ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

New National Campaign to Redirect U.S. Approach to Adolescent Sexual Health

Advocates for Youth Launches Rights. Respect. Responsibility. (3Rs) Campaign

National conference of youth educators and advocates convenes December 2 to 4 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, DC (November 29, 2001) Advocates for Youth, the only non-profit organization working exclusively on adolescent sexual and reproductive health at home and abroad, will announce the launch of its nationwide Rights. Respect. Responsibility. (3Rs) campaign at its 20th Anniversary Conference, Rights. Respect. Responsibility: A New Paradigm for Healthy Adolescent Sexuality. The three day conference will culminate in an advocacy day to focus attention on a more comprehensive approach to sexuality education.

"Rights. Respect. Responsibility. is a campaign to help America get over its discomfort talking about sex," said James Wagoner, President, Advocates for Youth. "It's a call to get real about teens and sex so that we can more effectively prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease."

The 3Rs campaign is grounded in lessons learned by examining the policies and practices of countries that have been more successful in helping young people protect themselves from teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease:

• The Netherlands—where the teen pregnancy rate is 9 times lower than in the U.S.
• France—where the teen gonorrhea rate is 74 times lower than in the U.S.
• Germany—where the teen abortion rate is 8 times lower than in the U.S.

"These countries are more successful when it comes to sexuality because they are open, they educate their young people, and they base their public policies on research rather than politics," concluded Wagoner.

Over the next three years, the 3Rs campaign will focus on the following four goals:

• Changing National Policy on Sexuality Education—Advocates for Youth is committed to shifting our national policy from abstinence-only-until-marriage to a more responsible, comprehensive perspective on sexuality education that includes messages about both abstinence and contraception. Advocates is supporting the Family Life Education Act, federal legislation that provides funding for states to implement comprehensive sexuality education programs.
• Promoting What Works and Helping Parents Find Their Voice—Advocates for Youth will call on Congress and the Administration to implement the recommendations of "The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior," including a nationwide initiative to help parents communicate effectively with their children about sexuality.
• Youth Leadership—Advocates for Youth will train young people to take leadership roles in improving adolescent sexual health programs and policies.
• The Media and Healthy Sexuality—Advocates for Youth will work with the entertainment industry to reach 25 million Americans annually with information and images that support healthy and responsible sexual behavior.

In addition, from December 2 to December 4, youth serving professionals, health and sexuality educators, health care providers, youth activists and policy makers from around the country will gather in Washington, D.C. to discuss sexual health services and programs for young people. Advocates for Youth's 20th anniversary conference will focus on promoting the Rights. Respect. Responsibility vision of sexuality education.

The conference features the following:

• Forty workshops led by health care and youth serving professionals;
• Advocacy training, policy updates and other plenary sessions to keep participants current on sexuality education and policy around the country;
• An awards ceremony recognizing positive sexual health programming that promotes the Rights. Respect. Responsibility. model;
• An Advocacy Day involving over 100 activists meeting with congressional offices in support of comprehensive sexuality education.

Conference participants take the lessons learned back to their own communities to inform local programs to help improve adolescent sexual health.

Advocates for Youth has developed clever, edgy, eye-catching materials to help get out the message that it's good to talk about sexual health. To view these campaign materials, log onto www.RightsRespectResponsibility.org. Then go to the 3Rs campaign site and click on "3Rs Posters" and "Campaign Kit" listed under Campaign Materials. This action web site allows supporters to engage in campaign activities; download posters, fact sheets, and other educational materials; complete surveys; contact their local, state, and federal policy makers; as well as view information about the upcoming conference.

###

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 >>