HAMILTON, ON – April 7, 2004 – Sex is about choices. A sexual health campaign, re-introduced this month by the Hamilton Sexual Health Network, is encouraging local youth to say “I’m Worth the Wait.” The month long media campaign is asking youth to break the ice and speak with adults they respect and trust, when it comes to questions around sex. With the support of the City of Hamilton’s Public Health and Community Services, the Sexual Health Network is running ads on buses, bus shelters and during previews at movie theaters, as well as on posters in local high schools. The campaign, first launched in 2003, runs until the end of April.
“The long term objective of this campaign is to lower the number of unplanned pregnancies and to lower the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases amongst Hamilton’s youth,” said Teresa Hartnett, chair of the Sexual Health Network. “One of the immediate goals is to empower youth to talk about sex with adults they trust and respect, and to make the conscious choice to say, ‘I’m worth the wait’. We want youth to see the importance of sexual decision making and to see it is a decision that needs to be made by each individual person on their own, not because of pressure they feel from others.”
The ‘I’m Worth the Wait’ campaign was developed after focus groups were conducted with parents and adolescents. Both groups saw a need for a message that empowered youth to make good choices and encouraged them to seek information from adults, preferably their own parents. The campaign is attempting to lower the number of unplanned pregnancies and cases of sexually transmitted diseases found in Hamilton youth.
The Hamilton Sexual Health Network was formed in 1997 and consists of a number of agencies who work with adolescents.
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Media Contacts:
Teresa Hartnett
Chair, Sexual Health Network
905-528-7988 ext. 250
Ann Tyrrell
Public Health Nurse, City of Hamilton
905-546-2424 ext. 7341