Sexuality Education for Life - Minnesota Coalition
August 2007 E-Newsletter
Sexuality Education for Life - Minnesota is a coalition of educational, religious, health, social service and advocacy organizations, as well as concerned individuals that promotes lifelong healthy sexuality by advocating for policies on comprehensive sexuality education and access to confidential health care services.
National Update
House Passes Spending Bill That Increases Abstinence Only Until Marriage Program Funding
The House recently voted to approve a $27.8 million increase in funding for Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) programs. Comprehensive sex education advocates have expressed disappointment with the House decision to increase funding for programs that have not shown effectiveness in adolescent sexual health outcomes. Advocates plan to continue work to remedy this decision. The bill has not yet been acted on in the Senate.
Visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/news/press/071907.htm to read a press release from Advocates for Youth. For more information, visit http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=46362
House Passes Bill Reauthorizing Title V with Important Modifications
Last week the House voted to reauthorize Title V for two additional years. Historically a source of Federal funding for states to operate abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, this reauthorization includes several modifications allowing for increasing state flexibility. If adopted by the Senate and signed by the President, these modifications would provide the first Federal funding stream for comprehensive sex ed programs in the nations history. To read more about the state flexibility provisions visit
http://www.siecus.org/media/press/press0149.html
Sex Ed for Life Workshop – RSVP Today!
Clarifying the Message: Advocating for Change
Featured speaker Glynis Shea, Communications Coordinator at the Knopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health at the University of Minnesota.
September 26, 2007
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave South, Minneapolis
Free workshop.
With science and public opinion on our side, why is there still debate over policies, like comprehensive sex education, that educate and improve the lives of young people? How can we combine storytelling with facts to create a compelling message? It’s time to learn more about how to frame the needs of adolescents in our communities in a way that connects with the general public and promotes science based public policies. To RSVP for this event, please fax or e-mail the completed registration form to Amy Kodet, MOAPPP Policy Intern at publicpolicyintern@moappp.org or fax 651.644.1417. For additional questions please call 651.644.1447 x17. For the registration form please see http://www.sexedforlife.org/handouts/2007/Septmeetingregistrationflyer.pdf.
Other Events
Sex Ed and the State
September 20, 2007
5:30pm
Riverview Theater
3800 42nd Avenue South, Minneapolis
When a bill is supported by strong research, a Surgeon General's report and an overwhelming majority of Americans - what happens when it's introduced in the Minnesota state legislature? "Sex Ed and the State" is a documentary about comprehensive sexuality education in public schools. Minnesota lawmakers give interviews, along with advocates, opponents, educators and other stakeholders in the debate over the best strategy to fight adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The event is free and open to the public. The film is directed and produced by Jim Winkle. To view a film clip and obtain more information, visit http://www.sexedmovie.com/.
In the News
Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona said the Bush administration routinely blocked him from speaking out or issuing reports on human embryonic stem cell research, abstinence-only sex education, emergency contraception and other sensitive public health issues while he was serving in the position. Carmona went on to say, "The problem with this approach is that in public health, as in a democracy, there is nothing worse than ignoring science or marginalizing the voice of science for reasons driven by changing political winds."
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=46132
Former Surgeon General Decries Lack of Sex Education
Former US Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders at a Community Health Centers of Arkansas summit on health care said the lack of sex education in the nation is "deafening" and makes children vulnerable to sexual assault and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). (Source: Wiest, Times Record, 8/16/2007).
Abstinence-Only Sex Education Programs Not Effective at Preventing Spread of HIV in High-Income Countries
A recent study conducted at the University of Oxford found that abstinence-only programs had no significant effect in either decreasing or increasing risky behavior when compared with control groups. For more details about the study results, visit http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=46855. The study abstract is available online.
Resources
NEW! Fast Facts from Healthy Teen Network
Healthy Teen Network announces the release of three NEW Fast Facts fact sheets on the following topics in adolescent health:
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (PDF)
Abstinence-Only-Until- Marriage Programs (PDF)
Sexually Transmitted Infections (PDF)
Myths & Facts about Sex Education
This document explores some of the claims that have been put forward to support federal funding for abstinence-only education rather than for comprehensive sex education. To view the fact sheet, visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/factshee t/fssexedmythsfacts.htm.
The Facts: The History of Federal Abstinence- Only Funding
This document presents the eight-point definition of abstinence-only education, and discusses federal funding streams for abstinence-only, the content required of funded curricula, and programs' administration and oversight. To view the fact sheet, visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/factshee t/fshistoryabonly.pdf.
*See also the Policy Brief, "Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs: Ineffective, Unethical, and Poor Public Health."
Heterosexism in Abstinence- Only-Until-Marriage Programs
This new fact sheet from the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the US (SIECUS) details abstinence-only-until-marriage programs assume all young people are heterosexual and stigmatize anyone who isn't. For more information, visit http://www.communityactionkit.org/reviews/PrideOrPrej udice.html.
Research
Defining Virginity and Abstinence
The current study examined adolescent conceptualizations of virginity and abstinence and whether differences in adolescent definitions of these terms differed by age, gender, ethnicity and sexual experience. (Bersamin, M.M., et al. (2007). Defining Virginity and Abstinence: Adolescents' Interpretations of Sexual Behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health Volume, 41(2),182-188).
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Sexuality Education for Life-Minnesota is a coalition of educational, religious, health, social service and advocacy organizations, as well as concerned individuals that promotes lifelong healthy sexuality by advocating for policies on comprehensive sexuality education and access to confidential health care services. Sexuality Education for Life-Minnesota is coordinated by Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting and Minnesota AIDS Project.
The SEFL Coalition is supported by the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation, and the Public Welfare Foundation.
For more information on the SEFL Coalition, go to Sex Ed for Life. Please forward this information on to others interested in supporting the health of Minnesota youth and encourage them to sign up at Sex Ed for Life.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, e-mail Lorie Alveshere, subject line: unsubscribe Sex Ed for Life.