Become a Youth Activist

Latest addition : September 8, 2009

There are several things you might want to do something about when it comes to sexual health and sex ed

You might want to get comprehensive sex education in your school, you might want to do something about teen pregnancy which is increasing again in Georgia, or you might want to become a peer-educator.

Join the PTSA and other groups or clubs at your school. Find out if they are sharing your concerns - if not, bring it to the table!

You can attend school board meetings and ask questions. Go to your school district/county website and find out when they meet. If you want help, contact us.

Every school district/county has an advisory committee for HIV and sex education where parents, members of the community and students from 11th and 12th grade have input on sex education curriculum, material etc (it is sometimes called the Health and PE committee). If your school district does not have any students on that committee, get on it!!!

Join one of the Reproductive Health Organizations that give Young People a way to Impact their Own Futures - several of them are active here in Georgia!

Organizations for Youth Activists

September 8, 2009, by Susa Nahmias

Planned Parenthood. In Georgia, Planned Parenthood has a Teen Action Group for peer education, teen pregnancy prevention and community service program for teens ages 15-18. Advocates for Youth recently launched their new interactive, youth-driven activist website called Amplify Your Voice.. Georgia is one of the five states Advocates for Youth is focusing on. Together with The Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP) and its State Youth Leadership Council, they have (...)

Latest news

December 6, 2009
CDC Task Force finds insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs

In November , 2009 an independent CDC Task Force concluded that there is sufficient evidence that comprehensive risk reduction interventions are effective in reducing risky sexual behavior and limiting the spread of sexually transmitted infections, while there is insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs. (Washington Post 11/7/09; Medical News Today 11/10/09)

December 6, 2009
Sex infections still growing in U.S., says CDC

American squeamishness about talking about sex has helped keep common sexually transmitted infections far too common, especially among vulnerable teens, U.S. researchers reported Monday. Latest statistics on chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis show the three highly treatable infections continue to spread in the United States. "We have among the highest rates of STDs of any developed country in the world," said John Douglas, director of the division of sexually transmitted diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Reuter 11/19/09)

December 6, 2009
The Future of Abstinence

Newsweek looks at abstinence education and its future (10/27/09). “It’s been a mainstay of sex ed for more than a decade. Now, as the Obama administration cuts off federal funding, the movement scrambles for money, determined to continue its mission.”

October 26, 2009
U.S. - National & Local Organizations Request an End to Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding

In a letter presented today to the Chairs of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, more than 160 local, state, and national organizations requested the elimination of federal funding for all abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, and funding of the most comprehensive prevention initiative possible. The signers included Georgia Parents for Responsible Health Education.

September 26, 2009
Georgia - Teens speak out!

In Savannah, Georgia, dozens of young people got out to raise awareness about the Responsible Education About Life Act (REAL Act), a federal bill promoting sex education in schools on Friday.