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Youth Health Bill Introduced to Address STI Rates and Expand Condom Access to California Youth

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media@essentialaccess.org 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sacramento, CA – Today, Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley) introduced SB 608 to address the sexually transmitted infection (STI) epidemic among California youth and improve public health outcomes by expanding accessibility of condoms to teens in schools and communities. Essential Access Health is proud to co-sponsor the bill with Black Women for Wellness Action Project, California School-Based Health Alliance, GENeration Up, Voters of Tomorrow California, and a coalition of youth leaders.

“We have made significant progress in reducing barriers to sexual and reproductive health care in California, but too many young people—especially LGBTQIA+ youth and youth of color—continue to experience health inequities and face barriers to evidence-based prevention strategies like accessing condoms," said Amy Moy, Co-CEO of Essential Access Health. "SB 608 is a youth-informed policy solution for addressing the STI epidemic among California youth and ensuring youth have the tools they need to protect their health and futures.”

Senator Caroline Menjivar continues to emphasize the importance of equitable access to STI prevention methods and a comprehensive, inclusive, and age-appropriate sexual health education for California youth, stating, “By expanding access to condoms in California schools and communities, we are empowering the youth who decide to become sexually active to protect themselves and their partners from STIs, while also removing barriers that potentially shame them and lead to unsafe sex. Further, by providing the California Department of Education the authority to monitor compliance of the California Healthy Youth Act, young people will have greater access to medically-accurate, unbiased sex education, and readily available health resources to protect their safety and wellbeing.”

To support youth health and wellness, promote health equity, and curb STI transmission among California young people, SB 608 will:

  • Prohibit pharmacies and retailers from requiring customers to present identification for condom or non-prescription contraception purchases
  • Provide the California Department of Education the authority to monitor compliance of the California Healthy Youth Act
  • Bar public schools serving grades 7-12 from prohibiting school-based health centers from making internal and external condoms available and easily accessible to pupils at school-based health center sites, and from prohibiting condom distribution in the context of educational and public health program initiatives (i.e. sex education, classes by community partners, peer health programs, campus health fairs, or distributed by school-based health staff)

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Essential Access Health advances reproductive equity and champions quality sexual and reproductive health care for all through distributing public funding, policy advocacy, research, training and capacity building for the health care workforce, and youth and community empowerment. We work to ensure that everyone, everywhere can get the care they want and need, where and how they need it, with dignity and respect.