Let's Hear It for the Guys: California's Male Involvement Program

California’s Male Involvement Program (MIP) is a statewide effort to involve young and adult males in teen pregnancy prevention. MIP has been successful in attracting an ethnically and culturally diverse group of young men in multiple community settings. Many of these youth are exposed to risk factors often associated with unintended teen pregnancy, including poverty and academic failure. The program also aims to support young males in a variety of ways that go beyond traditional family planning education or services, helping participants to successfully navigate a healthy passage into adulthood. Programs assist young men through mentoring, affirming cultural roots that emphasize responsibility, and providing alternatives to early fatherhood. Evaluation results document that although MIP significantly improves the knowledge of a vast number of participants concerning pregnancy risk, contraception, and sexual responsibility, it has encountered difficulty in translating knowledge into changed behavior. Nevertheless, the MIP staff understand that issues affecting male involvement in teen pregnancy prevention are complex and deeply rooted in cultural and societal norms—complexities that require tailoring of programs to their needs. Thus, MIP offers insights for planning and implementing an expanded set of responsive strategies at the local, state, and national levels.