Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 27, 2016

Contact: Kyle Dillman

Telephone: (717) 877-2855
Email: kdillman@liberty.edu
Web site: www.amothersright.weebly.com

Comprehensive Pregnancy Program Seminar

(readability-score.com, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 9)
(HARRISBURG, PA) The Pennsylvania Department of Health partnered with Planned
Parenthood will host a seminar at the Harrisburg Medical Center on November 30, 2016 at
7:00pm. The seminar will be focused on pregnant women of low socioeconomic status. In
2013, 23,595 fetal deaths occurred at 20 weeks of gestation or more in the United States, a high
number for a developed country.1 The seminar will cover the educational opportunities that are
available to pregnant women of a low socioeconomic status. They will help women to have
healthier pregnancies and deliver healthy infants.
The information at this seminar will provide materials for those of the Harrisburg area.
They can use the information themselves or pass it along to family and friends who may benefit
from it. It will explain programs that are available, how they can be attended, and what they
will teach.
At the end of 2015 33.9% of Harrisburgs population was considered to be in poverty.2
Also recorded was that 19.6% under the age of 65 were without health insurance.2 Pregnant
women who are a part of these categories have a higher chance of difficulties throughout their
pregnancy. They have a lack of health care and or knowledge about how to treat themselves
throughout pregnancy. This seminar will help to provide life-changing information for women
of a low socioeconomic status, and help them to find and attend comprehensive programs.
Such programs will help lessen the number of fetal deaths that occur.
- more
Reference 1
Reference 2

Innovative initiatives are required to remove barriers to behavior change so that

women can adopt healthy lifestyles throughout their childbearing years, knowledge alone or
a doctors recommendation are not enough to change those behaviors.3
Local residents, especially women of a low socioeconomic class, will have the potential
to be greatly effected by this seminar. In order to lower the fetal death rates behavioral changes
need to be made. Innovative programs will help these women to make smarter decisions
regarding their pregnancy. They will also give support, and allow them to meet other women
going through the same thing.
Both adequate medical care and comprehensive programs are factors of lessening fetal
deaths. The specific focus here is just on educational programs, but they will jump-start the
process of behavior change and direct women towards the organizations that can help them
receive appropriate health care.
For more information on this seminar or comprehensive programs for pregnant women,
contact Kyle Dillman at (717) 877-2855.
Seminars are funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Planned Parenthood as part
of the health communication intervention on pregnant women of a low socioeconomic status.
The focus of the intervention is on lessening fetal death rates, and giving a better quality of life
to mothers of a low socioeconomic status and their infants. For more information about
comprehensive educational programs, please visit www.amothersright.weebly.com,
www.health.pa.gov, www.plannedparenthood.org or call (717) 877-2855
###

Reference 3

References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Vital Statistics Report. CDC Web site.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_08.pdf. Published July 23, 2015. Accessed
November 26, 2016.
2. United States Census Bureau. Quick Facts: Harrisburg City, Pennsylvania. Census.gov Web
site. http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/IPE120215/4232800. Accessed November 26,
2016.
3. Harelick L, Viola D, Tahara D. Preconception health of low socioeconomic status women:
assessing knowledge and behaviors. Womens Health Issues. 2011; 21(4): 272-276.