Download MSN_FP_6026Letter to the Editor: Population Health Policy Ad and more Lecture notes Accounting in PDF only on Docsity! MSN_FP_6026 Letter to the Editor: Population Health Policy Advocacy School of Nursing, Capella University MSN-FP 6026 : Biopsychosocial Concept for Advanced Nursing II Letter to the Editor: Population Health Policy Advocacy Letter to the Editor: Population Health Policy Advocacy The Current Situation with the Unintended Pregnancy Rates Among Adolescents and Young adults Adolescence is a period in human development of great discoveries and great vulnerabilities. Among other health-related behaviors, many teenagers become sexually active. According to CDC report in 2017, 39.55 of high school students were sexually active, yet only 53.8% of all teenagers surveyed reported using condoms during the last sexual intercourse (CDC, 2020). Despite the steady decline in teen pregnancies, teen birthrates in the United States are seven times higher than in other industrialized countries. 30000 babies were born to teen moms in 2013, and 80% of those pregnancies were unintended (Martin, 2015). The Necessity for Health Policy Development to Address the Issue of Teen Pregnancies Previously proposed federal programs on “Abstinence-only-until-marriage” and, later on in 2009 initiative to engage schools in “Sexual Risk Avoidance Education” did not deliver expected positive outcomes and was criticized by many including the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. The need and importance of a new approach for sexual health education that is all-inclusive, scientifically accurate, and culturally sensitive were highlighted in their current position statement (Santeli, 2017). Improving the Quality of Sex Education and Family Planning for Adolescents and Young Adults with New Policy Healthy People 2020 discussed the provision of contraceptive services that shall include person education, family planning, and professional counseling. Healthcare providers including Nurses, midwives, obstetricians, and primary care providers can significantly influence adolescent and young adult sexual healthcare decisions by providing evidence-based guidance (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2017). Primary prevention measures in revamping the educational content along with the accessibility of qualified family planning counseling and methods of contraception are focal points of a new policy proposal. Reduction of risky sexual behaviors among adolescents that would be evident by a decrease of unintended pregnancies and a rate of sexually transmitted diseases among this vulnerable population. Policy Development Advocacy New policy guidelines call for the utilization of technology-based tools and implementation of telemedicine and on-line resources for confidential counseling. It enables us to bridge the time and geographical gap and provide individualized services to all teens and young adults free of charge through health clinics, social services, and other organizations. Additional financial support to develop technological infrastructure and the necessary level of computer literacy among providers, as well as counseling protocols and referral structure all are very important for the successful implementation of the proposed policy. Also, the information that will be discussed with the client shall be truthful, culturally sensitive with regard to the teen’s family traditions, and in the language, that client can comprehend. Interprofessional Collaboration for Successful Policy Implementation Many stakeholders including policymakers, leaders of health organizations, frontline providers of various disciplines have to be considers and persuade to support the implementation of the new policy. The degree of motivation to change, flexibility, and collaboration among multidisciplinary teams of providers as well as buy-in and enthusiasm for organizational leadership play a crucial role in the successful deployment of the proposed policy.
