SRA Update

General

Nov 7

Healthy Relationships Are Possible……but young people need knowledge, ability and desire to create and sustain healthy relationships. Uninformed and unhealthy attitudes about relationships and sex lead to unhealthy behaviors. When we go into the local schools with the Creating Positive Relationships curriculum, we are helping to provide students that knowledge. But instruction at school is only one part of the process. Young people, and parents, need to be educated about youth relationships and sex. Parents, do your research, get accurate information and talk to your child - not only about sex, but about what a “healthy” relationship should look like as well.Our research indicates that:

Over half of teens 12-17 years of age believe that parents should start talking with their kids about sex, love, and relationships when their kids are 13 or 14 years old.(1)
Almost one-third of teens aged 12-17 say the conversation should start even earlier — at age 12 or younger (Ibid).
29% of teens 15-17 years old reported feeling pressure to have sex. (2)
Most teens aged 12-19 (93% of girls and 88% of boys) say they would rather have a boyfriend/girlfriend and not have sex than have sex but not have a boyfriend/girlfriend.(3)
24% of sexually active teens 15-17 years of age had done something sexual they didn’t really want to do (Ibid).
22% percent of sexually active students report using alcohol or drugs during their most recent sexual encounter.(4) That’s nearly 1 in 4 sexually active teenagers!
Almost 25% of sexually active teens are living with an STI (sexually transmitted infection) at this very moment.(5)

The chart below reveals an alarming increase in STD’s/STI’s over the past 5 years. But, as long as we are able, First Choice will continue to be one of the integral parts of the process.Please lift up our youth, their parents and the other significant adults in their lives. Pray that, with the help of those around them, they will obtain the knowledge, ability and desire to make healthy choices and build healthy relationships as they grow and mature into responsible adults. (1) The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (2007). Kiss & Tell: What Teens Say about Love, Trust and Other Relationship Stuff (2) Kaiser Family Foundation (2003). National Survey of Adolescents and Young Adults: Sexual Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Experiences (3) The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (2010). With One Voice (4) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). Youth Risk Behaviors Surveillance – United States, 2011 (5) Meeker, M.D. (2002). Epidemic: How teen sex is killing our kids. Washington D.C.: Regency Publishing.