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From:	Lindsay Menard-Freeman [ profile ]
Subject:	FW: FPC FW: Press Release: CDC Releases 2011 YRBS Data; Fewer YouthReceiving Information about HIV and AIDS
Sent:	Jun 8th, 2012 - 13:16:06

	Dear GYCA members- For your review -- the latest National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Enjoy- LMF From: Jesseca Boyer [mailto:jboyer (at) nfprha.org] Sent: Friday, June 08, 2012 12:35 PM Subject: FPC FW: Press Release: CDC Releases 2011 YRBS Data; Fewer Youth Receiving Information about HIV and AIDS** Apologies for cross-posting**** For Immediate Release Contact: Jen Heitel Yakush June 7, 2012 Phone: (202) 265-2405 jyakush (at) siecus.org ** CDC Releases 2011 YRBS Data; Fewer Youth Receiving Information about HIV and AIDS** ** New York, NY Today, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS, which is released biennially, tracks a variety of health risk behaviors, including sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV, among a representative sample of high school students. The 2011 YRBS surveyed more than 15,000 high school students from across the country and includes national YRBS data as well as data from 43 states and 21 large urban school districts. ** Between 1991, when the YRBS was first conducted, and 1999 there were sharp increases in positive sexual health behaviors and decreases in negative behaviors. Since then, however, that progress has predominantly stalled or moved backward. ** The 2011 YRBS shows us that we still have a long way to go in supporting young peoples ability to increase positive sexual health behaviors, said Monica Rodriguez, president and CEO of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). The survey also tells us that even fewer young people are being reached with sex education that includes the vital information youth need to delay sexual activity and prevent HIV, other STDs, and unintended pregnancies whey they do become sexually active.**** * *** For ten years, roughly 10-15% of young people reported not being taught about HIV and AIDS in school. The 2011 YRBS shows a worsening of this trend: for the first time, more than 15% of students reported not being taught about AIDS or HIV in school. ** As states are being asked to do more with less and education systems continue to dedicate more and more resources to teaching to the test, they are leaving young peoples health behind, continued Rodriguez. This is also particularly troubling because of the recent devastating cut sustained by the Division of Adolescent and School Health, or DASH, in this years federal budget.**** * *** CDCs Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) is a unique source of support for HIV prevention efforts in our nations schools and is also responsible for conducting the YRBS. DASH received a drastic funding cut of $10 million in FY 2012a 25% reduction from FY 2011. This funding cutto a program that has not seen a budget increase in over ten yearswill hinder DASHs ability to provide vital training, resources, and technical assistance to education agencies across the country. ** Next week, as Congress begins their work on the Fiscal Year 2013 budget, we hope they will pay attention to what the 2011 YRBS is telling uswhen we fail to reach young people with the education, information, and skills they need to be sexually healthy, we fail to provide them with tools to make safe, healthy, and responsible decisions about their sexual health, said Rodriguez, concluding that, Now is the time to increase investments in the sexual health and well-being of Americas young people. We call on Congress to fully fund DASH as well as the Presidents Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative in Fiscal Year 2013.**** * *** Key results for sexual behavior in the 2011 YRBS included the following: ** 47.4% of students reported ever having had sexual intercourse (46% in 2009)* * 6.2% of students reported having had sex before age 13 (5.9% in 2009) 15.3% of students reported having had sex with four or more sexual partners (13.8% in 2009) 33.7% of students reported being currently sexually active, defined as having hadsexual intercourse in the three months prior to the survey (34.2% in 2009) 60.2% of sexually active students reported that either they or their partner had used a condom during last sex (61.1% in 2009) 18.0% of sexually active students reported that either they or their partner had used birth control pills to prevent pregnancy before last sexual intercourse (19.8% in 2009) 12.9% of sexually active students had not used any method to prevent pregnancy during last sexual intercourse (11.9% in 2009) 84.0% of students reported having been taught about AIDS or HIV in school (87% in2009) 9.4% of students nationwide had been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend (i.e., dating violence) (9.8% in 2009) 8.0% of students had ever been physically forced to have sexual intercourse whenthey did not want to (7.4% in 2009) ** The full YRBS, including data on many other teen risk behaviors, can be found at: www.cdc.gov/yrbs .** ** For more information or to interview SIECUS President and CEO Monica Rodriguez, please contact Jen Heitel Yakush at jyakush (at) siecus.org or (202) 265-2405.** ###** * ***** SIECUS affirms that sexuality is a fundamental part of being human, one that is worthy of dignity and respect. We advocate for the right of all people to accurateinformation, comprehensive education about sexuality, and sexual health services. SIECUS works to create a world that ensures social justice and sexual rights.**** * *** Jen Heitel Yakush Director of Public Policy SIECUS, Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. 1012 14th ST, Suite 107 Washington, DC 20005 (E) jyakush (at) siecus.org (P) 202.265.2405 ** -- Lindsay Menard-Freeman, M.A. Program Coordinator Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS, a program of the Public Health Institute www.gyca.org www.phi.org (T): +1 917.677.9927 (E): lindsay (at) gyca.org 540 President St. 3rd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11215 GYCA is a youth-led global network of over 6,500 young leaders and adult allies working on youth and HIV/AIDS in 173 countries world-wide. GYCA's mission is to empower young leaders with the skills, knowledge, resources and opportunities they need to scale up HIV/AIDS interventions amongst their peers.

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