ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

1.05 Billion Young People to Determine World's Future

Access to Information and Contraception Will Define Quality of Life For Generations to Come

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY WITH TEEN SEXUALITY EXPERTS

WASHINGTON, DC (October 8, 1999) Citing the fact that of the 6 billion people in the world, more than 1 billion are aged 15–24, Advocates for Youth President James Wagoner called on U.S. and global policy makers to recognize the importance of young people, "When it comes to the quality of life on this planet, a billion young people are in the driver's seat."

"This is the largest generation of youth in the world's history. The decisions young people make now regarding their sexual and reproductive health—the timing and size of their families—will be the single most important factor on world population over the next century," said Wagoner. At the current rate, global population will reach 12 billion in less than 75 years.

"With the vast majority of adolescents worldwide becoming sexually active before the age of 20 (80% in the U.S.); with 15 million teen births each year (more than a half million in the U.S.); and half of all new HIV infections occurring in young people under the age of 25 (both globally and in the U.S.); we need realistic policies that protect young people's health and lives," concluded Wagoner.

Wagoner called on policy makers, both domestic and international, to follow the recommendations of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) to increase sexuality education at all school levels, to provide confidential access to contraception for all sexually active adolescents and to pursue rigorous public health strategies to reduce HIV/AIDS.

Additionally, Wagoner called on U.S. policy makers to honor America's commitment to international family planning and to support the recent White House $100 million initiative on HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention in Africa.

Advocates for Youth is an international, nonprofit organization that creates programs and supports policies that help young people make safe, responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.

###

A Billion Youth: Facts and Figures

Sexual Activity

Global: Worldwide, the majority of men and women, married and unmarried, become sexually active during adolescence. (The Second Decade: Improving Adolescent Health and Development, Geneva: World Health Organization, 1998).

US: By age 20, 84% of all U.S. males and 72% of all U.S. females have had sexual intercourse. Most young people begin having sex in their mid-to-late teens. (Changes in Sexual Behavior and Condom Use Among Teenaged Males: 1998 to 1995, American Journal of Public Health, 88, June 1998).

Teen Pregnancy

Global: Worldwide, each year approximately 15 million children are born to adolescent women (married and unmarried), accounting for 11% of all births. (Issues in Briefs: Risks and Realities of Early Childbearing Worldwide, New York: AGI, 1997).

US: Each year, almost 1 million American teens - 10% of all women aged 15-19 and 19% of those who have had sexual intercourse - become pregnant. (Teenage pregnancy: Overall Trends and State-by-State Information, New York: AGI, 1999).

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Global: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are increasingly common among young people. Globally, each year 1 of every 20 adolescents gets a STD. (The Second Decade).

US: In the United States, every year 3 million teens - - about 1 in 4 sexually experienced teens - - acquire an STD. (Sex and America's Teenagers, New York: AGI, 1994.)

HIV Infections

Global: Worldwide, half of all new HIV infections - - 7,000 new infections a day - - are among young people aged 15-24. (Into a New World, Washington, DC: AGI, 1998).

Global: Five young people in the world will contract HIV/AIDS every minute of every day. This means 2.63 million young people every year. (AIDS Epidemic Update, UNAIDS, December 1998)

US: One-half of all new HIV infections in the United States occur in young people under the age of 25 and one-quarter of new infections occur among people between the ages of 13 and 21. (Young People at Risk: HIV/AIDS Among America's Youth, Centers for Disease Control, October 1998).

US: Two young people in the United States are infected with HIV every hour of every day. (Youth and HIV/AIDS: An American Agenda, Office of National AIDS Policy, 1996)

###

Note to Editors and Producers: For more information or to set up an interview with adolescent sexuality experts, please contact Bill Barker at (202) 419-3420.

RETURN TO INDEX OF PRESS RELEASES >>