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By Joan Wallach
Most readers have seen the FREAKED that YOU’LL GET PREGNANT? billboards and bus board advertising in Park Hill. The signage stands out. If you attended a summer community meeting at GPHC or the Northeast Park Hill Coalition or participated in SafeNight or other community gatherings, went into a salon, laundromat, bar or tattoo parlor in northeast Denver, or read this paper, you had additional opportunities to learn about the Take Control Birth Control program.
I recently sat down with Tracy Boyle who, since April, has been a steadfast presence representing the campaign in the greater Park Hill community. Tracy Boyle is a senior associate at GBSM, a Denver-based communications and management consulting firm. She develops social marketing programs on environmental and health issues.
Ms. Boyle is a businesswoman, mother, spouse, skier and passionate consultant for social marketing campaigns in Colorado. Her masters degree in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) has provided Boyle with what she terms “a strategic skill set to help create a positive difference.” She is an agent of social change with marketing savvy.
Whether promoting access and education for campaigns from birth control to infant oral health or environmental issues, Boyle puts heart and soul into the work. And it shows.
Pilot Project in Park Hill
Community based social marketing programs help people change behavior. The campaign at the Park Hill Family Health Center is a partnership between The Prevention First Colorado Coalition and Denver Health. The one year pilot program aims to increase access to birth control for low-income women in northeast Denver who want it, but who may not be able to afford it, may be unaware of where to get it, or may need more information about birth control choices.
In addition to the social marketing campaign, the Prevention First Colorado Coalition funded a health educator to work at the Park Hill Family Health Center. The health educator, Talese, can be reached at 303-602-3741. She is available at no cost to discuss safe and reliable birth control options, listen and answer questions. Long-term reversible birth control options are available at no or low cost. Talese is available to talk with women over the phone or to set up appointments in the clinic. The project is drawing people from throughout northeast Denver.
Prevention First is a subcommittee of the NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado Foundation. Emilie Ailts, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado explains, “Prevent First’s goal is to empower all women to take charge of their health and have control over when they want to start a family. Having access to affordable birth control and the information needed to make good personal decisions about reproductive health care choices is essential to reaching that goal.”
Early Successes
The Take Control Birth Control program at the Park Hill Family Health Center has had significant success. The program is being tracked with the hope of continuing at the Park Hill Family Health Center and replication in other communities. Since April 188 women have consulted with Talese and 164 women have received birth control. In July 2009 there was a 571 percent increase in the total number of women who received long-term reversible contraceptives relative to the 2008 monthly average at Park Hill Family Health Center.
Approximately two thirds of all women who have had an appointment with the health educator for birth control counseling were referred by the community outreach and advertising. Approximately one third were referred by doctors or staff within the Park Hill Family Health Center.
For more information see TakeControlBirthControl.com. |
