February 6, 2008Media Stories
Abstinence is Focus of Free Classes for Teens
The Winchester (VA) Star, January 28, 2008
Teach Youth To Resist Pressure
Indianapolis Star, January 27, 2008
Are Condoms the Answer to Rising Rates of Non-HIV Sexually Transmitted Infection? No
British Medical Journal, January 26, 2008
Pregnant Teens Talk About Life as Young Moms
ABC News, January 23, 2008
Lexington District's Sex Education Plan Stirs Sharp Debate
The State (SC), January 22, 2008
‘American Idol’ Virgin Fires Back at Seacrest
CNSNews.com, January 21, 2008
Latinas' Decisions About Sexual Debut Influenced by Sense of Personal Control
Medical News Today, January 19, 2008
Abstinence Program Promotes Healthy Choices for Teenagers
Erie (PA) Times-News, January 17, 2008
Teens with Positive Attitudes Toward Delaying Sex Less Likely To Initiate Sex
Medical News Today, January 15, 2008
HPV Infections Common Among Women Who've Only Had One Partner
The Canadian Press, January 13, 2008
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.
American Young Ambassadors Program
Thirty young people, ages 15-18, with significant academic, athletic, and/or public service accomplishments will be selected to represent the United States as Young Ambassadors-at-Large at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Due date for applications: March 3, 2008
Recent Research
Predicting Sexual Initiation in a Prospective Cohort Study of Adolescents (January 2008)
In this study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (Volume 162 (1): 55-59), researchers concluded that adolescent beliefs and attitudes about sexual behavior are highly predictive of sexual debut. A total of 7,661 participants ages 12 to 17 completed the PSI (postponing sexual initiation) scale in 1999 and the follow-up survey in 2000. Boys and girls who indicated that they might or would initiate sex were significantly more likely to report having sex the following year. Teens were less likely to initiate sexual activity if they thought their peers were not having sex; reported that they had not met the right person; stated that it was against their personal beliefs; and reported that parents and doctors objected to it. Fear of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections did not affect adolescent decisions to have sex.
Adolescent Predictors of Emerging Adult Sexual Patterns (December 2006)
In this study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health (Volume 39 (6): 926.e1-926.e10), researchers looked at 11,407 respondents, ages 18-27, who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. About 8 percent of the respondents were virgins, 2 percent were virgins until marriage, and 90 percent had sex before marriage. Compared with those who had vaginal intercourse before marriage, those who were virgins at the time of the study were younger, non-Black, not advanced in physical maturity relative to their peers, had higher body mass, were more religious, and perceived parental disapproval of sex during adolescence. Those who had postponed sex until marriage were also more religious than those who had sex prior to marriage, and they were older.
Other News/Misc.
The State of Our Unions: The Social Health of Marriage in America (2007)
This 2007 report by the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University features an essay by David Popenoe entitled “The Future of Marriage in America.”
Ever wonder about the lyrics teens listen to today? It is often difficult to grasp a song’s meaning because of the speed of the music, the voice of the singer, or the slang used in the song. Evaluate the abstinence messages in today’s music by looking at the lyrics at www.lyrics.com.
Upcoming Events
Abstinence Education Grantees Regional Training
CBAE grantees and State Title V Coordinators in Regions 5 through 7
April 2–3, 2008
Dallas, TX
Registration: TBA
Contact: abstinence@pal-tech.com
Abstinence Education Grantees Regional Training
CBAE grantees and State Title V Coordinators in Regions 8 through 10
May 14–15, 2008
Denver, CO
Registration: TBA
Contact: abstinence@pal-tech.com
Abstinence Education Grantees Regional Training
CBAE grantees and State Title V Coordinators in Regions 1 through 4
June 23–24, 2008
Philadelphia, PA
Registration: TBA
Contact: abstinence@pal-tech.com
Spotlight
The Abstinence Education E-Update Spotlight has highlighted various topics, from new Federal staff to effective State programs. Now, NCFY will highlight two States a month, looking at each State’s legislation, policy, and specific State features related to abstinence education.
