Blogs

By: DeOjinae’ Bell, YWP PHASE Youth Staff

FC2 stands for Female Condom 2, a second generation condom.  Back in the 1980s there was an first generation female condom called FC1 invented. The FC1 did not receive much positive feedback; it was too noisy, expensive, made of polyurethane (latex), and only water-based lubricants could be used with it. The material used to create the FC1 was changed in September 2005, but that wasn’t enough.  So in October 2009 the complete product line had been changed and is now manufactured by The Female Health Company. Under a new company the FC2, which is made from Nitrile Polymer (non-latex), was created.  It is inexpensive, and both water and oil-based lubricants can be used with the FC2.

 By:  Samaria Holton, YWP Foster Care Campaign Youth Staff

When youth begin to age out of Independent Living Programs (ILPs), they don’t have anything to fall back on. Most youth are struggling while they are in their placement, or are stressing about what their next step will be once they age out. This is because there isn’t enough money given to youth in ILPs. ILP stipends should be increased by $400 (to $938 for a month) in all ILPs so that young people can be able to save, have a social life, and reduce their illegal activity. 

If you're a student at Wilson or Cardozo High School, you can apply to be a member of the YHAC!

Click on "Youth Health Action Council" on the left panel for more details!

On February 26th, 2011, The Young Women's Project participated in the rally on women's health at Dupont Circle. We had a great turn out and partnered up with ISO (http://www.internationalsocialist.org/) and the Move On (www.moveon.org) organization to get the word out about the attacks on women's reproductive rights. Many great photos were taken at this event and YWP was interviewed on our reaction to the House vote to defunding Planned Parenthood.

We have job opportunities with both PHASE and FCC. Please share these opportunities with any teen women (and men!) you know. We're looking for teens excited about getting their voices heard, and working to improve the lives of their peers. On top of becoming peer educators and youth advocates, teens will receive a $7.50-$9.00 an hour wage working 30 hours per week this summer. Please check out the links to applications for both the Peer Health And Sexuality Education and the Foster Care Campaign. Interviews start soon! Click on "How to Get Involved" under FCC or PHASE for application materials.

 March 16, 2010, marked the Foster Care Campaign's second visit to Washington lawmaker's, this time to the Senate! FCC teen staff member Sarah Ocran testified to the the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia at the request of Senators Daniel Akaka and Mary Landrieu.

On January 22,2010, the teen staff of the Foster Care Campaign took another huge step in shedding light on the issues facing older foster youth and putting them on the map. At the request of Councilmember Tommy Wells, FCC youth organized a hearing on the education, living conditions and aging out of youth in the system.

Word is spreading about the Young Women's Project! We would like to thank our supporters at the blackyouthproject.com blog for writing about the work that the Foster Care Campaign and Peer Health and Sexuality Education teens are doing.

The PHASE teen staff is in the news! Leslie Cameron and Folami Irby-Motley were featured in an October 22, 2009 Washington Post article on their testimony to DC Council.

Read more to hear about the excellent advocacy from these teen women.