Hopi Community Health advocates health awareness

<i>Tyler Tawahongva/NHO</i><br>
Alverna Ponenoma, head of the Teenage Pregnancy Program and Emma Lara Gutierrez, Assistant CHR recently set up an informational booth outside the Kykotsmovi Community Store to provide information to the public about a young woman’s traditional role in Hopi society and how that could be utilized to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

<i>Tyler Tawahongva/NHO</i><br> Alverna Ponenoma, head of the Teenage Pregnancy Program and Emma Lara Gutierrez, Assistant CHR recently set up an informational booth outside the Kykotsmovi Community Store to provide information to the public about a young woman’s traditional role in Hopi society and how that could be utilized to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

KYKOTSMOVI, Ariz. - Hopi Community Health representatives were recently set up outside the Kykotsmovi Store to bring attention to some of their current projects, including one to bring awareness and education to address the problem of teenage pregnancy.

Many times teens do not us birth control and end up getting pregnant. The representatives had statistics to show the number of teenage pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) per age group. The numbers were alarmingly higher than one would think, especially the STD statistics.

The project is being funded by the Indian Tribal Coalition of Arizona (ITCA). The representatives brought the reality that people need to be safe and want to inform people that birth control items are available for people free of charge.

The rise in STDs also prompted the need to start another project. The Sista Project headed by Beatrice Norton and Ruth Ami is a peer-enhanced training to bring awareness of the dangers of different STDs such as HIV and AIDS, among other dangerous diseases. The classes will be led by a survivor of different diseases and information will be given.

Following the eight weeks of classes, a similar "Brother's Project" will be held to communicate the same information to men's groups.

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