For a full copy of this report, send a request to info@healthyteensflorida.org
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
CONTACT: Adrienne Kimmell, 941.923.4555
June 10, 2008
Florida’s
Lack of Statewide Standards for Sex Education Puts the
Health and Safety of our Teens in Jeopardy
Florida
teens receive too little information, too late
Sarasota , FL
– This week, as study out of the University
of Florida was published in the American Journal of Sexuality Education
showing that sex education in Florida :
- Is afforded too
little time
- Occurs too late in
students’ academic career (usually in 9th or 10th
grade)
- Has little
uniformity or standards (in terms of training or quality assurance)
- Is not accessible to
all students (especially Latinos); and
- May not adequately
address student’s needs
The published study, conducted by Dr. Brian Dodge, et al., also showed
that there are no statewide standards for sex education, leaving
Florida teens at risk
for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including
HIV/AIDS. Currently, Florida
ranks 2nd in the nation in the number of annual HIV infections and 6th in the
nation for teen pregnancy rates, yet too many schools cater to a narrow
minority by allowing abstinence-only sex education to censor teachers and
exclude parents’ input.
“This study shows what we already knew - too many
Florida schools
don’t give students the facts they need,” said Adrienne Kimmell,
Healthy Teens Campaign Member and executive director of the Florida Association
of Planned Parenthood Affiliates. “We need to change that.”
Next legislative session, Florida
lawmakers will have another opportunity to protect
Florida teens and ensure they have the
information to lead healthy lives by supporting the Healthy Teens Act.
The Healthy Teens Act requires Florida
public schools that already teach information about sexually transmitted
infections, family planning, and pregnancy to provide medically-accurate and
comprehensive sex education – including facts about abstinence and
methods of preventing unintended pregnancy and the spread of diseases.
Floridians overwhelmingly support comprehensive sex education and want
to protect our families and our teens’ futures. Polling from
Hamilton-Beattie & Staff and Public Opinion Strategies shows that an
overwhelming 78% of Florida registered voters
support a proposal that would require sex education to be taught in
Florida public
schools.
“This report should serve as the final warning bell for
Florida lawmakers that
we need to provide our teens with the information they need to make responsible
decisions,” added Kimmell. “We need the Healthy Teens Act to
protect the education and futures of our teens.”
The full text of the study “Sexuality Education in
Florida : Content,
Context, and Controversy” is available in the American Journal of Sexuality Education, Vol. 3(2), 2008.
###
The Healthy Teens
Campaign is a broad-based coalition of organizations working together to
advocate for comprehensive sex education in Florida
public schools to improve the health and safety of
Florida teens. More information available
at: www.HealthyTeensFlorida.org
