DALLAS — In recognition of the eighth annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Planned Parenthood of North Texas (PPNT) today called for public funding of comprehensive, medically accurate sex education programs to reduce the alarming rate of unintended teen pregnancies in this country.

Texas has the third highest teen birth rate in the nation – and the highest rate of a second birth to those same teens.

 "Teens deserve honest, accurate, age-appropriate information about how to protect themselves," said PPNT President/CEO Jim Roderick. "They need sex education that provides information about healthy communication, responsible decision making, and both abstinence and contraception."

The bipartisan nonprofit research group "The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy" reports the U.S. has the highest rates of teen pregnancy among comparable countries. An estimated 750,000 American teens become pregnant each year. (thenationalcampaign.org)

A study conducted by the University of Washington found that teens who had comprehensive sex education were 50 percent less likely to become pregnant than teens who had no sex education or who were in abstinence-only programs. Numerous studies have analyzed abstinence-only programs and found them to be ineffective.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy also reported that two-thirds of the examined sex education programs in the United States that focus on both abstinence and contraception had a positive effect on teen sexual behavior.

Planned Parenthood is a 2009 national partner of the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, an effort to help teens understand the importance of avoiding unintended pregnancy. For more information, please visit The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

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Planned Parenthood is the oldest and largest family planning organization in the United States.  For 74 years, Planned Parenthood of North Texas (PPNT) has provided compassionate health care in North Texas.  In 2008, PPNT's 29 clinics provided medical and education services to more than 100,000 women and men.