Planned Parenthood Applauds City’s Sex Ed Recommendations

“New York City has shown leadership and taken an important first step toward ensuring that teens receive important sexual health information,” said Joan Malin, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of New York City.  “Whereas the state senate failed our city’s teens by refusing to pass the Healthy Teens Act (a bill that would have helped bring much-needed comprehensive sex ed to our schools) the city has shown in no uncertain terms that teens’ health matters.”

With one of the highest teen pregnancy and STD rates in the nation, New York City desperately needs to teach teens critical health and safety skills. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) shows that the percent of sexually active high school students has not changed significantly since 1997 and stands at approximately 48%. In the 2005 YRBS, barely two-thirds of NYC high school students who had sexual intercourse in the past three months reported using a condom during last sexual intercourse and a scant 8% reported having used birth control pills.  When compared to the national averages, NYC is above average for condom use but markedly below average for birth control pill use.
Over 85% of New Yorkers - across party lines, religions and demographics - believe that kids should be taught comprehensive sex ed in the schools. And with good reason:  Study after study show that comprehensive sex education programs that include information about abstinence and birth control are effective at helping young people make healthier decisions about sex.

In addition to the City’s recommendation, it is imperative that schools have the support of administrations and principals as well as the funding they need to purchase the curriculum and train teachers.

 “At this moment, New York’s sex ed is haphazard at best.  Programs are left to the resources of individual schools and the comfort and training levels of individual principals and teachers,” points out Joan Malin, “It’s time that we treat sex ed as seriously as we treat math or social studies.  Sex ed will only be effective with widespread participation and our hope is that every kid will be taught sex ed in every grade every year.  We look forward to partnering with the city to achieve this important goal.”