Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin: Healthy Youth Act Educational Campaign Continues With Latest Round of Mail

Thousands of mail pieces will educate constituents about their legislators’ positions on critical bill

Madison WI – Even while sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among teens are increasing throughout Wisconsin, some state lawmakers wanted to keep teens in the dark by opposing the Healthy Youth Act (AB 458). Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) has sent educational mailers about state Senators’ votes on the Healthy Youth Act to over 90,370 constituents this week. The mail piece, which begins to hit homes today, details how state Senators recently voted on the Healthy Youth Act. Governor Doyle signed the bill into law last month.

“We know that 87 percent of voters in Wisconsin, including people from all political persuasions, support teaching youth life-saving information about pregnancy and disease prevention,” said Chris Taylor, public policy director for PPAWI. “Constituents have a right to know whether their Senators are serious about addressing the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy rates we see in our communities, or whether they want to stick their heads in the sand and do nothing.”

The Healthy Youth Act requires that school boards that decide to teach sex ed do so in a medically accurate, age appropriate way that addresses key elements proven to work at reducing sexually transmitted diseases and unintended teen pregnancies. This includes, when a school district determines it is age-appropriate, providing information about abstinence and contraceptives. It also ensure that school districts not teaching sex ed send a notice home to parents and encourages the state to apply for federal funds that are allocated for evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs.

The importance of bringing accurate, age appropriate sex education in Wisconsin schools is highlighted by the fact that forty-five percent of Wisconsin high schoolers self report being sexually active. Yet of those teens having sex, only 61 percent report using a condom during their last sexual encounter. Consequently, STD rates are exploding among teens. According to DHS, the combined rate of four sexual transmitted diseases (Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and genital herpes) among teens aged 15-19 increased 53 percent between 1997 and 2007. Almost 20 percent of all new HIV cases in Wisconsin occur in young people ages 15-24. Each year, Wisconsin spends approximately $273 million on costs associated with unintended teen childbearing and STDs.

“To most Wisconsinites, this bill is about common sense, a much-needed first step in ensuring more students in our state have access to life saving health information. We are grateful that state Senate Democrats voted to turn the light on in Wisconsin classrooms.”

Posted @ 7:30 a.m.