This Saturday, teens and parents are invited to talk about stopping the spread of HIV in the community at the Respect Yourself, Protect Yourself World AIDS Day Forum.

The event is sponsored by Teens Taking Action of Charlotte, Mecklenburg Park and Recreation, and Time Out Youth.

Teens Taking Action of Charlotte, Mecklenburg Park and Recreation, and Time Out Youth will be sponsoring a free event in honor of World AIDS Day Saturday, December 6, 2008 at the Albemarle Road Recreation Center, located at 5027 Idlewild Road North from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.

With more than 12 million young people living with HIV and AIDS, constituting more than half of all people living with HIV and AIDS worldwide, it is clear that we must be leaders in the response to the pandemic and of all efforts to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS. We need to strengthen our leadership in the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic within our community. There is a role you can play in ending HIV prejudice and stopping the spread of HIV!

Please come to hear teens speaking from Metrolina AIDS Project Youth Speakers Bureau addressing their experiences with HIV and how it has affected their lives. There will also be entertainment, refreshments, and free HIV testing provided. This event is not only for teens, it is a family event so people of all ages are welcome to attend.

Teens Taking Action (TTA) is a peer health education program of Planned Parenthood Health Systems that consists of dedicated local area high school students ages 14-18. This program was established in September 2005 and was designed to promote positive changes in youth's norms related to sexual behavior to prevent infection with HIV and STI. It is well known that teenagers get most of their information from other teens, and prefer talking to other teens about personal concerns. Our program utilizes this approach to sexuality education, by training teens to share valuable information with other teens in a non-threatening and non-judgmental way.

Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Inc. is a private, nonprofit family planning agency that respects and protects the rights of each man and woman to make informed reproductive decisions. Our mission is to provide accessible, high-quality health care and information to clients and to serve as advocate and educator to the community on responsible human sexuality. We have offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

For more information, contact: Kim Gaither at (704) 569-9870 ext 6543