FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE          CONTACT: Adrienne Kimmell, 941.923.5500
May 6, 2009

HEALTHY TEENS CAMPAIGN CALLS FOR COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION ON EIGHTH ANNUAL
NATIONAL DAY TO PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY

Florida has sixth highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation

Sarasota, FL — In recognition of the eighth annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the Healthy Teens Campaign today called for comprehensive, medically accurate sex education programs in Florida to reduce the alarming rate of unintended teen pregnancies in this country.

“Teens deserve honest, accurate, age-appropriate information about how to protect themselves,” said Adrienne Kimmell, executive director of the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates and Healthy Teens Campaign spokesperson. “They need sex education that provides information about healthy communication, responsible decision making, as well as abstinence and contraception as ways to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.”

The U.S. teen birthrate increased for the second year in a row, according to data released in March by the National Center for Health Statistics. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reports the U.S. has the highest rates of teen pregnancy among comparable countries. An estimated 750,000 American teens become pregnant each year.   Florida’s teen pregnancy rate is the 6th highest in the nation. Florida’s teen birth rate also increased in 2006 for the first time in 15 years and is 3 percent higher than the national average. 

In an effort to raise awareness among the public and elected officials, the Healthy Teens Campaign is circulating a video petition urging support for the Healthy Teens Act.  The Healthy Teens Act, introduced by Sen. Deutch (D-30) and Rep. Fitzgerald (D-69) in 2009, requires Florida public schools that already teach information about sexually transmitted infections, family planning, and pregnancy to provide medically-accurate and comprehensive sex education – including facts about abstinence and methods of preventing unintended pregnancy and the spread of diseases. 

Providing teens and young people with the information they need to make responsible decisions is the commonsense solution to reducing unintended teen pregnancy. Numerous studies have analyzed abstinence-only programs and found them to be ineffective.

A recent report by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) and the Healthy Teens Campaign found that abstinence-only programs in Florida provide inaccurate and outdated information, reinforce gender stereotypes, and rely on fear and shame-based tactics to discourage sexual activity. A study by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reports that two-thirds of the examined sex education programs that focus on both abstinence and contraception had a positive effect on teen sexual behavior. And a 2008 Guttmacher Institute report found that most abstinence programs did not delay initiation of sexual activity.

President Barack Obama has consistently supported comprehensive and age-appropriate sex education. As a senator, President Obama was an original co-sponsor of the Prevention First Act, which would ensure that all taxpayer-funded federal programs are medically accurate and include information about contraception.  

The majority of Floridians support comprehensive sex education.  Polling by Hamilton-Beattie & Staff and Public Opinion Strategies shows that an overwhelming 78% of Florida registered voters support a proposal that would require sex education to be taught in Florida public schools.

For more information, please visit The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy or The Healthy Teens Campaign.

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Healthy Teens Campaign is a broad-based group of over 90 public health, faith-based, education, and medical organizations working together to advocate for comprehensive sex education in Florida public schools to improve the health and safety of Florida teens.  www.HealthyTeensFlorida.org