Letter: Passage of HPV bill applauded
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I’d like to commend the Louisiana Legislature for passing the HPV education bill this year.
This legislation shows promise in helping teens and parents achieve a better understanding about what the human papillomavirus is, how the disease is spread, and where to find the HPV vaccine.
It is exciting to see that the Louisiana Legislature is helping the fight against cervical cancer through prevention and education.
What’s more, this bill received overwhelming support in both houses.
While this is a good first step, our teens deserve more.
In April, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study was released that reported that one in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease. These findings should be a wake-up call for parents and for everyone concerned about the well-being of teens.
What it demonstrates is that teens — girls and boys — need medically accurate comprehensive sex education. It proves what Planned Parenthood has known for years: Teens need to know how to protect themselves from an STD and unintended pregnancy.
They need the right information to make healthy and responsible decisions. We know that the majority of teens become sexually active during their high school years, but they’re not getting information about the responsibilities and risks of sexual activity.
It’s estimated that nearly half of teens will have had sex by the time they are seniors in high school.
Instead, the government has wasted $1.5 billion in taxpayer dollars on abstinence-only education programs that numerous studies have shown have no impact on delaying teens’ sexual activity or preventing an STD or teen pregnancy.
In fact, Louisiana continues to waste nearly $3 million each year on these programs. I think we all can agree that abstinence is a good starting point, but we need to provide information and education so that teens can protect themselves if and when they become sexually active.
We need to dedicate funding toward real solutions that help prevent STDs and teen pregnancies.
Julie Mickelberry, director of public affairs
Planned Parenthood of La.
and the Mississippi Delta Inc.
Baton Rouge
This legislation shows promise in helping teens and parents achieve a better understanding about what the human papillomavirus is, how the disease is spread, and where to find the HPV vaccine.
It is exciting to see that the Louisiana Legislature is helping the fight against cervical cancer through prevention and education.
What’s more, this bill received overwhelming support in both houses.
While this is a good first step, our teens deserve more.
In April, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study was released that reported that one in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease. These findings should be a wake-up call for parents and for everyone concerned about the well-being of teens.
What it demonstrates is that teens — girls and boys — need medically accurate comprehensive sex education. It proves what Planned Parenthood has known for years: Teens need to know how to protect themselves from an STD and unintended pregnancy.
They need the right information to make healthy and responsible decisions. We know that the majority of teens become sexually active during their high school years, but they’re not getting information about the responsibilities and risks of sexual activity.
It’s estimated that nearly half of teens will have had sex by the time they are seniors in high school.
Instead, the government has wasted $1.5 billion in taxpayer dollars on abstinence-only education programs that numerous studies have shown have no impact on delaying teens’ sexual activity or preventing an STD or teen pregnancy.
In fact, Louisiana continues to waste nearly $3 million each year on these programs. I think we all can agree that abstinence is a good starting point, but we need to provide information and education so that teens can protect themselves if and when they become sexually active.
We need to dedicate funding toward real solutions that help prevent STDs and teen pregnancies.
Julie Mickelberry, director of public affairs
Planned Parenthood of La.
and the Mississippi Delta Inc.
Baton Rouge
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