Getting Busy to Support Young Latinas and Young Families

By Moira Bowman (ACRJ Movement Building Director)

I know that the way our society talks about young families, pregnant teens, and the sexuality of young women of color is messed up. I also know that part of the reason for this is that there are few places where young folks get to speak for themselves. In the last two weeks, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice are breaking the silence. CLRJ and Latina Institute are telling the real story about young Latina’s sexual health and young families in “Young Women Speak Out!” and “Removing the Stigma” – two groundbreaking opportunities to understand the experiences and needs of young Latinas. They point out that “public policy should be committed to improving the full range of sexual and reproductive health outcomes for teens” and then they tell us how to do it. Let’s get busy!