Agenda - 12-04-2006-7a - Laserfiche WebLink

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1. Access to Health Care 0 important not to delay appropriate medical care. Laws and policies should encourage, not discourage, young people to seek the health care they need and enable them to talk candidly with health care providers, and that is why NC's law allowing minors to consent to certain health services should be safeguarded. Another avenue for addressing teen pregnancy as well as the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases in adolescents is through responsible age-appropriate sex education in NC's public schools. Comprehensive sex education provides balanced instruction that includes abstinence as well as accurate information about contraception and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. Comprehensive sex education works, which is why it is supported by most major medical organizations, including the .American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Nurses Association. NC's Abstinence Until Marriage Law (GS 115C-81(el) that was enacted in 1995 contains flaws and inaccurate medical references to sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS/IIIV. Those errors should be corrected. Teenagers need accurate and reliable information about their sexual and reproductive health and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION... Restore state funding for pregnancy prevention programs and initiatives to the 2001 funding level, and then increase these funds to address the growing needs of the state's adolescent population. Correct the medical errors and flaws in the Abstinence Until Marriage Law (GS 115C-81(el) and support age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate comprehensive sex education and abstinence-plus sex education programs that are accurate and honest; promote healthy, positive, and responsible decisions; and that respect the value and the rights of all individuals.. Safeguard adolescents' access to confidential health care services by preserving the law (General Statute 90-21.5) that allows a minor to consent to limited health services such as diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse, mental health, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, and pregnancy. Mental I~ealtli It is estimated that one in five persons will, over their lifetime, experience a mental illness. However, according to the Surgeon Generals report on mental health released in 1999, less than one third of adults with a diagnosable mental disorder and even a smaller proportion of children, receive any mental health services in a given year. Studies have shown that mental disorders are treatable: the 80% successful treatment rate is higher than for illnesses like heart disease. Why then the disparity? The stigma attached to mental illness, the cost of treatment, and the fragmentation and lack of service availability are major factors which prevent people from getting treatment. The Surgeon General's report also reminds us of the impact of mental illness: "Untreated, mental disorders can lead to lost productivity, unsuccessful relationships, and significant stress and dysfunction. Mental illness in adults can have a significant and continuing effect on children in their care." Mood disorders, including depression, will affect 7 percent of .Americans in a given year. For women; depression may be of particular concern. Recent studies have shown that women are two and a half times more likely to experience depression and that depression has a chromosomal link creating this disparity. Two thirds of those getting treatment for depression do so in primary health care settings and primary care, doctors see most patients whose depression goes undiagnosed as they come in for routine care. What many of those with private insurance fmd however is that treatment for mental disorders is treated differently than that for `physical' disorders. Mental health treatment, when included in health plans, is often limited by lifetime caps on dollar amounts, caps on the number of annual visits, and or higher co-payments to visit a mental health professional. In the face of mounting evidence that mental illness is biologically based, with genetic and chromosomal links, and despite evidence of the higher effective treatment rates for mental 2006-2007 Women's DraftAgenda 5