Crossposted on Amplify
Did you know…half of the world’s population-nearly 3 billion people-are under the age of 25?
And Consider this:
One out of every four people diagnosed with HIV is between ages 13 and 29, and 45 percent of new HIV infections are among young people ages 15-24. (link)
Young people are the second highest uninsured demographic in the United States. (source)
In the United States, nearly one million young women under age 20 become pregnant each year.
Worldwide, for young women ages 15 to 19 in low-and middle-income countries, complications from pregnancy are the leading cause of death. (source)
From Amplify:
We as young people have a critical role to play in discussing population issues from a rights-based approach, particularly regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights. The ability to access sexual and reproductive health information and services is a human right that empowers young people to make healthy choices for themselves and for their families. Educating girls and boys, empowering women, meeting the demand for voluntary family planning, and ensuring access to comprehensive, youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services not only play an important role in supporting human rights—but also in ensuring a healthier environment for us all to live in.
Amen!
As young people make up a larger and larger percentage of the global population, it is time to view young people as assets, not liabilities. We need to be engaged in the effort to find solutions to these problems, not seen as accidents waiting to happen. Initiatives and programs that value the input and cooperation of young people are the ones that will be successful, because our generation knows best how to address the problems we face.
Part of the ideological problem with abstinence-only sex education is that young people are viewed as out-of-control, hormonal, risky, and immoral. The goal of abstinence-only education is to scare teens out of any sexual activity, and assert control over the choices young people make by using fear. This simply doesn’t work. In the end, we are the ones who will be making the decisions about our sexual activity, and we need to be trusted as partners in prevention. We need to be treated with respect and honesty. Tactics aimed at reducing teen pregnancies and HIV/AIDS cases must fight with the weapons of information and education, not fear and shame.
Young people make up half of the worlds population now, and it is time to address the problems we face by treating young people are partners in finding solutions.
Dan Jubelirer is a 2010 Netroots Fellow at Amplify, a youth-driven community dedicated to promoting sexual health and reproductive justice.