Dan Besse, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, today called for adoption of new rules to ensure that state-funded teen pregnancy prevention programs include comprehensive, medically accurate information.
"For state-funded teen pregnancy prevention programs to work, they must be complete and accurate," said Besse. "We can't allow our tax money to finance misleading or inaccurate programs that put our young people's health at risk."
The N.C. Commission for Public Health is considering changes to the rules governing state funding grants for teen pregnancy prevention programs. The proposed new rule language will require that community programs, to be considered for state funding grants, must provide comprehensive education with "medically accurate information about contraceptive methods including abstinence".
Besse says that this "abstinence-plus" approach is needed to reduce teen pregnancies and protect our young people's health. "I know from my work for health care programs around our state that these comprehensive programs are more effective in reducing teen pregnancies," he said. "Studies show that programs work best when they encourage abstinence, and also provide accurate information about contraceptive methods."
"Parents and health care professionals alike tell me that they want their children to have access to complete, accurate information," he said. "They find programs which try to scare young people with misinformation to be outrageous."
"We must not allow the health of our young people to be held hostage to a political agenda," declared Besse. "As Lieutenant Governor, I will use my influence in both the legislative and executive branches to support making comprehensive, medically-accurate health education available to our young people."
"I spoke out last year in favor of legislation to encourage comprehensive, medically accurate sexuality and health education in our public schools," recalled Besse. "The case for requiring such solid education as a part of all state-funded teen pregnancy prevention programs is even stronger."
"I'm encouraging parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, and others who work with our young people, to tell the Commission that you support comprehensive, medically accurate health education," concluded Besse. "Let's ensure that a minority of political ideologues don't keep us from doing the right thing for our youth."
The Commission's deadline for public comments on the proposed rule change is January 14. Comments can be submitted to the Commission via email to Chris.Hoke@ncmail.net.