Pam Stenzel QUINCY — Internationally-known youth abstinence advocate Pam Stenzel will be in west central Illinois Oct. 14-18 to aid in the effort of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers. She comes at the invitation of area schools and church groups, including the Pro-life Committee of the Church of St. Peter, as well as the Adams County Health Department.
Adults are invited to a presentation at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14, in the auditorium at Quincy Senior High School, 3300 Maine Street.
In addition to the adults-only presentation, Stenzel will speak to approximately 3,300 eighth-grade through high school students in Catholic and public schools in Quincy, Payson, Liberty, Camp Point, Mendon and Brown County from Oct. 15-18.
A youth counselor, Stenzel became an abstinence advocate after encountering young people suffering from the consequences of premarital sex who told her, “If only I had known!”
Stenzel said the the statistics are sobering:
- Over 800,000 teenagers will become pregnant each year. Of this number, 30 percent will opt for abortions, which beyond ending the lives of unborn babies, carry devastating, long-term risks like depression, anorexia, and bulimia.
- Eight percent of single teenaged mothers will live below the poverty level for at least 10 years.
- Each year, more than 3,000,000 teens contract sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including viruses like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and herpes, human papilloma virus (HPV) which is linked to some forms of cancer, and infections like chlamydia which can interfere with the ability to become pregnant later on.
Established in 2006, the St. Peter Pro-Life Committee focuses on advocacy, education, public affairs and prayer to support respect for all life from the moment of conception until natural death. Susan Asher is parish pro-life coordinator.