Health Department

Teens spend an average of 1.5 hours a day texting. Now teens can get health information and updates texted directly to their phones simply by texting the word BAware to 99000. That's just one of the resources found at Knox Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiative's (KAPPI) new website, www.mybodymyfuture.com . The site also has information for parents, teens of both sexes and teen parents.

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Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention

KAPPI, based at the Knox County Health Department, is part of a state wide effort to address the problem of teen pregnancy and parenting among youth.  The community coalition has been working on teen issues for the past 17 years in Knox County. KAPPI represents 33 organizations that collaborate on a regular basis to address the issues surrounding teen pregnancy and parenting.  The mission of KAPPI is to prevent adolescent pregnancy while improving services available for pregnant and parenting adolescents. Abstinence is the most responsible and effective means of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and should be strongly encouraged.  However, it is recognized that some adolescents may become pregnant in spite of these efforts.  Work must be done to insure that needed health, educational, vocational, and social services are accessible to these adolescents and their children.

Standing meetings for Coalitions (times, dates, places): 
KAPPI meeting, 3rd Tuesday of every month, 12:00 noon.
KAPPI Sub committee meetings:

• Education- follows the monthly KAPPI meeting
• Resource- TBD
• Needs Assessment- As needed
• Special Projects- As needed

Relevant Healthy People 2010 Objectives:
9-7 . Reduce pregnancies among adolescent females; Target: 43 pregnancies per 1,000.
9-8 . Increase in Adolescents Aged 15 to 19 Years Never Engaging in Sexual Intercourse Before Age 15 Years to 88% for both males and females.
9-9 . Increase the proportion of adolescents who have never engaged in sexual intercourse to 75% for both males and females.
25-11 . Increase the proportion of adolescents who abstain from sexual intercourse or use condoms if currently sexually active to 95%

KAPPI outreach in the community:
Schools
Reality Works Infant simulators
Drug, Fetal Alcohol and Shaken baby simulators
Traveling Trunks
Teen Help Cards
TTOPS Annual Conference for teens
Teen Fairs (High School)
Petals and Pearls (collaborative with Project Grad)
Son Rise Project (collaborative with Project Grad)

Community
Parent Workshops
Community Fairs
Women’s Health Events
Provide information for parents, teachers, and youth leaders
Women’s Trunk
Summer programs

Contact phone and email:
Cynthia Hudson
Community Assessment & Health Promotion
Knox County Health Department
140 Dameron Avenue
Knoxville, TN  37917
865-215-5178
cynthia.hudson@knoxcounty.org