The Healthy Youth Act

What is it?

The Healthy Youth Act would require North Carolina's public schools to implement a two-track system for sex education for students in grades 7-9. One track would offer abstinence-only programs, while the other track would offer abstinence-based comprehensive sex education programs. Parents would select which track their child is enrolled in.

Why is it needed?

• Every 26 minutes a North Carolina teenager becomes pregnant.
• North Carolina has the 9th highest teen pregnancy rate in the country.
• Teen pregnancy cost North Carolina $312,000,000 in 2004.
• Among the 45 states with HIV reporting, North Carolina has the 5th highest number of people living with HIV.
• People under 30 accounted for 89 percent of Chlamydia cases and 77 percent of Gonorrhea cases in North Carolina.

Failing to prevent teen pregnancy, HIV, and STIs is costly (for society and for individuals), is associated with higher drop-out rates, perpetuates a growing poverty rate (especially among children), and can lead to infertility and even death.

Why should schools offer abstinence-based comprehensive sex education?

• Education is the best tool we have to help youth make good decisions and to actually impact rates of teen pregnancy and HIV/STDs.
• Abstinence-based comprehensive sex education is supported by sound, exhaustive research on what works to change or reinforce behavior.
• Abstinence-only programs have no evidence of being effective and in some cases can be harmful.
• Obtaining information to make good decisions is your right and should be upheld.

Give Parents More Choice

Studies show that most parents, even conservative ones, want their children to learn about condoms and contraception in schools. But beyond that, 96 percent of parents think they should be able to choose what their children learn in sex education classes.

New Hanover County has used the two-track system for ten years. Administrators have found that while there is still a demand for abstinence-only programs, parents choose comprehensive sex education programs three times as frequently. The two-track system gives parents options so that health education can align with family-values; and gives health educators flexibility to use the best public health approaches for prevention.

Research shows that students want information on both abstinence and contraception. Students and parents throughout North Carolina deserve the same opportunities as New Hanover County's students to get complete health information. The Healthy Youth Act would allow parents to make this important decision about their child's health.