June 30, 2007

Federal Updates

Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched Parents Speak Up, a national media campaign to encourage parents to talk to their preteen and teenage children early and often about waiting to have sex. The campaign includes a public service announcement that features kids who invite their parents to talk to them about sex, their values and how waiting can contribute to future success.

Dr. Stan Koutstaal is named Director of the Abstinence Education Division of the Family and Youth Services Bureau.

Media Stories

All Grown Up and Still Not "That Kind of Girl"
NiaOnline.com, June 27, 2007

Abstaining as Protection
The New York Sun, June 26, 2007

Sex-Ed Curriculum Concerns Parents of Newark Preteens
The Fremont (CA) Argus, June 26, 2007

New Sex Education Campaign Aimed at Parents
Associated Press, June 22, 2007

Parents Urged to Talk About Sex to Teens
United Press International, June 22, 2007

Abstinence Only Instruction
Newtown (PA) OpEdNews, June 22, 2007

HHS Counters With Its Own Sex-Ed Critique
The Washington Post, June 21, 2007

Activist Groups Try Again to Block Montgomery's Sex-Ed Curriculum
The Baltimore (MD) Business Gazette, June 20, 2007

Abstinence-Only Programs Face Waning Federal Support
Roundtable on Religion and Social Policy, June 19, 2007

Condom Packaging May Change to List Limits
Phoenix (AZ) Republic, June 14, 2007 (free registration required)

Study: More 'Condoms' Than 'Abstinence' in Sex-Ed
The Washington Times, June 14, 2007
(Note: A link to the study profiled in this article is provided in the Research section.)

Funding Opportunities

The National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth maintains a listing of organizations identified as potential funding sources for abstinence education programs. The listing includes grant descriptions and contact information.

Compassion Capital Fund Communities Empowering Youth Program – Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-2007-ACF-OCS-IC-0141)
ACF will award funds to build the organizational capacity of experienced organizations, their collaborating faith-based and/or community partners, and the resulting community collaborations to better meet the needs of America's disadvantaged youth. The applicant will assist its collaborating faith-based and/or community partners through training, technical assistance, and financial assistance. Deadline for applications: July 10, 2007

Head Start Healthy Marriage Initiative Project Grants – Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-2007-ACF-OHS-YD-0040)
HHS will award grants ranging from $10,000 to $500,000 to existing Head Start grantees. Awardees will partner with other community organizations to offer a full range of practical skill-building sessions on communication, joint decision making, parenting, managing of family budgets, conflict resolution, and other elements to enhance family stabilization for fragile families (low-income families, single-parent families, teenage parents, unwed and/or new or expectant parents). Eligible applicants include Head Start grantees in partnership with organizations that have demonstrated successful experience with delivering skills-based marriage education services. Deadline for applications: July 19, 2007

Recent Research

The Effects of Marriage on Mental Health: A Synthesis of Recent Research Evidence – Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (June 2007)
The authors of this 68-page report, funded by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, examined the impact of marriage on five domains of health outcomes: (1) health behaviors; (2) health care access and use; (3) mental health; (4) physical health and longevity; and (5) intergenerational health effects. After studying the research literature, the authors conclude that marriage leads to measurable health benefits in all areas, including decreased alcohol consumption, increased access to and use of health care, and decreased depressive symptoms.

The Review of Comprehensive Sex Education Curricula – Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (May 2007)
In this analysis of nine comprehensive sex education (CSE) programs, the authors examined the content and evaluations of CSE curricula. Overall, the authors found that CSE curricula show small positive impacts on increasing condom use among youth, but small and short-lived impacts on delaying sexual debut. Most curricula contained some level of medical inaccuracy. All of the programs devote significant time to obtaining condoms and condom demonstration, but generally do not emphasize the risks of condom failure, particularly among adolescents.

"Abstinence" or "Comprehensive" Sex Education?
The authors of this eight-page paper consider the current debate over the effectiveness of abstinence education and comprehensive sex education programs, reviewing a significant body of research on the topic (41 references included). They describe studies demonstrating the effectiveness of abstinence education, and identify characteristics that make particular programs successful.

Upcoming Events

Coming this summer for CBAE grantees:
Technical Assistance Module on Nonprofit Staffing
Technical Assistance Conference Call on the TA Module for Nonprofit Staffing
Technical Assistance Web Cast on Reaching High-Risk Populations
Look for more information about these events from Pal-Tech, Inc.

In the Spotlight

Oklahoma State Department of Health, Abstinence Education Program
Teen pregnancy and childbearing remains a significant public health problem for Oklahoma. Even though the state's teen birth rates for 15-17-year-olds have decreased, they are still more than 34 percent higher than the national average. As a result, the Oklahoma State Department of Health's Abstinence Program focuses on teens that reside in counties with the highest numbers or rates of teen births; the program has placed particular emphasis on 13-15-year-olds. This past year, Oklahoma's programs taught abstinence education to 10,168 youth in grades 6 through 12, providing 3 to 15 classroom sessions per student. This represented a total of 65,763 classroom hours. The Abstinence Education Program also provides knowledge and skills training to parents of preteens and early teens to enable them to talk with their youth about postponing sexual activity and remaining abstinent until marriage. Many of the parents are eager to learn but have difficulty adding such programs into their demanding schedules. To address this need, the Abstinence Program became creative in reaching parents at school gatherings, community groups, home parties, and church settings. Providing incentives and developing marketing strategies were key elements to this parent participation. For further information about reaching parents and high-risk youth, contact Marilyn Lanphier, RN, MPH, Abstinence Education Coordinator.

Quote for the Day

"Many agree, including all of us at Planned Parenthood of Collier County [Florida], that abstinence works. It is the only sure way to prevent unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and abortions."

(Char Weldon, Naples (FL) Daily News, June 12, 2007)