In 1996, California’s Office of Family Planning (OFP) launched the Male Involvement Program (MIP), a teen pregnancy prevention program targeting adolescent males and adult men. An important goal of the MIP is to promote male involvement in teen pregnancy prevention and foster the role of young men as leaders in their community. Toward this end, OFP sponsors the annual Young Men's Summit. Over time, those males attending the Summit are expected to advocate for needed social and clinical services, deliver teen pregnancy prevention messages to their peers, and seek job opportunities in the health services field. In June 2000, more than 50 young men helped plan and over 200 participated in the Summit. A survey and telephone interview with a subset of males indicated that participants gained leadership skills and an opportunity to make a positive impact in their communities. Several males secured jobs as health educators, peer providers in teen clinics, and program coordinators within their agencies following the event. The Summit’s success was seen as a result of several factors. First, youth were centrally involved in the planning of the conference, including selection of guest speakers, workshops, logo design, food, and recreational activities. Second, youth outnumbered adults at the event by 2:1, allowing young men to address pregnancy prevention in their own way. Third, youth-adult partnerships were validated and strengthened. The Young Men’s Summit represents an innovative effort to engage young men as leaders in teen pregnancy prevention and may be a model worth replicating in other states.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the objective and planning process of the Young Men’s Summit, a teen pregnancy prevention conference for males. 2. Describe the experiences of young men who planned and attended the Young Men’s Summit and the factors seen as important for a successful youth-oriented conference.
Keywords: Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Male Reproductive Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: California Office of Family Planning
Male Involvement Program
University of California, San Francisco
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.