Sexuality Education for Life - Minnesota Coalition

February 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.

2007 Legislative Update

We’re on Our Way!

The 2007 legislative session began January 3, 2007.  Since then we have made significant progress with the Comprehensive Sexuality Education bill.  The bill has been introduced in both the House and the Senate as HF 615/SF 588.  Stay tuned for more information as the session progresses.

What can you do to support Comprehensive Sexuality Education?

•         Talk to your legislators!  If they have signed on as an author, thank them with a call or e-mail.  Bill authors can be found at HF 615 and SF 588 .  If they haven’t, urge them to support HF 615/SF 588.  You can find your legislator at districtfinder.com.

•         Stay Tuned!  Watch for action alerts and issue updates on HF 615 and SF 588.  Sign up for MyBill, a free service that allows you to track bills as they progress through the legislature.

Upcoming 2007 SEFL Events – RSVP Today!

Youth Advisory Group Meeting

March 2, 2007

3:30 - 4:30pm 

Help plan the 2007 SEFL Youth Lobby Day at the Capitol!   

Youth who have previously attended a lobby day & newly interested youth are invited to have input into planning this year’s event.  Youth and young adults interested in participating in this year’s Youth Advisory Group meeting should contact Laura at MOAPPP at 651.644.1447 x17 or publicpolicyintern.org. 

SEFL Youth Lobby Day at the Capitol  

March 28, 2007

Time To be determined

State Capitol

Youth and their parents will learn about the legislative process and issues surrounding comprehensive sexuality education and minors' consent.  Please join us for this opportunity to learn about SEFL issues, hear from advocates and legislators, and if schedules permit to meet with the legislators from your district.  For more information contact Laura at MOAPPP at 651.644.1447 x17 or publicpolicyintern.org. 

In the News

SIECUS and Partners Host Summit for State Advocates

Minnesota advocates were among those brought together to share best practices and strategies for exposing the dangers of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and promoting comprehensive sexuality education at the state level. For additional details visit

SIECUS.Org.

Bill Introduced That Would Require Washington Schools To Provide Medically Accurate Sex Education; Survey Finds Curricula Differences Across State

A bill recently introduced would require school districts in the state that provide sex education to teach medically and scientifically accurate information, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.  A report recently released by the Healthy Youth Alliance found that about one-third of Washington school districts do not allow teachers to discuss condoms or other forms of contraceptives and that 20% of such school districts teach that abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. To learn more, visit the report at Kaisernetwork.org.

GAO Report Sites Administration for Children and Families for Lapse in Supervision of Abstinence-Only Programs

The Government Accountability Office called the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to task for failing to provide adequate oversight of the information disseminated through federal abstinence-only programs.  To read the full press release, please visit: Advocates for Youth.

Parent Opinion of Sexuality Education in a State with Mandated Abstinence Education: Does Policy Match Parental Preference?
The survey measured parental support for sex education in North Carolina public schools in grades K- 12 and for 20 sex education topics.  The authors concluded that current state-mandated abstinence sexuality education does not match parental preference for comprehensive sexuality education in North Carolina public schools. (Ito, K.E. et al. (2006). Parent Opinion of Sexuality Education in a State with Mandated Abstinence Education: Does Policy Match Parental Preference? . Journal of Adolescent Health, 39(5),634- 641). Volume 39, Issue 5, Pages 634-641 (November 2006).

Resources

New resource – Confidential Adolescent Health Care
The Center for Adolescent Health and Law has produced a policy compendium that includes material drawn from 20 medical and health care organization policies regarding confidentiality in adolescent health care. The information is excerpted from organizational position statements; resolutions; position or policy papers and can be found at the Center for Adolescent Health and the Law

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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.