Which method fits my needs? The pill? The shot? The patch? Where to get it? When to take it? Bedsider.org unlocks the mysteries of the elusive topic that teens and young adults alike are trying to grapple with.

The site was launched in November 2011 by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, in reponse to studies that show 18-29 year olds know they should use birth control — but aren’t.

The Fog Zone, a report from the National Campaign, found the following information about 20-somethings:

• Despite vocalizing the importance to avoid pregnancy, more unmarried young adults do not use contraception every time they have sex.
• Many were unfamiliar with common forms of birth control.
• There’s a significant distrust — many think birth control does not work.

Bedsider allows visitors to explore different methods of birth control — and determine which one best fits their needs. It also includes a search feature to find clinics and health centers that offer birth control and an e-mail or text system to remind participants to take their birth control.

Real-life users of birth control have videos talking about the good and bad of their particular method, while physicians talk fact or fiction:

The training will be held April 10 from 9am to 2pm. Register here. Space is limited!

Teening Up targets parents with teens between the ages of 9 and 16 years old and serves as a prevention tool rather than an intervention. The curriculum has six sessions that each last approximately an hour-and-a-half. The program teaches parents about the normal development of young and middle adolescent children and teaches skills to avoid more serious problems. The sessions include: the teen brain; developmental transitions; positive discipline; talking with teens about sex, drugs, and alcohol; understanding teen anger (and managing yours); and empowering youth to build assets. Teening Up also includes three activities per session to engage parents and practice skills, reflection and empathy-building and asset assessments.

Each participant will receive a copy of the Teening Up curriculum. The training will include instruction on how to facilitate the curriculum and how to incorporate it into your organization.

Holding “Train the Trainer” workshops for the Teening Up curriculum was one of the implementation strategies in the NEFL Teen Pregnancy Task Force’s final product, “Preventing Teen Pregnancy in Northeast Florida: A Plan for Community Action.”The Task Force identified Teening Up as a best practice for engaging parents.

March for Babies – the March of Dimes’ biggest fundraiser nationwide – will be held Saturday, May 5th at 9:00 a.m. at the Northbank Riverwalk in Downtown Jacksonville. Healthy Start would like to invite YOU to join our team and make a difference in the lives of Northeast Florida’s babies!

To join our team and register as a walker, visit Healthy Start’s team page and click the “Join this Team” icon. Friends and family are welcome to join, so spread the word!

If you are unable to walk with us, please consider donating to our team and encouraging others to donate. The March of Dimes supports many of the Coalition’s community-based programs such as the Camellia project, funds the statewide 39 Weeks initiative, and provides other support and educational materials to the Coalition.

To learn more about March for Babies, watch the 2012 video.

“Helping Parents Understand Their Newborn” is designed to equip professionals with the skills to enhance breastfeeding and promote bonding.

The course is $35 and provides 2 contact hours credits. It covers the following:

• reviews literature impacting parent-child relationship & breastfeeding
• presents engaging video lecture and parent interviews
• provides a convenient come-and-go format that fits easily into a professional’s busy schedule

Order here (create a new account).

Approximately 100+ women sought prenatal care from the Health Department each year.  The county averages about 390 births per year.

The small, rural county, which has a high rate of late or no prenatal care, struggles with access to providers. The issue was identified as one of the main barriers to health care in the 2010 Health Needs Assessment of the county conducted by the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida.

Seeking prenatal care early — in the first trimester — and regularly is vital to the health of babies. Mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have low birth weight babies and five times more likely to have their baby die, compared to mothers who do receive prenatal care.

The Baker County Infant Mortality Task Force launched a campaign in May 2011 to promote prenatal care. For more information, visit the Moms Matter page.

For more information:

Health Department to lose prenatal care (Baker County Press)

Action News Jax: