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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...

News

New CARES ACT Extends Title V Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Through 2021

March 26, 2020

(Washington, D.C.) The CARES Act, soon to be sent to the President’s desk for signature, includes an extension of the Title V Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) Education program through fiscal year 2021.Totaling $75 million annually, Title V is a state block grant available to every state to implement the optimal health...

A Message From Our President/CEO

March 25, 2020

Dear Friends, As we all navigate through this historically challenging time, we want you to know that, at Ascend, we are up and running and ready to stay in touch as we always have. Please reach out with questions, concerns, and comments. We wish you and yours peace and good...

The Update: March 12, 2020

March 12, 2020

Conceptual Models For SRA Education: Influencing Factors Impacting Teen Behavior. The models for both Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) and Sexual Risk Cessation provide a road map for understanding protective and risk factors that can help improve effectiveness in helping youth make healthier choices . See the full report here.

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.