According to the Center for Disease Control, teen pregnancy rates are at a historic low in the United States. Educating teens on safe sexual practices, sexually transmitted infections, and the importance of abstinence are key ways to reducing teen pregnancy. And we have found that when that information comes from other teens, it is all the more effective.

In honor of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, the Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (CAPP) program’s Just Ask Me (JAM) teen peer educators hosted a “Prevention is Power” event at the Next Generation Center. More than 40 young people from the surrounding South Bronx community attended the annual event, where JAM peers quizzed and educated attendees on topics such as contraception and the realities of young parenthood. The evening included food, raffles, and dancing—all in a safe setting for the teens in attendance to have fun.

Each year our teenage educators, with the support of the CAPP staff, leave a positive impression on their peers. And every year, more teens are realizing that their power is in their choices.