Cortland County Health Department 60 Central Avenue Cortland NY 13045 607-753-5370 YWCA 14 Clayton Avenue Cortland NY 13045 607-753-9651 Cortland Youth Bureau 35 Port Watson Street Cortland NY 13045 607-753-3021
WHAT IS ZAP? The mission of the Cortland County Zero Adolescent Pregnancy (ZAP) Program is to reduce teen pregnancy by addressing risk and protective factors through prevention strategies designed to cultivate healthy behaviors and positive choices We are a coalition of community energies known as ZAP (Zero Adolescent Pregnancy). ZAP was initiated in 1990 by the Cortland County Health Department and Catholic Charities; the program is now sponsored by the Health Department, the Cortland YWCA, and the Cortland Youth Bureau. Our goal is to substantially reduce the number of teen pregnancies in Cortland County through education and prevention.  One of our original objectives was to see the number of teen pregnancies reduced to under 100 by the year 2000.  We were very close to attaining our original goal, with 104 pregnancies in the year 2000. This is a 32% reduction in teen pregnancy since 1990. In 1990, three teens got pregnant EACH WEEK in this small rural County of Cortland (population 48,000). Our repeat pregnancy percentages for those under age 18 years were even higher than those in New York City for two years in a row. There were enough children born to Cortland teens in 1990 to fill 3 CLASSROOMS in 1995. Reduce the occurrence of unintended pregnancy by one-third by the Year 2000 among never married teens. (We are revising this goal to reflect the needs of the 21st century). Postpone initial sexual intercourse among teens and preteens. Promote the consistent use of contraception among those who become sexually active. Encourage young people to make responsible, healthy decisions in regards to their sexuality. You are the to check out the ZAP website!		The heart of our program is our ZAP-PEERS: "Zero Adolescent Pregnancy - Peers Encouraging Education and Responsible Sexuality." HIV Media Campaign See our several components of our media campaign. ZAP has won numerous awards, as well as helped lower the teen pregnancy rate substantially since its inception. Perhaps you would be interested in trying these strategies in your community! ZAP News See what's new at ZAP. There is a wealth of information available on the Web about teen pregnancy prevention.

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