October LET'S TALK MONTH Spurs Joint Campaign by Planned Parenthood of New York City, Borough Presidents, YWCAs 10/4/2002
From: Miriam Gerace of Planned Parenthood of New York City, 212-274-7294 NEW YORK, Oct. 4 -- In a broad local partnership, Planned Parenthood of New York City is launching a month-long campaign to foster family communication about sex for "Let's Talk Month" in October. Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion will participate in Let's Talk Month, along with the Brooklyn YWCA and the YWCA of the City of New York in midtown Manhattan. "Our best bet to keep young people in New York City healthy is to give them balanced information on sexual health. As a leader, I'm happy to support any efforts to point New York City in the direction of responsible choices about sex and relationships," said Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrisn also praised the partnership. "I am honored to join Planned Parenthood of New York City in its effort to educate city kids. The month-long educational campaign will help break down communication barriers, foster open honest dialogue and save lives." Research shows more adolescents are delaying having sex today than a few years ago and that teen pregnancy is down. In fact, when asked who has the most influence on their decisions about sex, more teens cite their parents than any other source.(a) "We want to make sure New York City teens get honest messages on sex from adults they trust," said Joan Malin, CEO of Planned Parenthood of New York City. Let's Talk Month gives parents and teens tips on how to start talking and what to say, in line with studies that say talk leads to smarter and healthier decisions for adolescents. "Most parents and teens do talk about sex. We hope this month will be a key opportunity for families to check in with each other," said Leslie Kantor, Vice President of Education for Planned Parenthood of New York City. Let's Talk Month features a "make a date" postcard that encourages adults and teens to set time aside to talk about sex. It also includes a Web site component at http://www.ppnyc.org, public service announcements and a public awareness campaign in the Bronx. Brooklyn parents will also be able to participate in a parent-to-parent workshop on talking about sex at the Brooklyn YWCA. Planned Parenthood of New York City's magazine Hey, What Do I Say? (a parent-to-parent guide) and brochure The Importance Of Talking To Your Parents About Sex And Sexuality are available to the public at the offices of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan Borough Presidents. Materials are also available at the YWCA of Brooklyn and New York City. All printed material is in Spanish and English. ------ Note to Editors and Producers: For more information or to set up an interview with an adolescent sexuality or family communication expert, please contact Miriam Gerace at (212) 274-7294. (a) See http://www.teenpregnancy.org/resources/data/pdf/teenwant.pdf |