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New York, NY - In honor of our 40th anniversary, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) is pleased to release our list of 40 tips for policy makers to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights. This list is meant to provide policymakers at the federal, state and community level with proposed action steps to address a multitude of important sexuality-related issues including comprehensive sexuality education; teen pregnancy prevention; STD and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment; wide access to reproductive health services, including family planning and abortion; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning issues and rights; sexual violence; and gender and equality issues, among others. For example:

For Federal Policymakers

1. Support funding for medically accurate, age-appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education like that found in the federal Family Life Education Act.
2. Oppose funding for harmful abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Learn about the negative consequences of the fear and shame-based messages in abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that stigmatize and stereotype gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth; victims of sexual assault; and children of single-parent families, as well as how these programs provide flagrant misinformation and biased messages.

For State Policymakers

1. Support funding for medically accurate, age-appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education like that found in Maine's Family Life Education Act and Oregon's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Plan.
2. Oppose funding for harmful abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Ask your governor to reject the federal government's Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding and to instead use the state's matching funds for comprehensive sexuality education programs

For Community Policymakers

1. Talk to your local school boards about requiring that sexuality education and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs be medically accurate in your school districts and communities.
2. Support initiatives that improve the sexual and reproductive health of young people such as HIV and teen pregnancy prevention efforts, school and community health centers, training for sexuality education teachers, comprehensive youth development programs, and access to basic reproductive and sexual health care services

To read more tips for policy makers, go to: http://www.siecus.org/media/40_tips_for_policymakers.pdf

Additional Top 40 lists include:

• The 40 Most Influential People in Sexuality and Reproductive Health
• The 40 Most Influential Movies and TV Shows that Advanced Sexuality and Reproductive Health
• The 40 Most Influential Songs for Sexuality
• 40 Celebrity Quotes on Sexuality and Reproductive Health and Rights

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*This list was not compiled using any scientific or survey methodology. Instead it represents staff recommendations for policy makers at the federal, state, and community level.

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