For many years, California had one of the highest teen birth rates in the nation. Latinas, in particular, have the highest adolescent birth rates of any major ethnic group in the United States. In 1996, the California Department of Health Services (DHS), launched the Partnership for Responsible Parenting (PRP) Initiative to aggressively address California's teen pregnancy problem. A component of the media campaign was designed specifically to target the Latino population. The PRP Media Campaign was designed to educate the Latino population about the problems surrounding teen pregnancy and fatherlessness. The campaign has utilized culturally and linguistically sensitive media and public relations strategies to reach out to the Spanish-speaking population in California. It has established strong partnerships with the Spanish language media outlets such as: Univision, La Opinion Newspaper, Radio Bilingue and community-based organizations that serve the Latino population. During the last three years, the media campaign has learned many lessons regarding strategies for creating culturally and linguistically appropriate television, radio, and print advertising, and public relations efforts. The lessons learned through evaluation efforts provided guidance and direction for the current teen pregnancy prevention campaign, "It's Up to Me". The "It's Up to Me" Media Campaign will be officially unveiled in 2001 using a tiered approach beginning with Teen Responsibility, Male Responsibiity and Fatherhood, Clinical Services, and Adult to Teen Communication. Critical segments of the campaign will be targeted with culturally appropriate messages and public relations efforts to effectively reach the Latino population in California.
Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the process used by the California Department of Health Services, Office of Family Planning teen pregnancy prevention meida campaign to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate media for the Latino population. 2. Understand the role that partnerships with Spanish language media outlets play in the successful implementation of teen pregnancy prevention media campaign targeting Latinos
Keywords: Media Campaigns, Latinos
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
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.