The Male Involvement Program (MIP), initiated by California's Office of Family Planning in 1996, is among the most comprehensive statewide efforts to mobilize adolescent and young adult males in the prevention of teen pregnancy. The program has continued to reach beyond the confines of traditional sex education, providing a variety of educational and awareness services to enable males to navigate a healthy passage into adulthood, while avoiding early unintended fatherhood.
A statewide evaluation of the MIP involved 25 local projects and included a survey of program coordinators to create a profile of the program across four dimensions: 1) agency and staffing characteristics; 2) community awareness and mobilization; 3) educational strategies; and 4) program expansion and institutionalization.
Survey results underscore the importance of strength-based and culturally-relevant programming within the context of young men's lives. Local programs serve males in various settings, such as public schools (81%), juvenile detention centers (71%), faith centers (33%), and migrant labor camps (29%). Staff use a combination of strategies to deliver their messages, including educational sessions (95%), youth leadership activities (90%), local media campaigns (90%), outreach (86%), recreational activities (86%), and employment readiness (52%). Moreover, local projects have increased collaboration with other service providers (71%), presented at conferences (81%), garnered additional funds to work with males (71%), and institutionalized program activities within their agencies (28%). Understanding the value of a comprehensive approach in working with males is critical for the success of teen pregnancy prevention efforts at the local, state, or national level.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify strategies for engaging adolescent and young adult males in pregnancy prevention. 2. Describe how to extend the reach of pregnancy prevention programs by garnering community support. 3. Define comprehensive and strength-based teen pregnancy prevention services for males
Keywords: Male Reproductive Health, Family Planning
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: California Office of Family Planning, DHS
Male Involvement Program
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.