Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed 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 responsible sexuality education and access to confidential health care services.
National Update – Federal Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs
25 States Now Rejecting Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding
Congress recently approved a one-year funding extension for Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, despite repeated research findings that fail to show these programs are effective at achieving healthy outcomes for youth. As of August 2008, 25 states have now refused this funding. States have rejected the funding for different reasons, but most have cited a conflict with the restrictive requirements regarding the implementation of ineffective programs. Read this fact sheet to learn more.
To see how Minnesota compares to other states when it comes to receiving federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, view the state-by-state comparison prepared by SIECUS.
In other news, the federal Administration for Children and Families released the application announcement for the next round of Title V funding for states, and indicated that funding would be available for five years, although Congress has only approved funding for one year.
The $50 million in federal funds for state abstinence-only-until-marriage programs is just one of the funding streams supporting abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. An additional $154 million is provided to community organizations across the country through the Administration for Children and Families' Community Based Abstinence Education program and Adolescent Family Life Act. Read more at www.nomoremoney.org.
Upcoming Coalition Events
Save the Date!
Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed Annual Meeting
October 21, 2008
9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Please join us for our annual fall event and hear highlights of local and state initiatives to bring sex education to classrooms across the state. More details to follow. Mark your calendars today!
Research
HIV Prevention Education and HIV-Related Policies in Secondary Schools --- Selected Sites, United States, 2006
The CDC analyzed data from the national 2006 School Health Profiles to determine the prevalence and extent of HIV prevention education and the prevalence of HIV infection policies among public secondary schools. The results of that analysis indicated that, in 2006, the majority of secondary schools included HIV prevention in a required health education course; however, few secondary schools taught all 11 topics listed in the questionnaire related to HIV prevention. Other findings can be read at www.cdc.gov.
Resources
SIECUS State Profiles
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States annually publishes a report of sexuality education and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in the United States. Read the SIECUS press release and report. To view Minnesota’s state profile, visit www.siecus.org.
Beyond Ideology, Politics and Guesswork: The Case for Evidence-Based Policy
This brief from the Urban Institute makes the case that good data analysis can answer a fundamental question: Will proposed policies work? To view the brief, visit www.urban.org (PDF).