ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

Advocates for Youth Praises Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior

Statement by James Wagoner, President of Advocates for Youth

WASHINGTON, DC—Today marked the release of the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior. 

The Surgeon General has added his prestigious voice to those of the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and others, all of whom recognize that sexuality education is not an either/or proposition. Young people need information about both abstinence and accurate information about contraception and disease prevention methods.

The Surgeon General's report highlights the critical link between the role of parents and the role of schools in providing young people with sexuality education that includes values and medically accurate information.

This report sends a clear message to politicians: follow the research, support what works, and do not invest millions of United States taxpayer dollars in unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

The Surgeon General deserves a great deal of praise. This report is emblematic of the best role a Surgeon General can play—rising above politics and ideology to launch a national call to action on an important subject based on science and research.

This is the most significant report by a Surgeon General in the area of sexual health in 15 years because of its clear call to the nation to replace politics and controversy with science and common sense.

Every hour of every day, two American young people contract HIV, 96 become pregnant, and nearly 350 more contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD). We need to act now. The Surgeon General's report has shown us the way.

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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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