YOUNG WOMEN ARE STRONG

Young Women are Strong is a program for sexually-active female adolescents. 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.