YWCHAC was founded on the premise that, in order to address
mission focused issues, we need to address issues of gender, racial, economic
and social inequalities and its’ impact on HIV, teen pregnancy and young women
of color. These issues are paramount in the lives of young women of color and
it is important to include as a fundamental part of our discussions and in
raising the awareness, young women provided with opportunities to affect change
in their communities. The information and knowledge sharing raise awareness in
communities and agencies to further develop programs, policy statements, and
future funding priorities that include best practices.
According to the Guttmacher Institute report, Nation Pays Steep Price For High Rates Of Unintended Pregnancy (May 19, 2011), it costs NYS an average of $749 million in tax payer spending to support young women who have unintended pregnancies. The state-specific costs from new HIV diagnoses in 2009 for total lifetime treatment costs of HIV in NYS totals $1.7 million (CDC HIV Surveillance Report 2009, Vol. 21).