SIECUS Releases New Groundbreaking Publication: 'SIECUS State Profiles: A Portrait of Sexuality Education and Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in the States' 6/22/2004
From: Adrienne Verrilli of SIECUS, 202-265-2405 or 646-334-3735 WASHINGTON, June 22 -- The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) is pleased to announce the release of its new ground breaking publication, "SIECUS State Profiles: A Portrait of Sexuality Education and Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in the States." SIECUS State Profiles is the result of over two years of research into federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. This new resource details the amount, type, and use of federal abstinence-only-until-marriage funds in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The publication also chronicles controversies related to sexuality education in each state, lists relevant state statutes, and provides contact information for state-based organizations involved in sexuality education and sexual health issues. "SIECUS State Profiles is the most complete portrait ever assembled of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and their intersection with sexuality education in the U.S.," said Tamara Kreinin, president and CEO of SIECUS. "We hope this document will give educators, policymakers, community leaders, and parents a comprehensive picture of what our nation's young people are, and in many cases, are not learning with respect to their sexual health," Kreinin continued. SIECUS' Major Findings: -- Sexuality education laws vary widely. While many states mandate HIV/AIDS education, few states address sexuality education. Those that do, tend to restrict what students learn. -- Few states have laws supporting a comprehensive approach to sexuality education. Maine has the most comprehensive education law in the nation; it mandates sexuality education that is age- appropriate, medically accurate, and provides information on both abstinence and contraception. California and Oregon also have progressive sexuality education laws that require those schools that choose to teach sexuality education to take a comprehensive approach. -- States with the most restrictive laws include Alabama, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Findings Specifically Related to Federal Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs: -- States that receive the most federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs include Florida, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The states that receive the least include Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Vermont. -- The federal government has created three major funding streams for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. These funding streams are: o Title V, passed as part of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act o Special Programs of Regional and National Significance- Community-Based Abstinence Education (SPRANS-CBAE) o The Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) -- Federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are prohibited from discussing condom use with the exception of failure rates and have never been proven effective. $899 million has been spent on these programs since 1998. Title V: Title V, passed as part of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act, allocates $50 million per year to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. The funding is allocated to the states in the form of a block grant. States that accept the money are required to match every $4 dollars in federal funds with $3 dollars in state funds. Funding for these programs began in 1998. SIECUS found that the money that is granted out by the state health departments is often further sub-granted out, making it extremely difficult to determine what taxpayer dollars are supporting. The majority of programs lack proper oversight and sound evaluation. Some states have implemented programs that are medically inaccurate and rely on fear and shame-based messages. Other states, like Louisiana, have implemented programs that are religious in nature. Some states receive and grant out the money in violation of state law including Iowa and Oregon. Arizona, California, and Pennsylvania do not accept the Title V money. Other states like Massachusetts implement media campaigns targeting younger youth to minimize the harmful messages required by the federal government. SPRANS-CBAE and AFLA: The SPRANS-CBAE and AFLA grants are highly concentrated in the South (30). The Northeast has the fewest programs (3). Crisis pregnancy centers, anti-abortion groups that pose as medical providers, are common recipients of SPRANS-CBAE and AFLA funding. These organizations run programs that consistently use medical misinformation, include anti-abortion messages, are religious in nature, and are biased against gays and lesbians. All generally lack oversight and evaluation. Major funding for these programs began in 2001. "We know that 61 percent of young people have sexual intercourse before they graduate high school. This underscores the need for comprehensive sexual health information and the communication and relationship skills necessary to become healthy adults. As this publication demonstrates, the proliferation of unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage programs is leaving too many of our kids at risk." Kreinin said. "The publication also shows that some states are doing well by their young people. The states of California, Maine, and Oregon are excellent examples of implementing sound public health policy that will make it very likely young people in their states will receive the necessary sexual health information they need. In fact, the recently released Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2003 showed that the number of high school students in Maine who have ever had sexual intercourse declined, whereas condom use among sexually active students increased between 2001 and 2003," Kreinin continued. "We know what works. When young people have access to comprehensive and medically accurate information regarding their sexual health, they delay the onset of sexual activity and increase their condom use. It is high time that state and federal lawmakers, including the Bush Administration, stop putting political expediency ahead of the health and well-being of our young people. They need to halt funding for unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that deny young people critical sexual health information, and instead, fund comprehensive programs that work," said Kreinin. To view the complete publication, go to http://www.siecus.org |