HAWAII
What’s interesting in the State of Hawaii
Hawaii’s four counties are actually seven islands separated by water: Hawaii (Hawaii Island), Maui (Maui, Molokai and Lanai), Kauai (Kauai and Niihau) and Honolulu (Oahu). Hawaii is ethnically diverse, as are its counties. Hawaii County is 29 percent Hawaiians/part-Hawaiians. Honolulu includes Japanese (18 percent) and Chinese (5 percent). Kauai has the largest proportion of Filipinos (17 percent), and Maui has the largest proportion of Caucasians (34 percent).
There are two CBAE grantees currently serving middle and high schools in Honolulu and Maui counties. In addition, the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii (BGCH), based in Oahu, implements an after-school abstinence program that reaches out to the neighboring island communities through large community abstinence awareness events for youth and families at least once a year.
State Law in Hawaii
Board of Education Policy 2110 requires the Department of Education to instruct students that “abstinence from sexual intercourse is the surest and most responsible way to prevent unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and consequent emotional distress.” Grades or levels are not specified, however, and the State does not require schools to follow a specific curriculum. Health education may include a discussion of birth control devices, though the distribution of condoms and other prophylactic devices are prohibited in the classroom, on school campuses, or at any school-related activity (Policy 2245). The Content and Performance Standards for Health Education lists sexual health among the content areas. In middle school, students evaluate the short- and long-term benefits and consequences associated with the risk/content areas that are most important to them, such as delaying sexual activity or avoiding possible pregnancy or STD infection.
What’s Unique in the State of Hawaii
The SMART Moves (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) prevention/education program addresses the problems of drug and alcohol use and premature sexual activity. The program uses a team approach involving Club staff, peer leaders, parents and community representatives. The community-based abstinence curriculum teaches young people, ages 10-12, how to make healthy decisions by involving them in discussion and role playing, practicing resistance and refusal skills, developing assertiveness, strengthening decision making skills and analyzing media and peer influence. Peer mentors, ages 13 to 17, trained adults, and program leaders instruct the youth on how to develop positive communication skills and establish healthy relationships. The SMART Moves program is one of several youth community programs, including character and leadership programs, sports and recreational programs, education and career development programs and arts and cultural education programs which are offered throughout the state.
IDAHO
What’s Interesting in the State of Idaho
There are currently no Federally funded abstinence programs in the State of Idaho.
State Law in Idaho
According to Idaho Code 33-1608, the primary responsibility for family life and sex education, including moral responsibility, rests upon the home and the church. The schools can only complement and supplement those standards that are established in the family. If a local school board selects a family life and sex education program, it must include the following:
a. Major emphasis in such a program should be to assist the home in giving them the knowledge and appreciation of the important place the family home holds in the social system of our culture, its place in the family and the responsibility which will be there much later when they establish their own families.
b. The program should supplement the work in the home and the church in giving youth the scientific, physiological information for understanding sex and its relation to the miracle of life, including knowledge of the power of the sex drive and the necessity of controlling that drive by self-discipline.
c. The program should focus upon helping youth acquire a background of ideals and standards and attitudes which will be of value to him now and later when he chooses a mate and establishes his own family.
In addition, according to Idaho Code 33-1610, school districts must include parents and school district community groups in the planning, development, evaluation, and revision of any sex education instruction adopted by a local school board.
According to the Idaho Content Standards Grade 9-12 Health (PDF), students should be able to:
- assess the consequences of sexual activity (unplanned pregnancy, STDs, emotional distress).
- identify prevention strategies that address positive behaviors and their benefits.
- evaluate the psychological, social, emotional, and physical implications of human sexuality in developing and maintaining a responsible and healthy lifestyle.
Quote of the Day
“The analogy that I've heard about HPV is that it's the common cold of the STI (sexually transmitted infections) world. If you leave the house in the winter you're probably going to catch a cold at one point. And HPV is very much like that. If you're sexually active, you're quite likely to get it at least one point in your life."
(Ann Burchell, PhD, McGill University, The Canadian Press, January 13, 2008)
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