Articles

Empower teens to say no on their terms, not ours

By Jane Fonda
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
May 6, 2009

Sixty-two times each day, a teen girl somewhere in Georgia learns she is pregnant.

That’s 62 lives changed forever. In far too many cases, these lives become much more difficult thanks to the huge challenges of being a mother too soon.

Since 1995, I’ve focused my time and energy on cutting teen pregnancy rates through the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. Our organization has been a sometimes-lonely voice in a state where abstinence-only-until-marriage education remains the most common message.

While pregnancy rates for teen girls dropped from 1995 to 2005, rates rose again in 2006 and 2007 (the most recent figures available). Georgia’s rate is now 67 per thousand girls ages 15 to 19, the 10th highest in the country. In some parts of the state, rates are much higher — 108.6 in Whitfield County, for example, or 87.1 in Dougherty County.

Beyond that, we have unacceptably high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV/AIDS.

Too often, issues of teen sexuality are described in moral terms, especially by politicians who seem to care more about getting headlines than admitting what does and doesn’t work. But here’s what is really immoral: leaving in place unrealistic ideas and ineffective programs that don’t address the serious problem of teen pregnancy, one whose impact will be felt well into the future.

On the books, Georgia’s sexuality education policy is fairly good. But the vast majority of the state’s schools aren’t doing much to help young people learn about responsible, healthy behavior when it comes to sex. Usually, the mandate is for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, and teachers have not had access to a more comprehensive approach.

It’s misguided to focus exclusively on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, which have been shown repeatedly, and over time, to be ineffective. All of us should do everything we can to persuade our elected officials to reverse this failed policy.

Let me be clear: I’m not against abstinence. Deciding to wait to have sex is a smart choice for young people. But I wasn’t born yesterday, and I know many teens are going to have sex, like it or not. Given this reality, it’s not the “abstinence” that’s the problem. It’s the “only.”

Young people need to have a complete and accurate understanding of their bodies, how they function and how to protect themselves. They need to be empowered to say “no” and mean it, without being made scared of sex.

Rather than abandoning Georgia’s youth to politically motivated policies, we at G-CAPP are taking action right now. Together with coalitions of adults and young people in Dalton, Albany, Savannah, Whitfield, Bartow, Rome and Athens, we are helping put into place the most effective and proven strategies to prevent teen pregnancy and ensure that our youth can envision productive futures.

What we need is your help. Join the cause. Help us do what’s right.

Jane Fonda is founder and chairwoman of Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention.

Copyright 2009 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Source: http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/
stories/2009/05/06/fondaed_0506.html

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