ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^® is Advocates for Youth's national, long-term campaign giving voice to a new vision of adolescent sexual health. These core values underpin Advocates' vision of a society where adolescents are valued, public health policy is driven by scientific research, and sexuality is viewed as a normal and healthy part of being human, of being a teen, of being alive.

In such a society, parents will play an essential role in helping young people to make healthy, responsible choices. Communication and partnership within the family will be the norm. Communities will fulfill their responsibilities, providing young people with a secure stake in the future and the information and services youth need to protect their health and save their lives. Adults will respect and support youth's right to act responsibly.

Advocates' vision is informed by lessons learned during annual study tours that explore how Germany, France, and the Netherlands achieved significant reductions in teen pregnancies, births, abortions, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In these countries, governments and society view accurate information and confidential sexual health services, not merely as a need of youth, but as their right. Addressing youth's right to information and services, in turn, depends upon society's accepting adolescents' sexual development as normal and healthy. The Dutch, Germans, and French spend far less time and effort than Americans in trying to prevent young people from having sex and more time and effort in educating and empowering young people to behave responsibly when they eventually decide to have sex. Educators, health care providers, and parents collaborate in providing sexual health information. Parents' most imperative message is not that teens' sexual development is a problem but rather that sexual intimacy should not occur until adolescents are ready and only within a caring, mutually respectful relationship.

Advocates for Youth is committed over the next decade to promoting the values of Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^® [3Rs]. Over the next three years, Advocates will:

• Build support for the 3Rs among at least 14,000 youth-serving professionals, parents, and policy makers in at least six states, 10 national organizations, and four international agencies.
• Instigate progressive shifts in sexual health policy and practice at the federal level and in at least eight states, 10 national organizations, and four developing countries.
• Join the Youth Activist Network of more than 11,000 young people in the United States and more than 500 youth in developing countries, encouraging them to become leaders for improved reproductive and sexual health policies and services in their communities, states, and nations.
• Promote public understanding of and support for the goals and values of the 3Rs by reaching out to at least 25 million Americans annually via the entertainment and news media.

Advocates fully believes that the 3Rs can help society achieve better public health outcomes in adolescent reproductive and sexual health. Yet, there is no single, "silver bullet" solution to reducing rates of teenage pregnancy and STIs. Rather, success in reducing these rates will only come by shifting our programs, policies, and practices to a place where adolescent sexual development is viewed as normal, and healthy.

Advocates developed campaign materials to help you, our partners, spread the 3Rs approach in your schools, practices, agencies, communities, and families.

Won't you join us? In October 2001, we officially launched the Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^® campaign. Together, we can work to promote honest, open communication about sexuality, safeguard young people's access to confidential health services, and encourage young people to advocate for change within their communities.

For additional information on the 3Rs campaign, click on the menu to the left. To become an organizational partner in this important initiative, contact Advocates for Youth.