A group of local teens gave up a day off from school Saturday to prepare for big roles in a public health campaign.
The Tulsa Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is hosting a retreat for its 17-member youth leadership council. Education and Health Initiatives Director Heather Duvall said the 14- to 18-year-olds applied for the council and will serve as the youth voice to the campaign.
"The Tulsa campaign is doing a lot of work to promote youth development and sexual health for teen pregnancy prevention, but our young people are the voice of our community," Duvall said. "We really want to hear from them. They inform and help to guide the work that we do."
The campaign’s goal is to cut Tulsa County’s teen birth rate 30 percent by 2020. They work with Tulsa schools to provide sex education, something campaign surveys show 90 percent of parents want for their kids.
Their research also shows most teens want their parents to talk to them about sex.
"You don't have to know every answer. Be comfortable and happy that your kid is coming to you to talk about these kinds of things, that your teen has good questions, and if you don't know the answer, find out a way to learn about it together," Duvall said.
Duvall noted October is Let’s Talk Month, a push to encourage parent-child conversations about sex.
