Sexuality Education for Life - Minnesota Coalition

June 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 Session

Minnesota Update – 2007 Session Summary

Responsible Family Life and Sexuality Education

’07 Legislative Session Update – Responsible Sex Education

Despite overwhelming evidence of its efficacy and incontrovertible support from Minnesota parents, the changes proposed to improve the state’s current statute were stripped from the final E-12 Education bill sent to the Governor at the close of the session.

The new, updated language had emerged intact from the Education Conference Committee, and was still in the bill the Senate planned to hear on the floor the final day of session. But during last minute negotiations with the Governor the language was taken out, after he signaled his opposition to comprehensive sex education.

Several legislators played a key role in keeping the language alive until the end. Bill authors Senator Sandy Pappas and Representative Neva Walker as well as Conference Committee members Representatives Mindy Greiling and Carlos Mariani and Senator Tarryl Clark deserve our thanks. But they also need to know how disappointed we all are that young people’s well-being will continue to be jeopardized because of lack of credible information about sexual health.

Join the coalition as an agency partner or individual member and contribute your voice to the continuing effort to bring science-based approaches to Minnesota classrooms. To join the Sex Ed for Life Coalition, visit http://www.sexedforlife.org/join.htm.

For more information on what happened this session, contact Lorie Alveshere, MOAPPP Policy Director at lorie@moappp.org or Amy Brugh, MN AIDS Project Public Policy Director at amy.brugh@mnaidsproject.org.

National Update

U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee Approves Increase in Abstinence Education Grants

On June 7, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations decided to increase funding for the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) grants despite overwhelming scientific evidence that the abstinence-only-until-marriage programs it supports do not work. This is particularly surprising since it was widely believed that the programs would be cut or eliminated by the new Congress. For more information, please visit http://www.sexedforlife.org/e-newsletters/CBAEFundingIncreaseRelease_06_07_07.pdf.

The Nation Publishes Expose on the Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Industry

The Nation recently published a lengthy expose on the many mutually beneficial and lucrative financial relationships in the abstinence -only-until-marriage industry. Be sure to read this piece to get a sense of how widespread the issue is. To read the full article visit http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070618/reynolds.

In the News

Abstinence-Only Education Ineffective in Preventing, Delaying Sex Among Teens, Study Says

On Friday, April 13th, Mathematica Policy Research Inc. released their report on the impact of abstinence-only programs. The report, conducted for DHHS and authorized by Congress in 1997, found that abstinence-only programs are ineffective. Specifically, the study found that youth in abstinence-only programs were no more likely than control groups to have abstained from sex in the four to six years after the study began. Youth in both abstinence-only and control groups who reported having had sex also had similar numbers of sexual partners and had initiated sex at the same average age.

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44263

To read local press coverage of this report as well as the full Mathematica report, visit the web links listed below:

KARE 11 - Study: Participants in abstinence programs had sex at same rate as non-participants

Mathematica press release

Full Matematica report (PDF)

Funding for State-level Abstinence Programs Likely to Drop

Congress will likely allow the $50 million annual budget allocation for state-level abstinence programs to expire on June 30. Observers believe this is due in part to the fact that several states have refused the funds in the last year. While this signals progress, Congressional leaders are now planning to increase the funds for failed community-based abstinence programs (see summary in National Update). Read more about the state-level funding here.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/16/AR2007051602298.html

Actions Taken on Sex Education-Related Legislation in Colorado, Iowa, Washington

For highlights and recent news about sex education-related legislation around the U.S. visit http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44225

HHS Should Enforce Federal Law That Abstinence Education Programs Teach 'Medically Accurate' Information, ACLU Letter Says

In a letter sent April 27 to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on behalf of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States and Advocates for Youth, the American Civil Liberties Union, said that the agency should enforce a federal law that states abstinence education must include “medically accurate” information about condom effectiveness.

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44574

Resources

Helping Teens Stay Healthy and Safe: Health Care, Birth Control and Confidential Services

The Helping Teens Stay Healthy & Safe series of brochures offers guidance to health care providers, teens, and parents of teens about ways they can deliver, receive, and support adolescents' access to confidential contraceptive services. The full report, Confidential Contraceptive Services for Adolescents , from Healthy Teen Network and the Center for Adolescent Health and the Law, discusses how many states in the US do not have explicit laws authorizing minors to consent for contraceptive services, causing great confusion among teens, parents and providers.

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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.