iChoose Teen Summit:
Local Teenagers Take the Lead in Preventing Teen Pregnancy

This Summit is timely considering the recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study showing that 1 in 4 sexually active teenage girls has a Sexually Transmitted Illness (STI). Texas also has the highest teen birth rate in the nation. Teen parenting cost Texas taxpayers at least 1 billion dollars in 2004, according to estimates by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

The Summit will feature a series of fun, interactive and educational breakout sessions, a live music remote by radio station The Beat, entertainment, raffle prizes, free lunch, and a free bag and t-shirt for every teenager that participates. Kenneth Thompson of the "the Dad Show" on KAZI radio will host the event.

"We want to give teens more power. Knowledge is power. We want it to be fun and to raise awareness," says another of the Summit's teen leaders. One of the sessions will feature a panel of teenage and young parents who will speak about their experiences.

Parents are encouraged to participate in the iChoose pre-summit parenting workshop at Family Connections on Wednesday, June 25th. Free food, child care, and raffle prizes will be provided. "Parents are the #1 influence on their teenager's decisions about abstinence and sex, but parents often don't know how to start these conversations with their teen", says Cynthia Brown, Health Educator with Planned Parenthood. The parenting workshop will give parents the confidence to talk with their teenager about preventing teen pregnancy and STIs.

Pre-registration is required for both the iChoose Teen Summit and the parenting workshop and space is limited. Registration forms can be found online at ichoose2008.pbwiki.com/iChoose or to request a registration form, contact Planned Parenthood at 275-0171 x 104.

For more information please contact:
Carole Barasch (Contact information above)
Sarah J. Wheat VP of Community Affairs, Planned Parenthood (512)276-8063 sarah.wheat@ppaustin.org
Brett Barnes Director of Development and External Relations, Lifeworks (512)735-2470 brett.barnes@lifeworksweb.org