Project 21-20, Not Before 24

“Project 21-20, Not Before 24”

Live a dream before having a baby.

Substantially reducing teen pregnancy is a big goal. We’re taking it on with 21 teams throughout Illinois each training 20 CHATT (Change Happens All The Time) peer educators to influence the way our youth think and talk about sexual health, future-oriented lifestyles, family and community.

Consider these facts:

· Nearly 4 in 10 girls in the U.S. will become pregnant at least once before age 20.

· 8 out of 10 teen pregnancies are unintended; and nearly 80% are to unmarried teens.

· The U.S. has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and teen births in the western industrialized world.

· Adolescent pregnancy costs the United States more than $7 billion each year.

· Teen pregnancy and parenting puts both the teenager and the child at risk for poor outcomes.

“Project 21-20, Not before 24" is a ten-year initiative to inspire girls and boys to live a dream and get a marketable skill before becoming parents. Age 24 is our target for starting a family. Part of our plan is advocating for age appropriate, medically accurate comprehensive sex education in ALL Illinois schools and challenging the culture of low expectations for girls and boys of color.

Our short-term goals include:

improving adult-youth communication,
improving parent-child “connectedness”
improving girlfriend-boyfriend communication,
improving knowledge of where to get birth control, and increasing use of birth control and reproductive health services

Long-term goals include:

delaying sexual initiation,
decreasing the frequency of sex,
lowering the number of sexual partners, and
reducing teenage pregnancy and rates of sexually transmitted diseases

Join our effort. Call 773 488-7557 or email globalgirls@sbcglobal.net to learn how.

Purchase a “Project 21-20, Not Before 24” t-shirt and show your support by wearing it on the 24th of each month. Visit our website www.globlgirlsinc.org for more details.

Together, we will make a difference!