Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs: Hofstra and the Community
By Nicole Flores
Nassau News Staff Writer
According to the Nassau County Community Health Assessment (PDF), two thirds of high school students reported having had sexual intercourse by the time they reached graduation. While teen pregnancy rates have declined, there is a significantly higher risk for young women who are minorities and/or suffer from socioeconomic difficulties. From 1982 to 2002, the teen pregnancy rate decreased by 51 percent; and communities in Nassau County are looking to lower that percentage each year.
Nassau News Staff Writer
According to the Nassau County Community Health Assessment (PDF), two thirds of high school students reported having had sexual intercourse by the time they reached graduation. While teen pregnancy rates have declined, there is a significantly higher risk for young women who are minorities and/or suffer from socioeconomic difficulties. From 1982 to 2002, the teen pregnancy rate decreased by 51 percent; and communities in Nassau County are looking to lower that percentage each year.
In 2002, Hofstra University joined Planned Parenthood to create a program that encourages girls in the nearby Roosevelt School District to focus on their goals, build confidence, and express their feelings through writing. The Reading/Writing Learning Clinic at Hofstra University chose to work with the seventh through twelve graders because they are seen as being at “high risk” for teenage pregnancy; as the Roosevelt school district has the one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in Nassau County.
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