About half of high school age young people in the United States have had sexual intercourse, and one in four sexually active teens contracts a sexually transmitted disease (STD) every year.  Although the teen pregnancy rate is dropping, it still remains at a crisis level in some states and communities.  Failure to educate young people about these risk behaviors can have dire consequences. 

In this Web conference, learn from a state legislator and health experts about protective factors and effective prevention strategies for our youth and how parents, schools and communities are involved.

Speakers include:

• Dr. Jennifer Galbraith, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Laurie Bechhofer, HIV/STD education consultant, Michigan Department of Education
• State Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, Washington 
• Lynne Flynn, director of Health Policy, CSG, moderator

Resources:

• American Social Health Association
• ETR's Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention
• Kaiser Family Foundations
• National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
• National Association of State Boards of Education
• Youth Risk Behavior Survey Surveillance System 
• Washington State Guidelines for Sexual Health Information and Disease Prevention

For more information and a broader list of public health issues facing states today, click here to view our Public Health Issues page.