#ppgoh

What I learned about myself and leadership in this program is that I first need to have respect for myself in order for others to respect me. Throughout this program I've learned so much about myself and how I love to help people, I like to be prepared, and I'm great at presentations. After being a part of this wonderful program for three years it’s given me opportunities to explore and grow. Things that average teens don't really get to experience such as the Youth Leadership Summit  in Washington, D.C. and giving a presentation in front of the Board of Planned Parenthood. Because of experiences like these I hold an upper hand compared to other teens. I’ve learned I'm courageous and a risk taker and that love a good challenge, which leadership ties in with perfectly. I also have social skills, good communication skills, take responsibility for myself, and think logically.

I am positive that I was chosen as one of the team leads not only because of seniority but because of my dedication to the program, hard work for all these years, my ability to connect with my teammates, and the knowledge I have from studying so much. Without this program I wouldn't have known that I am a feminist and that the world is bigger than TV and the four corners of Whitehall. I feel stronger and not a weak little African girl with no voice. I used to feel like that but because of this program I now know one person can make a huge difference.

I’ve learned from the being in PPGOH’s Peer Education Program that I am more understanding and helpful then I thought I was. I used to be very quick to judge people and their actions, but I have realized that when people make decisions that there can actually have reasons behind them. So sometimes you just need to listen before you judge a person. When you judge people's decision they can either make those mistakes again or just shut down and not even ask for help at all. So just keep in mind what your reaction can do to someone.

 This goes with what I learned about leadership too. Sometimes when people are leaders they get too wrapped up in the title and just become a pain. They forget that they are still dealing with people and need to respectful of them too. Being a leader is not just about telling people what to do. If you want to be an effective leader you need to be open to listening to the people you lead. This way everyone is heard and you can then lead with everyone in mind. Something else I have learned is that if the leader’s attitude isn’t good it can affect the whole group. A true leader of a group of people is someone who can the can do attitude and listen to everyone.

I have been in this program for three years and have loved every single person in the PPGOH Peer Education team. Every girl is different and that is what ties the whole group together. We all have different approaches to things but we can listen and respect each other's ideas. This is what makes our team so strong.

                When this year started and the Eastmoor girls became a new addition to the group, I did not know what to expect. Mixed emotions ran through my head but I was excited. I was excited to see different girls from a different school because I had become comfortable with and already knew everyone at my school. There were also girls I had already known from past years in the program so there wasn’t much change for me. The new girls from Eastmoor helped me experience more change. Every girl in the Peer Ed group means a lot to me. I’ve learned many different things from them and they all have helped me become the strong individual I am today. Because of them I have grown and experienced so much more than I ever have. Thanks girls for everything!

Plan B Emergency Contraceptive Available to Girls as young as 15

                Plan B One-Step Emergency Contraceptive is a pill that contains levonorgestrel, a common ingredient in birth control pills.  Plan B is normally taken within 120 hours, 5 days, of unprotected sex or birth control failure.  Before May 1, 2013 Plan B could be bought over the counter by anyone 17 years or older.  If someone was younger than 17 and needed it a prescription was required. On Wednesday May 1, 2013 the FDA approved making  Plan B available to woman as young as 15 with a valid form of identification.  There has been much controversy about how a 15 year old can provide valid identification when many teens that age don’t have state issued IDs.    

                I believe the FDA lowering the age to buy Plan B was a good thing.  It is more easily available to women under 17 so they do not have to wait for a prescription and do not have to go to a clinic, such as Planned Parenthood, for the pill.  This availability can also help lower the teen pregnancy rate since teens now have more protection against unwanted pregnancy.  I completely agree with Tara Culp-Ressler’s statement from Think Progress:

 “Removing the restrictions on Plan B for 15 and 16 year-olds is certainly a step in the right direction in terms of expanding access to birth control. But, even though the age has been lowered, maintaining an unnecessary age restriction on over-the-counter sales is still a policy that ultimately undermines women’s health. Here’s why the FDA’s new policy is still problematic: it still isn’t based on science, It imposes an additional burden on women of every age who will have to provide proof of age, it leaves out undocumented women and potentially younger teens, it doesn’t fully address a recent ruling that the FDA must make Plan B available to all women over the counter.” - (1 May 2013)

The pill should be available to everyone: you shouldn’t be able to put an age restriction on the right to be protected.

Since joining the Peer Education Program, there have been numerous highlights for me. The one that stood out to me the most was being at Camp Wilson with my fellow peer educators and creating a special bond with them. In the beginning, I didn't know how our Eastmoor girls would interact with the Whitehall girls but we ended up being just fine.

At the camp we did many activities from team building, to riding horses, to training for the program, to getting to know everyone better, and even complaining about how TERRIBLE the food was. Although we were only together for a night and two days, the bond between us all grew stronger and stronger. These ladies, in this short period of time, had not only became my fellow peer educators, but they became my sisters and I am so glad to be apart of such a strong empowering program with these ladies.

The most meaningful conversation I’ve had was with a young lady who was scared and worried that she might be pregnant. Her period was late by about a week and she had had unprotected sex many times before. She had said that her boyfriend always pulled out on time. She could not afford a baby, was too young to be a parent, and had too many things in life planned to have time for one. She was not even sure that she wanted to be connected to her boyfriend for that long.

I went with her to get a pregnancy test and even shared her joy when she found out she was not pregnant. I then went with her to get condoms. We talked for hours about the different types of birth control and all of the various STD’s out there.

 I even check up on her about once every week to see how she's doing and if she’s okay. She has had safe sex every time since that scare and it is nice to know I helped someone's life. Even if it's just one person I truly made a difference.

Since joining PPGOH’s Peer Eductaion Program I've learned that leadership is everything. It's good to help people with things that they don't know and need help with.  I've learned that I am good at guiding people through things they are unsure of and that people look up to me. This program has taught me that there's more to me than I sometimes see but that others see this. It's taught me that I shouldn't downplay my achievements within the program.

If a teen girl was interested in becoming a peer educator I'd tell her to go for it. I believe that being in this program can allow any young girl to grow in many ways and enables them to learn more about themselves. If I had advice for someone interested in the program I'd tell them to be open minded but to also stick to what she believes in because everyone in the group is here to learn from each other. I'd tell them to make sure they get done what needs to be done; we're here to make a change within our school and community and to possibly change the world with the actions we make. Confidentiality is also a big deal in the group. I'd want them to understand that they can't go around telling other people’s business because they’re now a part of Planned Parenthood and represent an agency that takes privacy very seriously. They should be confident in the information they know so that the people they talk to feel more comfortable speaking with them about different subjects. Overall I'd tell them to be open to getting to know their fellow peer educators and coordinators so that they can enjoy their time within the program and watch themselves grow with the other teens.