For Immediate Release                                                   Contact:  Stephanie Kunkel
October 22, 2009                                     850-425-5097

New Reviews Expose the Shortcomings of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Curricula Used in Florida; Need for Comprehensive Sex Education Funding

Tallahassee, Florida – The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) held its 7th annual “Back to School” Briefing on the Hill this week.  The briefing reviewed abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula currently used in federally funded programs in Florida, and explored how, this year, the federal government is transitioning to eliminate funding for existing abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and, in their stead, fund more evidence-based and comprehensive approaches to sex education. In Fiscal year 2008, the Department of Health and community-based organizations in Florida received $13,101,054 in federal funds for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.  As these funds disappear and are shifted to a more comprehensive approach, all providers of sexuality education throughout the state must be prepared for a different climate and set of challenges.

“For too long, Florida has hosted and used these failed, abstinence-only-until-marriage programs,” said Stephanie Kunkel, Healthy Teens Campaign member and Legislative and Field Director of the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates.  “When we see the reviews of some of the harmful curricula that are being used in Florida, coupled with the knowledge that Congress is on the verge of funding real, comprehensive sexuality education, we know that now is a real moment of change and action.”

Different schools across Florida use one of the curricula series reviewed by SIECUS at today’s briefing: Choosing the Best.  Full reviews and summaries of the programs and different curricula in the Choosing the Best series can be found at www.siecus.org/reviews.

Choosing the Best relies on messages of fear and shame, misleading information, and biased views of marriage and sexual orientation. In addition, the format and underlying biases of the curriculum do not allow for cultural, community, and individual values. Instead, they discourage critical thinking and discussions of alternative points of view in the classroom.

This study comes on the heels of a 2009 report outlining the status of sexual health and sex education in Florida, by the Healthy Teens Campaign and SIECUS.  The report, Sex Education in the Sunshine State: How Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs Are Keeping Florida’s Youth in the Dark, found that young people in Florida are currently experiencing some of the worst sexual health outcomes in the country and yet, are also subjected to ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs more than youth in any other state with the exception of Texas.

“As a state, we cannot continue to deny Florida teens the education and information that is necessary for them to make healthy and safe life decisions as they grow older,” added Kunkel.  “Our Legislature has the opportunity to ensure that all teens have the tools to protect themselves and make responsible decisions.  It’s time to pass the Healthy Teens Act and provide our teens with age-appropriate sex education.”

The Healthy Teens Act (by Sen. Ted Deutch (D-30) and Rep. Fitzgerald (D-69)) 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.  In 2007 Florida ranked 5th highest in new reported cases of HIV and 3rd highest in new reported cases of AIDS.   Young people are increasingly impacted by the high rate of HIV infection. In 2007, persons under the age of 25 accounted for 15 percent of new HIV infections in the state.   Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing are also major health concerns in Florida with the state’s teen pregnancy rate 6th highest in the nation.

For more information please contact Stephanie.Kunkel@fappa.org.

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Healthy Teens Campaign is a broad-based group of over 115 public health, faith-based, education, and medical organizations working together to advocate for comprehensive sex education in Florida public schools to improve the health and safety of Florida teens.  www.HealthyTeensFlorida.org

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                  CONTACT: Adrienne Kimmell, 941.923.5500
July 20, 2009

HEALTHY TEENS CAMPAIGN CALLS FOR EVIDENCE-BASED SEX EDUCATION IN RESPONSE TO CDC STUDY

Florida has 5th highest rate of new HIV infections; 6th highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation

Sarasota, FL — In response to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report released on Friday, Florida’s Healthy Teens Campaign calls for statewide standards for sex education to ensure that Florida teens have comprehensive sex education that is age-appropriate, including the facts that help protect them from diseases that threaten their health. 

CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) examines the sexual health of young adults and teenagers in the U.S. and reveals that many young people in the United States engage in sexual risk behavior and experience negative reproductive health outcomes.  For the report, CDC compiled data from several different studies involving hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young adults age 10 to 25. Among other findings, the data indicated that AIDS rates among boys age 15 to 19 increased from 1.3 cases per 100,000 in 1997 to 2.5 cases in 2006. The report also said that new HIV and AIDS diagnoses were highest among young African-Americans across all age groups.  Further, the findings showed that about one-third of adolescents hadn’t received instruction on methods of birth control before age 18.

“The latest CDC report should serve as a wake-up call for Florida policy makers,” said Adrienne Kimmell, Healthy Teens Campaign member and executive director of the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates. “Abstinence-only programs are failing our teens. We agree with President Obama that it’s time to move forward with commonsense policies and evidence-based programs that achieve our shared goals of effectively preventing unintended pregnancies and the spread of disease.”

Florida has the third highest rate in the nation of new AIDS diagnoses and the fifth highest rate of new HIV infections. In Florida, AIDS-related illnesses are the 9th leading cause of death for teens.  In 2007, persons under the age of 25 accounted for 15 percent of new HIV infections in the state.  Florida has the 6th highest teen birth rate in the nation.   Florida’s teen birth rate also increased in 2006 for the first time in 15 years and is 3 percent higher than the national average. 

While Florida continues to have some of the worst sexual health outcomes in the country, there are still no statewide standards for sex education.  According to a 2007 University of Florida study, Florida teens are getting too little information, too late.  A recent report by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) and the Healthy Teens Campaign found that abstinence-only programs in Florida provide inaccurate and outdated information, reinforce gender stereotypes, and rely on fear and shame-based tactics to discourage sexual activity.   Numerous studies have analyzed abstinence-only programs and found them to be ineffective.

