FAYETTEVILLE -- One local group is providing an alternative to the abstinence-only education in public schools. Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina started training teens on how to talk with friends at school about safe sex practices.

Sidnee Williams says she became a peer educator to help her friends by separating the truth from rumors when it comes to safe sex.

"I really think that it is kind of dangerous because there is a lot out there and you need to know about it,” she said.

She also says she can barely remember everything she was taught about sex while in middle school.

"It did give me a little brief information on sexual education but it wasn't in depth,” added Williams.

With the help of state funding, Planned Parenthood is looking to educate teens in how to be safe and healthy.

"When you talk about 16 girls a week getting pregnant in Cumberland County, there is a problem," said Hubert Williams, community health educator for Planned Parenthood.

To help inform teens, peer educators are given the resources to reach out and educate their friends.

"They learn how to resource and say, ‘OK, if we don't know, here is a number where you can call to get the help you need,’" explained Hubert Williams. He also believes the first message taught to teens is the most important.

"The first thing we tell them is that we want you to be abstinent, but we feel like a very realistic approach is to give them all the information out there so they can make better, healthier, responsible decisions,” he added.

Information taught includes having healthy relationships, communication, drugs and alcohol, and sexual violence prevention. It’s advice teens are more likely to follow when coming from a friend, according to Sidnee Williams.

"I have had a couple [friends talk to me about it] actually, and they have asked me questions because they know I have taken this course, and so I am able to give them a little information on what I know,” she said.

Officials with Cumberland County Schools say that they have not received any complaints about the Planned Parenthood Peer Education Program. In 1995, the North Carolina General Assembly required that all public schools provide an abstinence-only education program.