Charter
of Teen-Aid, Inc.

Article I

The purpose of this corporation is to encourage premarital abstinence as a life-style among teens and foster virtuous character development. This is accomplished by promoting effective parent-teen communication, increasing fertility awareness and respect for the power to create life, and embracing the standard of parenting within wedlock thereby reducing the many adverse consequences (physical, emotional and social) of premarital sexual activity.

Article II

The principles guiding the activities of this organization are:

 

1.     That the individual, family and society are best served when the power to create life is exercised in the context of marriage;

2.     That human life is of supreme value and exists from the moment of fertilization;

3.     That the promotion of contraceptive use among teens, as well as marketing of sex by the media, has contributed to an increase in sexual activity among adolescents;

4.     That the abortion rate has paralleled the increase in sexual activity and that both teenage sexual activity and abortion create adverse public health consequences;

5.     That there are numerous psycho-social and physical health benefits resulting from adolescent avoidance of sexual activity; among these are: 

a.     Avoidance of possible complications from contraceptive methods; and

b.     increasing probability of achieving long-range goals and establish mature, lasting relationships and achieving economic self-sufficiency;

c.     Freedom from out-of-wedlock pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

6.     That information concerning the advantages of abstinence as a premarital lifestyle must be made available to teens; 

7.     That primary responsibility rests with parents to convey information and values about human sexuality to youth or children;

8.     That school curricula dealing with human sexuality should increase the understanding of fertility and respect for the power to create life, and should be supportive of values that strengthen marriage and the family;

9.     That youth who are seeking a moral framework for their sexuality need adult role models willing to counsel in favor of premarital abstinence;

10.  That communication between parents and youth should be encouraged, and that giving contraceptives to teens without parental involvement threatens the parent-child relationship;

11.  That premarital sexual activity among teens is contrary to life goals consistent with the continuation of the family as the primary unit of our society, and that abstinence provides the emotional and social stability to allow the development of the finer and higher qualities of life;

12.  That the character quality of self-control is necessary to successfully postpone sexual activity, and the development of virtuous character including self-control is essential to build strong individuals as future members of stable families;

 

Article III

The policies of Teen-Aid shall be:

 

1.                            To carry out all Teen-Aid activities with adherence to the guiding principles of the organization;

2.                            To avoid discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, or national origin;

3.                            To refrain at all times from referring for any reason to agencies providing or referring medical or surgical abortion;

4.                            To keep all services strictly confidential;

5.                            To limit engaging in lobbying or political activities to the extent required by applicable state or federal law;

6.                            To provide information on contraceptive methods only in response to questions regarding hazards and risks, and to clearly distinguish between contraceptives and abortifacents;

7.                            To charge for Teen-Aid services on a graduated scale which reflects the client’s ability to pay;

8.                            To refer clients with needs beyond the scope of Teen-Aid services to appropriate professionals that support Teen-Aid principles; and

9.                            To encourage in all of Teen-Aid services, effective communication between parents and teens and virtuous character development.