Partnering with Youth

Partnering with Youth

Lauren Gerity, Chantal Francis, Abby Bugas

Ten Facts:

1. Half of the worlds population is under the age of 25 and

87% of these people live in developing countries.

2. More than three fourths of youth live in developing countries without access to things that we take for granted such as education and health care.

3. EngenderHealth created a program to increase youths awareness to reproductive health information and services.

4. Sex is common among youth in America. Over 48% of students in high school have had sex.

5. 750,000 young women in the US become pregnant every year.

6. Every year, 20,000 youth are infected with HIV.

7. Nearly 4 million young adults between the ages of 14 and 19 are infected with an STI.

8. Though using contraception is far more prevalent today, U.S. teens use contraception far less than those in Europe.

9. When abstinence and contraception are taught to young adults, these youth are far more likely to delay sexual activity and use contraception in the future.

10. It is proven that educating youth about condoms does not lead to an increase of sexual activity.

Organizations- The International Women's health Coalition and the Advocates for Youth

Personal Story- Nineteen year old, Leticia, first started going to school after joining the Girls’ Club. When she was new to the club, she didn’t have many friends and was known for being very shy and would never look people in the eye. The girls in the club were very welcoming and Leticia started to make great friends who supported her through difficult times. She went to nursing school and is now working in a hospital. Today, she gives motivational speeches about the Girls’ Club and explains how much it helped her through her though times. She has come so far.

Meaningful Quote- “If we are to see lasting change-a world in which women and men are healthy and their human rights are protected-then we must ensure young people have access to the tools and information they need to lead healthy, productive lives.”