Adolescent Health: Planting Seeds for a - Society for Public Health ...

Sexual Health:
Making the Case for
Comprehensive
Sex Education
Adolescent Health: Planting Seeds for a Healthier Generation
National Health Education Week | October 15-19, 2012
Comprehensive Sex Education
Vulnerable Populations
Nearly 41% of Black, 34% of Hispanic, and 32% of White high
school students reported being currently sexually active in
2011. 5
African Americans/Blacks and Latinos/Hispanics represent
87% of all new HIV cases among 13-19 year-olds;
comparatively, Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) and
American Indians and Alaska Natives represent about 1% of
new HIV cases among young people ages 13-24. 8
Adolescent females ages 16-19 are four times more likely
than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted
rape, or sexual assault. 10
Minority teens have substantially higher birth rates when
compared to white teens. White teens ages 15-19 had a
birth rate of 25.6 per 1,000 while the rates were 55.5 for
American Indian/Alaska Natives, 59.0 for African Americans,
and 70.1 for Hispanic teens. 11
Timing of first birth can have a great impact on a mother’s
income. Teen moms earn significantly less over the first 15
years of motherhood compared to other women and are
more likely to receive government assistance. 12
To encourage healthy sexual behaviors,
comprehensive sex education is essential. There
are numerous studies demonstrating that
comprehensive approaches to sexuality education
that educate young people in the areas of
abstinence, contraception and STI/HIV prevention
are more effective at delaying the onset of sexual
intercourse and increasing contraception use. 13
School-based sexual health education is prevalent,
with 93% receiving education about sexually transmitted
infections (STIs), 89% about HIV and 84% on
abstinence. Unfortunately, some education is still
missing, as about one-third of teens had not
received information about contraception. 14 View
SOPHE’s resolution for the promotion of
comprehensive sexuality education at http://
www.sophe.org/Resolutions.cfm.
Strategy in Action!
Get Yourself Tested (GYT)
The GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign is a youthful, empowering social movement to reduce the spread of STIs
among young people through information; open communication with partners, health care providers, and parents;
and testing and treatment as needed. For a generation accustomed to communicating in shorthand, the GYT acronym
presents STD testing in a context that is familiar and relatable to young people. Through GYT’s presence on
MTV Networks, the involvement of music and celebrity talent, and special promotions, GYT encourages testing as
an act of pride, not shame — and promotes an open dialogue about STDs by encouraging young people to spread
the word about the campaign. To learn more about GYT, visit http://www.itsyoursexlife.com/gyt/.
Society for Public Health Education • National Health Education Week 2012 | 46