Healthy Teens Act

Why Is This Important?

• Passage of the Healthy Teens Act will ensure that Connecticut's youth have access to medically accurate, age-appropriate sex
  education providing them with the necessary skills to make safe and responsible choices surrounding their sexual health.

Are Comprehensive Sex Education Programs Effective?

• Research shows that teenagers who receive sex education that includes discussion of contraception are more likely than those who receive abstinence-only messages to delay sexual activity and to use contraceptives when they do become sexually active.
• In addition, the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence suggests that addressing abstinence and contraception does not increase sexual activity.
• Read the most recent review about comprehensive sex education and the strong evidence that these programs had positive effects on sexual behavior.

Who Supports Comprehensive Sex Education?

• The vast majority of parents in the United States support responsible sex education.
• A February 2007 poll done by Peter D Hart Research Associates, Inc. showed that 75% of all voters strongly favor Congress requiring public schools to teach comprehensive sex education, which includes information about contraception, abstinence, and how to avoid STIs, such as HIV and AIDS.
• A majority of voters in nearly every demographic category strongly support comprehensive sex education and want public
  schools to teach it, including:
  • 78% of Catholics
  • 76% of Independent voter
  • 72% of voters from red states
  • 66% of Republicans

Resources on The Healthy Teens Act

Websites Healthy Teens Connecticut Planned Parenthood of Connecticut Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice of Connecticut NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut

Events Healthy Teens Press Conference 20 February 2008

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