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Release
UAlbany Expert Travels
to Europe to Help Solve U.S. Teen Sexual
Health Issues
Risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted
disease seen as higher in U.S. than European
counterparts
Contact:
Catherine Herman (518) 437-4980
ALBANY, N.Y. (May 27, 2005) -- Citing the
fact that teen birth, abortion, and sexually
transmitted infection rates in the United State
are the highest among industrialized nations,
Advocates for Youth and sexual health experts
including UAlbany's Carol Stenger, coordinator
for Health Promotion in the University Counseling
Center, will take 17-day study tour of the
Netherlands, France, and Germany, beginning
June 3, 2005.
Advocates for Youth's Director of Education
and Outreach, Barbara Huberman, hopes the U.S.
will learn from Europe. "Clearly, Europe
is doing something right. Despite the recent
decline in U.S. teen pregnancy rates, the U.S.
has nearly seven times the teen pregnancy rate
of the Netherlands, seventy-four times the
adolescent gonorrhea rate of France, eight
times the teen abortion rate of Germany, and
U.S. teens begin having sex earlier than European
teens," said Huberman.
Stenger, who has been with the University
for 24 years, teaches Human Sexuality for the
Department of Counseling Psychology, and has
served on the Vice President's Advisory
Council on AIDS Prevention.
The seventh annual European Study Tour (EST),
sponsored by Advocates for Youth and the University
of North Carolina at Charlotte, comprises 25
prominent health professionals, policy makers
and educators from throughout the U.S. Tour
participants are from California, the District
of Columbia, Oregon, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania,
Minnesota, Washington, Indiana, Alaska, New
York, Virginia, and Texas. Experts will explore
how European policy makers, health, welfare
and educational agency representatives, faith
leaders, parents and media professionals have
created social and political change that reduced
teen pregnancy and STDs in Germany, France
and the Netherlands.
Advocates for Youth is an international,
nonprofit organization that creates programs
and supports policies that help young people
make safe, responsible decisions about their
sexual and reproductive health.
Note to editors and producers: For more information
or to set up an interview, please contact Bill
Barker at (202) 419-3420.
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