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IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
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On Tap
Andrea Lindsey Campbell, 08.26.08
Every day, four teenagers become pregnant in Nassau County. |
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The Teen Advocate Project (TAP) of Planned Parenthood of Nassau County, located in New York, is a teen group that reaches out to other teens about — you guessed it — sex.
TAP has helped to promote healthy attitudes and behavior in more than 150,000 teenagers since it began in 1984. Twenty-four years later, TAP is still going strong.
Why does TAP exist?
Every day, four teenagers become pregnant in Nassau County. TAP teens are making a difference, talking to fellow teens and communicating honestly and openly about responsible choices and prevention.
"TAP helped me not only get to know and get along with the other teens, but also it improved my self-esteem," says TAP member Karen Montenegro, 16. "Through all of the activities I learned how to really find myself. Now I know I can really help other teens, because I feel good about myself and what I do."
So what exactly does TAP do?
Recently, TAP has been working on a public awareness campaign for the Healthy Teens Act. The Healthy Teens Act would provide funding for age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education in New York.
TAP has lobbied state representatives in Albany and in Nassau County for the Healthy Teens Act on numerous occasions. TAP members have also published letters to the editor about the Healthy Teens Act in their local newspaper.
But TAP didn't stop there. TAP members also conducted their first ever Burma Shave.
Burma what?
A Burma Shave is a visibility event where everyone stands along a stretch of road and holds signs. In this case, the Burma Shave was about supporting comprehensive sex education, and received community support (in the form of honks and thumbs-up).
"I really liked doing the sex ed Burma Shave because we got a lot of support from people," says TAP member Adetu Jones, 16. "And it was a lot of fun!"
TAP This
This year TAP also participated in a phone bank to educate New Yorkers on comprehensive sex education and helped patch through more than 200 callers to the New York State Senate to ask for passage of the Healthy Teens Act.
"When I work with TAP there's this amazing feeling I get," says Tap teen Onisha Nichols, 15. "I feel as if I have a chance to help so many people directly and indirectly. There is a good feeling you have afterwards because you know that you just went out and gave information to the public, who probably would not have received it before then. I love working with TAP."
"Since becoming a TAP teen my life has been and continues to be full and productive," says TAP member Jacquelyn Richards, 17. "We really do amazing work." Listen to more of what Jacquelyn has to say.
I want to do stuff like this. How can I get involved?
For more information about TAP, call 516-750-2650 or e-mail them.
Not from Nassau County? You can still get involved in your community. Call 1-800-230-PLAN for a Planned Parenthood health center nearest you, or find us online. |
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