President Barack Obama has consistently supported comprehensive and age-appropriate sex education.  President Obama’s budget rejects failed abstinence-only programs that have cost our government more than $1 billion and, instead, invests in evidence-based sex education programs that have been proven effective.

“We know that too many Florida schools don’t give students the facts they need.  We need to change that by passing the Healthy Teens Act,” added Kimmell.  “Our youth need comprehensive sex education that is age-appropriate, including the facts that help protect them from unintended pregnancy and the spread of disease.”

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. 

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Healthy Teens Campaign is a broad-based group of over 97 public health, faith-based, education, and medical organizations working together to advocate for comprehensive sex education in Florida public schools to improve the health and safety of Florida teens.  www.HealthyTeensFlorida.org

PLANNED PARENTHOOD STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S 2010 BUDGET

Ends Ineffective Abstinence-Only Programs,
Provides New Funding for Evidence-Based Comprehensive Sex Education —
Missed Opportunities to Strengthen Title X
And Ensure Women’s Access to Full Range of Care <!--break->

“As our nation works to strengthen women’s health care, there is both good and bad news in this budget. While the budget is a step in the right direction toward reducing alarmingly high unintended pregnancy rates and helping ensure that young people have the information and health care they need to become healthy and productive adults, it misses an opportunity to build on one of the nation’s most effective programs in reducing unintended pregnancies,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA).

Notable items in the Obama FY2010 Budget include: 

—Ends funding for ineffective abstinence-only programs (CBAE and Title V program)
—Provides $178 million for evidence-based comprehensive sex education programs that prevent teen pregnancy
—Provides a modest $10 million increase in the Title X family planning program, to a total of $317 million
—Extends access to basic health care to millions more women through the Medicaid State Option Family Planning Waiver
—Does not remove onerous restrictions on women’s ability to access the full range of reproductive health care

SEX EDUCATION

“President Obama’s budget makes clear that the government won’t waste federal dollars on programs that don’t reduce the number of teen pregnancies or keep teens healthy and safe. We applaud the president for rejecting failed abstinence-only programs that have cost our government more than $1 billion and, instead, invest in evidence-based sex ed programs that have proven to help prevent teen pregnancy,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards.

President Obama’s budget completely eliminates funding for the Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program and the Title V Abstinence Education program for states, saving the federal government $149 million. In addition, the president’s budget includes $178 million in new funding for “evidence-based” teen pregnancy prevention programs. Of that, $75 million is designated for “programs that replicate the elements of one or more teenage pregnancy prevention programs that have been proven through rigorous evaluation to delay sexual activity, increase contraceptive use (without increasing sexual activity), or reduce teenage pregnancy”; and $25 million is slotted for research and development of new and innovative strategies for preventing teen pregnancy.

FAMILY PLANNING

“We commend the investment in women’s health and the commitment to make family planning and basic health care services, including lifesaving cancer screenings, more accessible and affordable to millions of low-income women and their families,” said Richards. “Yet, at a time when health centers like ours are seeing an increase in the number of women seeking basic preventive care, the president’s budget misses an opportunity to further invest and strengthen the Title X program.  Title X is a vital component of the health care safety net and one of the most effective programs in reducing the number of unintended pregnancies. We will continue to work with President Obama and Congress to ensure that Title X and women’s health are priorities as they move toward reform of our health care system.”

President Obama’s budget provides a modest $10 million increase in the Title X program, the nation’s family planning program, for a total of $317 million. The Title X family planning program provides basic health care to more than five million women and families. Six in 10 clients consider a family planning center their main source of health care. However, funding has not kept pace with inflation, and more than 17 million women are in need of publicly funded family planning services. Investing in the Title X program also saves money. According to the Guttmacher Institute, taxpayers save $4 for every $1 dollar spent on family planning. 

President Obama’s budget also includes a provision to expand family planning under Medicaid, which would extend family planning coverage to millions more women. 

Expanding family planning under Medicaid has been one of Planned Parenthood’s top priorities under our Prevention First Agenda. Also known as the Medicaid Family Planning State Option, it would simply allow states to expand their Medicaid family planning services, including cancer screenings and other preventive care, to more women in need, without having to go through the burdensome Medicaid waiver process.

The Medicaid Family Planning State Option would have a significant impact on women’s health and is vital to expanding care to the millions of women who are losing their jobs and/or their health insurance in this economic downturn. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this provision would provide coverage to 2.3 million low-income women by 2014. A study by the Guttmacher Institute finds that this flexible option would help 500,000 women avoid unplanned pregnancy.

ABORTION RESTRICTIONS

An additional aspect of concern is that the president’s budget does not remove government funding restrictions on abortion services. Restrictions on public funding for abortion services have severely hindered access to safe abortion care for women, disproportionately affecting poor women.

“We are disappointed that the budget did not remove restrictions on women’s ability to access the full range of reproductive health care services,” said Richards. “Placing onerous restrictions on women is not effective public policy. We look forward to working with the president and Congress to remove these restrictions.” 

“As the nation’s leading advocate and provider of women’s reproductive health care, every day we see that the best way to prevent unintended pregnancies and promote healthy families is to invest in family planning programs and ensure more women have access to affordable, quality reproductive health care,” said Richards. “The president’s budget is a step in that direction.”