National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is May 2, 2012

Hundreds of thousands of teens nationwide are expected toparticipate in the eleventh annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy on May 2, 2012. The purpose of the National Day is to focus the attention of teens on the importance of avoiding too-early pregnancy and parenthood through an interactive online quiz and game. 

On the National Day, teens nationwide are encouraged to visit StayTeen.org to participate in several online activities—including the popular National Day Quiz—that challenge them to think carefully about what they might do “in the moment.” The message of the National Day is straightforward: Sex has consequences. 

The U.S. teen pregnancy rate has declined 42% from its peak in 1990 and is now at a nearly 40-year low. In addition to the overall national declines, the teen pregnancy rate (mothers <20 years old) has also decreased in Shelby County.  According to the 2010 Vital Statistics for Iowa, the rate of infants who are born to mothers less than 20 years old is 59.8 per 1,000 births.  This is down from the 2009 rate of 75. Shelby County continues to have one of the lowest teen birth rates in the state of Iowa.

“The nation continues to make extraordinary progress in preventing too-early pregnancy and parenthood, but we must not mistake these impressive gains with victory,” cautions Rachel Birks, RN. “It is still the case that nearly three in ten teen girls in this country become pregnant before age 20…“When it comes to convincing young people that adolescence should be a time for education and growing-up not pregnancy and parenthood, there is much yet to be done. We hope that—in some modest way—the National Day will help teens think carefully about sex, relationships, contraception, the possibility of pregnancy, and the lifelong challenges of being a parent.”

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy is a nonprofit, nonpartisan initiative supported almost entirely by private donations. Their mission is to promote values, behavior and policies that reduce both teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy among young adults. By increasing the proportion of children born into welcoming, intact families who are prepared to take on the demanding task of raising the next generation, our efforts will improve the well-being of children and strengthen the nation. Please visit www.TheNationalCampaign.org to find out more.

HCCMS Family Health Services offers confidential reproductive and general health services at little to no cost. Charges are based on insurance status and income. Our Shelby County office is located at 2712 12th Street, Harlan, Iowa.  For more information, call 755-4312.

CONGRATULATIONS!

WE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT HARLAN IS A FINALIST FOR A BLUE ZONE SITE VISIT!!

There are 10 other small communities chosen for site finalists.  We will be given further directions of what to do and how to prepare in approximately 1 month.  The site visit will not occur until June.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE SUPPOSED TO CELEBRATE!!  YEAH!!

Shelby County Public Health  

These services are available to you through your local public health office.

Immunization Clinics are offered the first Wednesday of every month from 3:00 til 6 p.m..  Childhood immunizations, including those needed for school entry, are available for children birth through 18 years of age.  Children with health insurance that pays for vaccines, including Hawk-I,  must go to their doctor’s office to get their shots.  Donations are welcome to help defray expenses. 

Learning for Life  program offers a free home visitation program for families with young children. The program helps  prepare  children for learning and school entry.  Assistance with proper car safety restraints for children may also be available.

Kids Korner Families earn points through a variety of healthy and developmental activities that can be used to shop in the “store”.  Participation is free.  

Lead  screening to detect lead poisioning is offered.  This screening is free and recommended yearly for all children ages 1-6 years.  The screening is offered at WIC, immunization clinics, and by appointment. 

Hawk-i (health/dental insurance plan for kids) information, brochures and applications are available upon request.  Free or low cost. May also apply for a dental only policy. 

Child Health is a program to provide well-child medical, dental and vision exams for kids. 

Care for Kids is a program to help families access well-child services for medical, dental, vision, hearing and other care.  A list of area physicians, dentists, and/or eye doctors is available.  Staff is also available to answer questions concerning health and safety.  Appropriate referrals will be made. 

Maternal Health services include: nutritional counseling, family counseling, and essential information regarding the entire birth experience, from conception through pregnancy and the actual birth. 

 Tobacco Cessation  individual counseling is available to assist with tobacco cessation. Call for more information. 

Family Planning Clinics   Pelvic and breast exams are performed by a nurse practitioner.  Male exams are also available. Pap and STD tests are done when indicated.  Counseling, pregnancy testing, and dispensing of birth control supplies are also available to clients by the Family Planning Nursing Staff.  Please call to make an appointment.  This service is available to males and females regardless of income or age. Services are offered at low or no cost.  Proof of income is required.  Insurance, including medicaid is also accepted.  Donations are accepted. 

For further information concerning any of these programs or to make an appointment, please contact:  

Shelby County Public Health          (712)755-4422                            

The annual Myrtue Medical Center/Progressive Agricultural Safety Day for children ages 8 to 13 will be held Friday, June 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Harlan Community Intermediate Elementary School (formerly West Ridge School). 

A registration fee of $10 will include a t-shirt, snacks, lunch and safety packet.  The pre-registration deadline is May 4^th and enrollment will be limited to the first 80 registrants.  The camp is being coordinated by Occupational Health Outreach at Myrtue Medical Center, Harlan, and Shelby County ISU Extension and Outreach. 

Each year, many children are killed or injured on America’s farms.  Farm Safety Days are held across Iowa to teach children how to prevent injuries and reduce the risk of farm accidents. 

During the June 8th farm safety day, children will participate in interactive activities that provide instruction, hands-on experience and safety demonstrations for tractor, electrical, flowing grain, animal, fire,  Iowa One Call, chemical, ATV (all-terrain vehicle), propane, PTO (power take off), as well as information on hearing safety.    

For more information or a registration form, contact Occupational Health Outreach at 712-755-4288 or Shelby County ISU Extension at 712-755-3104.

The National Weather Service and the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division have declared the first week of April as Severe Weather Awareness Week. Severe Weather Awareness Week is an annual event to remind Iowans that severe weather is part of living in our state and that understanding the risks and how to respond to them can save lives.

Shelby County will participate in the statewide voluntary Tornado Drill on Wednesday, April 4^th.  A test tornado watch will be issued at 9:50am, and a test tornado warning will be issued at approximately 10:10am.

For more information on severe weather, please visit the following websites:

http://www.shelbycountyema.com

http://cne.coderedweb.com/