MONDAY, Dec. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Teens who take virginity pledges are just as likely to have sex as teens who don't make such promises -- and they're less likely to practice safe sex to prevent disease or pregnancy, a new study finds.
On November 5, 2007, the University of Florida released a study [1] confirming what we already knew - that the state of sex education in Florida is failing our youth. The very next day, a national report, Emerging Answers 2007 [2], was released by Douglas Kirby, Ph.D., and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The report showed that abstinence-only programs are ineffective, and includes strong evidence that abstinence-only programs do not have any impact on teen sexual behavior.
Did you know?
- Florida has the 6th highest teen pregnancy rate with 48,440 teenage pregnancies annually.
- Florida has the 2nd highest AIDS rate in the country, with 4,960 new AIDS cases in 2005 and 100,809 cases overall.
- In 2005, 47% of female high school students and 54% of male high school students in Florida reported ever having had sexual intercourse.
- In 2005, 12% of female high school students and 21% of male high school students in Florida reported having had four or more lifetime sexual partners.
- And in 2006, Florida had 121,791 reported cases of sexually transmitted infections other than HIV/AIDS.
Without comprehensive sex education in the classrooms, Florida's teens are at a greater risk for unintended pregnancies and contracting sexually transmitted infections like HIV/AIDS.
Teens need and deserve responsible sex education that includes information about abstinence, AND about protection from diseases and pregnancy.
While we all hope that teens will wait to have sex, half of Florida teens have intercourse before they graduate high school. We need comprehensive sex education so even if a teen chooses not to wait they will still know how to be safe.
Latest News
Premarital Abstinence Pledges Are Ineffective, Research Shows [10]
Teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence and are significantly less likely to use condoms and other forms of birth control when they do, according to a study released today.
- Read more [14]
- send to friend [15]
Young Adults Use Training to Become Advocates for Comprehensive Sex Education [16]
With the election ending only a couple of weeks ago, Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast wasted no time training 12 new public policy advocates at its Young Activist Advocacy Institute, which was held on Saturday, November 15th in Fort Lauderdale.
- Read more [20]
- send to friend [21]
Sex Education Survey for Schools [22]
The Healthy Teens Campaign is currently surveying all public and charter schools in Florida to better understand the sex education curriculums taught within the county's schools. Click here [27] to access, complete and submit this simple one-page survey online.
- send to friend [28]
Healthy Teens Campaign Urges Community to Educate Teens About HIV/AIDS Prevention on World AIDS Day [29]
As the global community marks World AIDS Day on December 1, 2008, The Healthy Teens Campaign urges community members to seize upon this opportunity to educate Floridians about HIV/AIDS prevention. The Healthy Teens Campaign is a broad based coalition of over 65 organizations that advocate for comprehensive sex education in Florida.
- Read more [30]
- send to friend [31]
Volusia Schools To Consider Expanding Sex Education [32]
DAYTONA BEACH -- Sex education could be expanded in Volusia County high
schools to include birth control information if Superintendent Margaret Smith
and the School Board go along with a recommendation from a diverse advisory
committee that studied the issue.
"They were really concerned (high school students) should have contraception
information. That was the focus of the group," said Emily Cortes-Torrado,
chairwoman of Volusia's School Health Advisory Committee.
- Read more [39]
- send to friend [40]
For Healthier Teens [41]
Florida law mandates that sex-education programs in public schools teach "abstinence from sexual activity as the expected standard for all school-age children while teaching the benefits of monogamous heterosexual marriage."
But many Volusia County students don't live in that Ward-and-June world.
- Read more [45]
- send to friend [46]
Formal Sex Education Linked to Greater Condom Use Among Teen Males [47]
Child Trends, October 30, 2008
A new Child Trends study finds that any type of formal sex education is linked with higher levels of condom use at teen males' first sexual experience. However, one in five teen males (ages 15-19) did not receive formal sex education about either abstinence or contraception before having sex for the first time.
- Read more [48]
- send to friend [49]
Increased HIV Prevention, Education Efforts Needed in South Florida, Officials Say [50]
- Read more [54]
- send to friend [55]
Teen Pregnancy, Glamorized by Celebrities, Costs Taxpayers Billions a Year [56]
10/24/2008 (c) WOGX FOX 51 Alachua County
NEW YORK - Teen motherhood has gained a bit of celebrity allure with the pregnancies of Jamie Lynn Spears and Bristol Palin, but front-line professionals see a starkly different reality involving poverty, lost opportunities and a cost to taxpayers in the billions of dollars annually.
- Read more [57]
- send to friend [58]
Source URL (retrieved on 01/07/2009 - 07:27): http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/32
Links:
[1] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/sites/healthyteensflorida.org/files/DodgeEtAl+AJSE6-08.pdf
[2] http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/EA2007/EA2007_full.pdf
[3] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/384
[4] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/25
[5] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/24
[6] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/21
[7] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/34
[8] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/384
[9] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/send/send/384
[10] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/383
[11] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/25
[12] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/33
[13] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/24
[14] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/383
[15] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/send/send/383
[16] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/381
[17] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/31
[18] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/24
[19] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/21
[20] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/381
[21] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/send/send/381
[22] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/380
[23] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/25
[24] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/24
[25] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/32
[26] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/27
[27] http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=HQFAhBq04SU76cjmislM_2fQ_3d_3d
[28] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/send/send/380
[29] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/378
[30] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/378
[31] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/send/send/378
[32] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/377
[33] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/25
[34] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/29
[35] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/24
[36] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/28
[37] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/27
[38] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/26
[39] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/377
[40] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/send/send/377
[41] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/376
[42] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/25
[43] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/24
[44] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/21
[45] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/376
[46] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/send/send/376
[47] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/374
[48] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/374
[49] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/send/send/374
[50] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/373
[51] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/22
[52] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/5
[53] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/taxonomy/term/23
[54] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/373
[55] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/send/send/373
[56] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/370
[57] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/node/370
[58] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/send/send/370
[59] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/print/32%3Fpage%3D0%2C1
[60] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/print/32%3Fpage%3D0%2C2
[61] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/print/32%3Fpage%3D0%2C3
[62] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/print/32%3Fpage%3D0%2C4
[63] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/print/32%3Fpage%3D0%2C5
[64] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/print/32%3Fpage%3D0%2C6
[65] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/print/32%3Fpage%3D0%2C7
[66] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/print/32%3Fpage%3D0%2C1
[67] http://www.healthyteensflorida.org/en-espaol/print/32%3Fpage%3D0%2C7