ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

CDC Survey Findings Show Teaching Teens about Contraception Effective in Disease Prevention

Advocates for Youth Calls on Congress to Stop Censoring Critical Health Information from Teens

WASHINGTON, DC (June 9, 2000) Citing a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that finds that fewer teens are having sex and those who are sexually active are more likely to use condoms, Advocates for Youth President, James Wagoner, highlights the effectiveness of comprehensive sexuality education in preventing pregnancy and disease.

"The CDC report reinforces what various studies and extensive research have already shown, that comprehensive sexuality education—which provides information about both abstinence and contraception—is the most effective sex education for young people because it causes them to delay sexual activity and to use protection correctly and consistently when they do become sexually active," said Wagoner of the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance report released yesterday.

That is why Wagoner finds the current Congressional trend of funding abstinence-only-until-marriage education—education that censors information about contraception for the prevention of pregnancy and disease - particularly disturbing. "Despite the fact that research shows that comprehensive sexuality education works, despite CDC findings that show that more sexually active teens are using condoms, Congress is still denying young people critical information about contraception that could protect their health and save their lives," said Wagoner.

"While the increase in contraceptive use among sexually active young people is encouraging, we cannot forget that there are 4 million new cases of STDs among young people each year," said Wagoner. "The research is clear. Young people need information about abstinence and contraception. It's not either/or—they need both," concluded Wagoner.

Wagoner calls on politicians to stop allowing their political agendas to censor sexuality information from teens. "Ignorance is nobody's ally in the era of AIDS. Denying young people critical information about contraception is not only naïve and short-sighted, but irresponsible and dangerous," said Wagoner.

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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.

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