The New York State Senate only has 4 days left to pass the Healthy Teens Act before the close of the 2006 legislative session.

The Senate urgently needs to move the Healthy Teens Act to the floor for a vote before the end of the legislative session on June 22.   Every year that goes by without passing this bill leaves another graduating class without the tools they need to make safe and healthy decisions throughout their lives.

Make your voice heard.  Tell your Senator that you support age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education for New York's young people to help address the state's high unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection rates.

Here are three things you can do to help pass the Healthy Teens Act this year:

1. Click "Send This Message" to send an e-mail to your Senator expressing your support for real sex education.
2. Call your Senator too.  Every phone call makes a big difference.  You can get your Senator's contact information by visiting the NYS Senate web site.
3. Tell your friends and family about the Healthy Teens Act and get them to take action too.

Don't miss these last few days to make a big impact.  The more the Senate hears from people like you, the more they will know how important the Healthy Teens Act is to our communities.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to urge you to bring the Healthy Teens Act (S. 5121) to the Senate floor for a vote.

As you know, rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in New York are among the highest in the nation. The data are clear: New York is facing a dire public health challenge and the need for solutions are urgent. An increased focus on effective prevention programs is one step in the right direction. Research shows sex education programs that teach about both abstinence and contraception are effective in helping young people make healthy decisions about sex.

I understand that more than $13 million is spent in New York State on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that are prohibited from discussing contraceptives except to emphasize their failure rates. Despite years of evaluation, there is currently no evidence that these programs have any long-term effects. Further, a 2004 Congressional report found that many of the federally-funded abstinence-only programs in use in 2003, contained false or misleading information about reproductive health.

I am outraged that while New York State spends scarce resources on unproven abstinence-only programs, there is no dedicated funding stream for effective comprehensive programs. The Healthy Teens Act would establish a competitive grant program through the NYS Department of Health for the specific purpose of awarding grants to school districts, boards of cooperative educational services, school-based health centers, and community-based organizations to implement medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education programs. An investment in the Healthy Teens Act will save lives and money.

We can't leave our kids in the dark any longer. New Yorkers support age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education for our youth we hope you will too. I urge you to pass the Healthy Teens Act (S. 5121).

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
June 16, 2006