Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 10:00:49 +0500 From: ghmcleaf{CONTRACTOR/ASPEN/ghmcleaf}%NAC-GATEWAY.ASPEN@ace.aspensys.com Subject: SIECUS Press Release, 06/21/95 P R E S S R E L E A S E **************************************************************** Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) June 21, 1995 Commission Urges Lawmakers to "Face Facts" about Adolescent Sexual Health New York, June 21, 1995 -- The National Commission on Adolescent Sexual Health, after 18 months of deliberations, today issued "Facing Facts: Sexual Health for America's Adolescents." The consensus report is designed primarily as a guide for policy makers at the national, state and local levels to develop sound policies on adolescent sexual health, as well as for health practitioners and parents. "Young people and their sexuality have threatened adults for generations," said Dr. Robert Johnson, M.D., Commission Chair. "It is time to abandon the simplistic answers of `just say no,' ` not now,' or `don't ask, don't tell' and recognize the complex dimensions of sexuality. With AIDS emerging as a leading killer of our young people, today's approach to sexuality has deeper implications than ever before." The Commission was convened by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) in early 1994. The group (a list of Commission members is attached) examined issues about which parents, politicians and medical practitioners share deep concerns, including unplanned adolescent pregnancy, out-of-wedlock childbearing, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including AIDS, sexual abuse and the potential negative emotional consequences of premature sexual behaviors. "Too many adolescents are growing up sexually unhealthy, confused and exploited," said Debra W. Haffner, SIECUS President and a member of the Commission. "Our society at large and each of us as adults have an obligation to help young people delay behaviors and develop the values, attitudes, maturity, and skills to become sexually healthy adults." The Commission's Consensus Statement, endorsed by 48 national organizations, notes that achieving sexual health requires the integration of many factors, including psychological, physical, societal, cultural, educational, economic and spiritual. It states, "Society must recognize that a majority of adolescents will become involved in sexual relationships during their teenage years. Adolescents should receive support and education for developing the skills to evaluate their readiness for mature sexual relationships." It further states that sexual health includes "the ability to develop and maintain meaningful interpersonal relationships; appreciate one's own body; interact with both genders in respectful and appropriate ways; and express affection, love and intimacy in ways consistent with one's own values." The Report includes background on the impact of sexuality in specific stages of adolescent development; characteristics of a sexually healthy adolescent; statistics and facts about adolescent sexual behavior of the 1990s; the adult role in promoting adolescent sexual health; and a summary of recommendations for policy makers. The Commission's findings and its Report are based on several assumptions: * sexuality is a natural and healthy part of life; * adolescent sexuality is a highly charged emotional issue for many adults; * adolescents in the U.S. grow up in a variety of contexts and communities; * "sexual behavior," as used in the Report, is not synonymous with heterosexual penile-vaginal intercourse; * available research on healthy adolescent sexuality is extremely limited; and * recognition of the very serious morbidities related to adolescent sexual behavior and their negative impact on adolescents. The Commission was comprised of leading medical and health practitioners, leaders of youth programs, university professors and parents representing public and private organizations throughout the U.S. Its members brought their own extensive experience to the discussions, utilized all available information and research on adolescent sexuality and met with young people to gain insights into the challenges facing adolescents in the mid-1990s. The Commission intends to widely disseminate its Report among policy makers at all levels of government, as well as among organizations which reach parents and professionals who work with young people. The work of the Commission was supported by grants from the Ford Foundation, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the U.S. Public Health Service. # # # NEWS ALERT The National Commission on Adolescent Sexual Health, after 18 months of deliberations will release its consensus report "Facing Facts: Sexual Health for America's Adolescents". The report is designed as a guide for policy makers at the national, state and local levels to develop sound policies on adolescent sexual health, as well as for health practitioners and parents. WHO: Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) and The National Commission on Adolescent Sexual Health WHAT: The release of "Facing Facts: Sexual Health for America's Adolescents" WHEN: Wednesday, June 21 at 10:00 a.m. WHERE: 130 West 42nd Street, Suite 350 (Bush Towers) SPEAKERS: Debra Haffner, President Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) Dr. Robert Johnson, M.D., Chair National Commission on Adolescent Sexual Health Dr. Lawrence Kutner, Psychologist and journalist who is contributing editor of Parents magazine and who wrote the award-winning, weekly "Parent & Child" column for The New York Times from 1987- 1994. Isabel Stewart, Executive Director of Girls, In Incorporated