Voices

Blog

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

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, rising from 1.6 the year before. These...

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...

News

The Weekly Update: November 7, 2019

November 7, 2019

See sex ed laws by state with a click This new resource from Ascend gives you a snapshot of sex ed policy across the country. Simply click on a state to see its laws, standards, and proposed legislation. Is your state supporting the optimal health of their youth? Many state...

The Weekly Update: October 31, 2019

October 31, 2019

Flawed study promoted by SIECUS on SRA programs harmful to youth Based on a recent study, SIECUS concluded that states accepting federal abstinence funds saw higher teen birthrates and therefore, such funding should end. The flaws of this study are numerous and significant; most notably, by the study authors’ own admission,...

The Weekly Update: October 24, 2019

October 24, 2019

SAVE THE DATE! Youth Leadership Summit/Day on the Hill June 24-26, 2020. We invite you to join us for Ascend's annual Youth Leadership Summit/Day on the Hill, a three-day event empowering youth to make their voices heard to members of Congress. Participants will have the exciting opportunity to dialogue face-to-face with...

Testimonials

This training will give me more confidence and greater credibility when I present the SRA message!

I wish everyone in our organization could attend these trainings. I thought I knew a lot about SRA education before the training, but I didn't. I feel so much more prepared as a result of the SRAS training.

[SRAS training] has broadened our audience and ability to share what we do.

Because of the training I received on research and grants I was able to speak intelligently about what needed to take place in our classrooms to meet grant requirements for the classes and our volunteers!

It makes our job easier knowing that we are backed and led by a reputable group promoting the truth and facts of abstinence education. [Ascend] is for students, for sexual educators; because it is the facts-not opinion. We get to rest in the truth that the research speaks for itself.

It was uplifting knowing we have such a rich and powerful force (Ascend) supporting and equipping us and working so hard in DC for the good and the health of our nation’s youth.

The information that was received [from the SRAS training] fell on good ground and I am so ecstatic to share with our youth, parents and community members…. Sexual Risk Avoidance is not a well kept secret anymore and I have plans to move our community to embrace their optimal health. I’m grateful to have such strong leaders to look to.