Blog - We Ascend

Legislation Against Optimal Health for Youth

February 5, 2019

There is a strategic push underway to normalize teen sex and advance “sexual rights” of youth even if that notion opposes family and community values. Demonstrating this strategy, several concerning bills have been introduced or are currently under debate in legislatures across the country. These bills are pushing for radical...

Do We Really Care about the STD Epidemic Among Youth?

November 15, 2018

Image credit: Urine Drug Test HQ For the fourth year in a row infection rates for gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia have all risen. According to the CDC, gonorrhea rates have increased by 67 percent, and syphilis by 76 percent! Chlamydia remains the most common STD, with infections at more than 1.7 million cases,...

Teen Sex is Always About More Than Sex

April 26, 2018

From our Executive Director, Mary Anne Mosack: Like a breath of fresh air introduced into a long enclosed space, a new funding opportunity has been released from the Office of Adolescent Health(OAH) bringing into view a more balanced approach to sex education. The new Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) funding...

Parent Partnerships

December 14, 2017

Let's talk about engaging parents in your SRA program. Getting parents' attention is hard! We all know that there are a million things vying for our attention and time. It can be a major challenge to engage parents in discussions regarding their child and sex. If you feel challenged in...

Poverty Prevention and Success Sequence for Millennials

November 14, 2017

Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) programs focus on preventing the well-documented factors that lead to poverty and offer practical and effective solutions for addressing this persistent societal concern. The SRA approach focuses on prevention, with solution-oriented approaches that address causes rather than effects.1 It Works Regardless of Race and Socioeconomic...

What is DOTH?

November 11, 2017

What is DOTH? An annual event hosted by Ascend for youth to help raise awareness and educate Congress on SRA education. Youth from across the nation will be coming to Capitol Hill to meet with their Members of Congress to share what Sexual Risk Avoidance education means to them and...

Your Voice Matters

November 4, 2017

Whether you are a parent, educator, teen, or grandparent, if you care for youth and want to support an optimal health message, your voice matters! Join us for our annual event to help raise awareness and educate Congress on Sexual Risk Avoidance education. Youth from across the nation will be...

Why Did HHS Eliminate TPP funding?

October 24, 2017

The Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program was funded under the Obama administration at about $108 million per year. You may have read that the program has been cut because there has been quite a bit of press around it and outrage at some level. But, the decision to cut the...

Parents as Advocates for SRA Education in Schools

October 14, 2017

As a parent, you are the most influential voice on relationships and sex for your child(ren). It’s true! Research consistently shows teens look to their parents for guidance on sex and relationships. Want to see the numbers? Click here for the latest survey conducted by The National Campaign. Unfortunately, research...