Young Women are Strong is a program for sexually-active female adolescents - identified through the results of negative pregnancy tests conducted in school-based health clinics. This program was adapted from the Young Mothers Are Strong in partnership with San Jose School Based Health Clinic staff.

This education/support group model includes ten 50-minute sessions offered once a week. Class topics are: Communication, Feelings & Defenses, Chemical Dependency including Tobacco, Marijuana, and Fetal Alcohol & Other Drug Exposed Children; Chemically Dependent Families; Relationships (Domestic Violence and Abuse); and Decision Making & Reproductive Health.

At the conclusion of group, participants showed significant improvement on measures of

• Self-esteem
• Chemical dependency
• Emotional functioning
• Use of birth control to "every time I have sex" or "most of the time" - a significant improvement from their behavior before the group.
• Were more likely
  • to say that they knew enough about gangs to avoid problems
  • to say "they had learned how to wait and work for the things I want"
  • to say that they had been taught about AIDS or HIV
  • to agree that someone had discussed how to avoid pregnancy
• Had a decrease in risk factors and were less likely to have used speed.

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