Statements from Debra Hauser and youth activists Tanisha and Jessika

Washington, DC – After months of constant activity by grassroots activists across the country asking President Obama to hold the line in the face of pressure from social conservatives, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would not expand religious exemptions to no-copay birth control requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

"Today Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius stood with young women and did not bow to political pressure,” said Debra Hauser, Executive Director of Advocates for Youth. “This is a victory for science, common sense, and young people in America. Millions of young women at Catholic and religious affiliated colleges will no longer face barriers to accessing birth control through their student health plans. This decision is also a huge step forward for young people who receive insurance coverage through their parents’ health care plans at religious affiliated hospitals and other businesses.”

by Emily Bridges, Director, Public Information Services

Two reports with ramifications for youth's reproductive and sexual health and rights came out this week.

GLSEN's Playgrounds and Prejudice: Elementary School Climate in the United States found that almost half of students hear "gay" used in a negative way or hear the word "retard" used as an insult - these are the most commonly heard negative remarks in elementary schools.  Over a third have heard sexist or gender-stereotyping remarks. And, while most students feel safe at school, gender-nonconforming students are much likelier to feel unsafe in school.  Students who were bullied were also unhappier in school and less likely to report getting good grades.  

We already know that in high school, anti-gay bias is rampant:  85% of LGBT students report hearing it.  And we know that LGB youth in high school are much more likely to feel unsafe.  It's clear that bullying can begin at a very early age for LGBT youth.  (The late Lawrence King, murdered by a classmate at 14, reported being called homophobic names  and bullied in third grade.)  That's one of many reasons why the new National Sexuality Education Standards are so important.

by Julia Reticker-Flynn, Manager, Youth Activist Network

After fourteen dynamic and visionary years at the helm of Advocates for Youth, James Wagoner will step down as President and Executive Director as of January 1, 2012 while continuing to work half-time, off-site as a senior advisor to the organization. Advocates' Board of Directors has named Debra Hauser, currently Executive Vice President of the organization, to be the next President and Executive Director, also effective January 1, 2012.

"James has been a terrific leader for Advocates, and Deb will strike the right balance between continuity and new directions as we move forward," said Kate Stewart, Chair of Advocates for Youth's Board of Directors. "In addition, her strategic and communications skills make her the right person to advance Advocates' vision of Rights.Respect.Responsibility.® in the current political, policy, and cultural environment."

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by Emily Bridges, Director, Public Information Services

Whether you're enjoying a holiday break or just looking forward to the new year, here are a few quick ways you can support adolescent health and rights now and throughout 2012!

1) Have a conversation about healthy relationships with your teen - including clear and honest communication around sexuality.  Need help getting started?  Check out the Parents' Sex Ed Center for guidance.

2) Sign the petition asking the Milton Hershey school not to discriminate against a student who has HIV. Let them know they shouldn't engage in bigotry against HIV positive young people. 

3) Donate to Advocates - even the smallest amount supports programs and policies which help protect the health and rights of young people!

President Obama’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative Will Receive Funding at Current Levels

Late last night, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced an appropriations bill that would fund the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2012. This bill contains a $5 million earmark that would resurrect funding for discontinued and discredited abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. At a time when Congress is constantly reminding the country of the need to cut unnecessary spending, it is dismaying that politicians would decide to once again waste taxpayers’ money by resurrecting the now-defunct Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) grant program that decades of research has shown to have no effect on teen behavior.

By Nicole Clark

Last week, we were all psyched because the Food and Drug Administration recommended that Plan B One-Step (also known as emergency contraception) be approved over-the-counter for women and young people of all ages...then the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gave the FDA the shaft, with Secretary Kathleen Sebelius ruling that younger adolescents don't have the same capacity to think as critically as their older peers. Everybody had something to say about it, including Jessica Valenti, Jezebel, NARAL, The Washington Post, doctors groups, The New York Times, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, and RH Reality Check.

Then President Obama decided to defend the Secretary Sebelius's decision, stating that, as a father of two daughters, the government should "apply some common sense" — as opposed to what? Listening to science? While I understand President Obama's stance and I can see where Secretary Sebelius is coming from to a certain degree, I also understand a couple of things: