"Young Women and Risk:
Teen Pregnancy, HIV, and STDs" is the title and topic
of May's Hartford HIV Forum. Jeannette R. Ickovics, PhD,
of Yale University School of Medicine's Department of
Epidemiology and Public Health, will present a talk on
integrating education on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs) into the health services and obstetric
care provided to pregnant teens. She will be speaking
on Tuesday, May 8 at noon at the Living Center, 1841 Broad
Street. The event is free and includes lunch with advance
notification.
Dr. Ickovics and her staff followed 412 teens from Hartford,
New Haven and Bridgeport for more than a year after the
teens' pregnancies. Ickovics' talk will highlight some
preliminary findings from this study, which, she indicated,
will reveal an important but previously neglected public
health issue.
"The clear message of our data is that teens have
a real risk of developing HIV/AIDS and/or other STDs,
and an increased risk in the year following pregnancy,"
said Ickovics. "Pregnancy provides a critical window
of opportunity for integrating HIV and STD education into
reproductive health services - the sad fact is that right
now, we're missing this window."
"By attending May's HIV Forum, you can be part of
an important discussion leading toward better integration
of education and services: from before to beyond pregnancy,"
noted Ickovics. This is the fourth lecture in the Spring
2001 series of forums organized by the HIV Action Initiative
and The Institute for Community Research. The Hartford
HIV Forum meets from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m., on the second
Tuesday of each month. The goal of the forums is to give
the local community the most up-to-date information on
current topics in AIDS prevention, treatment, research
and care.
To register for the forum, call the HIV Action Initiative
at 860-280-2493. Signing for the hearing impaired and
Spanish interpretation are available with a minimum of
ten days advance notice. For more information about the
series, contact Laura Sylla at the HIV Action Initiative
at 860-280-2493 or Peg Weeks at The Institute for Community
Research at 860-278-2044 X229. |
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"Pregnancy provides a critical window
of opportunity for integrating HIV and STD education
into reproductive health services - the sad fact is
that right now, we're missing this window."
Jeannette R. Ickovics, PhD
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University
School of Medicine
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