UPDATE | JANUARY 6, 2012 TO REFLECT CHANGE OF VENUE FROM ROCKETOWN TO MARATHON MUSIC WORKS

MEDIA ADVISORY

Performance from Peer Educator Group PG-13 Players Highlights Event on Adolescent Sexual Responsibility; Featuring Metro Health Officials and Nashville Public Television

What: The Nashville Metro Health Department, Nashville Public Television (NPT) and the PG-13 Players, a peer educator acting and engagement troupe from Middle Tennessee high schools,  join forces at Rocketown to raise awareness on adolescent sexual responsibility.

The program will consist of remarks by D’Yuanna Allen, Metro Public Health Department, who will discuss Metro’s efforts to foster adolescent sexual responsibility and education in the city; Beth Curley, CEO & President of NPT,  who will discuss the station’s Emmy-Award winning series, “Children’s Health Crisis” and present a sneak peek of the latest installment, ”Sexuality;"  and a performance by Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee’s PG-13 Players , peer educators from Middle Tennessee high schools who use theatre to engage and educate youth and will lead the audience in an interactive discussion.

The event will also include information tables with representatives from:
•    Centerstone
•    Nashville Cares
•    Sexual Assault Center
•    Vanderbilt - Margaret Cunninggim Women's Center
•    Meharry Medical College
•    Metro Health Department

When:
Monday, January 9th
5:30 to 6:30

Where:

Marathon Music Works
Marathon Village
1305 Clinton Street 
Nashville, TN 37203

Rocketown
601 4th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37210

Key stats:   

•    In Tennessee, 66% of all high school seniors have had sexual intercourse; 24% have had 4 partners or more. 
•    In 2009, more than 10,000 babies were born to teen mothers across the state. 
•    Of the roughly 29,000 cases of Chlamydia reported each year in Tennessee - 10,000 are found among teenagers.
•    HIV rates have nearly doubled in Davidson County for 15-24 year olds.

More:   

About the PG-13 Players:
PG-13 Players (PG stands for Peer Guidance) are peer educators from high schools across Middle Tennessee sponsored by Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee.  Each year, they develop and perform new skits dealing with teen issues such as sexual decision making, stereotypes & prejudice, depression, healthy relationships, sexual assault and body image – all topics of concern to teens and to the adults who care about them.  Through their dramatic presentations, teen issues are not just talked about, they’re brought to life.  For more information, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/mid-east-tennesee

About NPT Reports: Children’s Health Crisis:
NPT’s Children’s Health Crisis Project is a three-year initiative built around a series of seven documentaries on the state of children’s health in Tennessee. Other elements of the project include follow-up discussion programs, daily on-air health updates, an extensive project website at http://wnpt.org/childrenshealth and community outreach on related topics.  At the 25th MidSouth Regional Emmy® Awards in January 2011, the “Overview” episode won the award for best topical documentary, and the “Infant Mortality” episode took home the Emmy® for best public affairs program. The entire “Children Health Crisis” project was recently nominated for an Emmy® in the Community Service category.