clients in 2007 was $1.88 billion from conception to age two.
• Although adolescents account for approximately 27% of the total pregnancies averted by Family PACT, they account for 44% of the cost-savings.

"While the continuing decline in the teen birth rate is a great public achievement worth celebrating, we must remember that our work is far from over. We must continue to invest in cost-saving programs like Title X and Family PACT if we want to maintain our significant progress," said Rabinovitz.

To view the full NCHS report please click here   

"The copper IUD for emergency contraception"

CFHC board member, Peter Belden, Program Officer, Global Development and Population Programs for the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, co-authored the following editorial "The copper IUD for emergency contraception, a neglected option" for the online journal Elsevier. The article looks at evidence supporting the use of copper intrauterine devices as an effective method for preventing unintended pregnancy. However despite the evidence, the device is not being offered consistently to patients seeking emergency contraception.  Please Download 2011-11-18 IUD Editorial.

STD Surveillance 2010 released

On Thursday, November 17 at noon, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the

Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2010.  This report is released annually to present statistics and trends for reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in the United States. This report is available on their website as well as a Trends Summary document. Printed copies and accessible slides will be available at a later date.

 

 

CFHC Weekly News

Flu Vaccinations During Pregnancy. Download the PowerPoint Presentation

Download an interesting study on the attitudes and practices of OB/GYNs, regarding influenza vaccination during pregnancy, with suggestions for how providers could increase vaccination rates in this population. Pregnant women are at high risk for influenza-related complications, including severe disease. Please consider distribution to the women’s health providers in your networks.

Download Vaccination in Pregnancy PowerPoint presentation

Rescue & Restore Special Report: New Resource Guide on Services for Trafficking Victims

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATIP) has published Services Available to Victims of Human Trafficking: A Resource Guide for Social Service Providers.  The resource guide provides information about the resources available for both pre-certified and certified victims, including children with letters of eligibility.  It describes the many community and State-funded resources available for victims, including options for food, shelter, clothing, medical care, legal assistance, and job training.  In addition, the guide provides information on how adults and children can obtain Certification and Eligibility Letters. 

The majority of the booklet outlines the types of Federal benefits and services available to trafficking victims in various immigration categories.  Included in the guide is a chart for each government program, describing eligibility information for certified adults, children with letters of eligibility, lawful permanent residents, U.S. citizens, and others. 

Download a copy of the resource guide.

SAMHSA Training on Trauma-Informed Care

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sponsored a training in June 2011 on Trauma-Informed Care: An Essential Element of Recovery. 

Download the PowerPoint slides from this training. The PowerPoint presentations can be viewed by clicking the "view presentation" link next to the speaker's name.

New Report on the Prostitution and Trafficking of Native Women in Minnesota

The Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC) has published a report, Garden of Truth: The Prostitution and Trafficking of Native Women in Minnesota.  The research was conducted by MIWSAC and Prostitution Research & Education and is based on personal interviews and stories of 105 Native women in the Twin Cities, Duluth, and Bemidji. 

The report is available online.

World Conference on Women's Shelters

The U.S. National Network to End Domestic Violence is sponsoring the "2nd World Conference of Women's Shelters" in Washington, DC on February 27 – March 1, 2012.  Workshop topics include shelter rules, trauma-informed practices, funding programs and shelters, and human trafficking. 

Register for the conference or obtain more information.

OPA Announcement-Facing Aids for World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is less than one month away. For the fourth year in a row, we're inviting you to share photos and messages about why you are Facing AIDS for World AIDS Day. It is one way to show your support of The National HIV/AIDS Strategy. 

This year you can upload your pictures directly to our gallery at facing.AIDS.gov  and share them through Facebook and Twitter. It is as easy as Write. Snap. Share. Watch our new animated video to learn more. 

 Here's how Facing AIDS works: 

1. Write. Download a sign (PDF) and share your message about why you're Facing AIDS.
2. Snap. Take a photo with your sign and upload it to the Facing AIDS Gallery. 
3. Share. Use  Twitter, Facebook, your blog, and other online sites to share your photo with friends and family. 

Interested in hosting a Facing AIDS event in your community for World AIDS Day?   

• Download the Facing AIDS community guide including a step-by-step plan (PDF) and the Facing AIDS promotional postcard (PDF)

Remind people that they can locate their local HIV testing sites by texting their ZIP code to "KNOWIT" (566948) or by using our HIV/AIDS Prevention and Service Provider Locator to find maps, walking, driving, and biking directions. 

Find posters and other resources on our World AIDS Day page.

Website: www.AIDS.gov
Blog: blog.AIDS.gov
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AIDSgov
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AIDSgov
MySpace: www.myspace.com/AIDSgov

Training invitation to the Northern CA Family Planning Health Worker Certification

Date: December 05th-7th  
Location: Pajaro Valley Health Trust
85 N. Nielson Street
Wastsonville, CA 95076
Time: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm PST

This course has been designed to help staff of family planning clinics:

•  Develop the skills to be an effective health educator and    counselor.
•  Learn up-to-date information to use with clients.
•  Find easy-to-understand ways to explain that information to clients.

By attending this course, participants learn the basic knowledge and skills to become Certified Family Planning Health Workers. In order to be certified, participants must pass a written examination and conduct a client education session as a role play.

Download a brochure for more information.