News & Events

NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Applauds Landmark Legislation

February 24, 2010

Madison, WI – Today, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed the Healthy Youth Act into law. The Healthy Youth Act sets guidelines to ensure that all sexuality education programs taught in Wisconsin’s public schools are comprehensive, age appropriate, and medically accurate.

NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin applauds the Governor for his support of the Healthy Youth Act. “Teen pregnancy is on the rise for the first time in 14 years, and STD rates among Wisconsin’s teens are skyrocketing.” says Lisa Subeck, Executive Director of NARAL Pro- Choice Wisconsin. “By signing the Healthy Youth Act into law, Governor Doyle has brought us one step closer to ending this public health crisis among our youth.” In 2009, 41% of Wisconsin high school students self-reported being sexually active. Only 69% of sexually active teen males and 59% of sexually active teen girls reported using a condom during their last sexual encounter. Responsible sexuality education including information about both abstinence and contraception has been shown to delay sexual activity among teens and reduce the incidences of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection.