1 / 31

Let’s Talk about Sex: The Sex Ed Debate

Let’s Talk about Sex: The Sex Ed Debate. Community Pediatrics Caroline Chang. Background. 45% of teens 15-19 have had sexual intercourse (2002) Teens = 25% of the ever sexually active population, but nearly HALF of all new STDs.

onawa
Download Presentation

Let’s Talk about Sex: The Sex Ed Debate

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Let’s Talk about Sex: The Sex Ed Debate Community Pediatrics Caroline Chang

  2. Background • 45% of teens 15-19 have had sexual intercourse (2002) • Teens = 25% of the ever sexually active population, but nearly HALF of all new STDs. • 15- to 19-year-old women had the highest rate of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea compared to any other age/sex group (2007), and it continues to increase

  3. Background • The US has the second highest teen pregnancy rate in developed countries • Similar rate of teen sex, less use of contraception • Recent decline in teen pregnancy rates are 72% (15-17 yo) and 99% (18-19 yo) due to increased use of contraception

  4. New York Statistics • 39% female/45% male high school students reported having sexual intercourse • New York teens have sex with more partners, earlier, than the rest of the country. • Nearly 40,000 teen pregnancies in New York • Abortion rate for teenagers 15-19 second highest in the country. • More than 10% of teens 13-19 diagnosed with HIV in 2005 are in NYC *2005 data

  5. Sex Education Statistics • 89% of public school children receive sex education at least once between 7-12th grades • However, the curriculum varies widely • ~80% teens 15-19-educated prior to 18 on saying no to sex, 2/3 before 9th grade • ~65% of female/male teens 15-19-educated prior to 18 on methods of birth control, 40% before 9th grade • *2002 Data

  6. Parent Sex Education

  7. Comprehensive Sex Ed • Aka abstinence “plus” • Curriculum includes information on both abstinence and contraception • Still teaches abstinence as the preferred choice

  8. Abstinence Only • Abstinence has social, psychological, and health benefits • Unmarried, school-age children are expected to abstain from sex • Abstinence is the only certain way to prevent out-of wedlock pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases • A mutually faithful and monogamous married relationship is the standard for sexual activity • Sexual activity outside marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects • Out-of-wedlock childbearing is likely to harm a child, the parents, and society • How to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increases vulnerability to them • The importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sex *Source: Section 510 (b), Title V of Social Security Act.

  9. Virginity Pledge • Oral or written promise to refrain from sexual activity, usually until marriage • Created in 1993 by an evangelical Christian organizationspread by other Protestant and Catholic groups • By 1995, 13% of American adolescents reported having taken a virginity pledge • US government uses virginity pledges as a measure of success of abstinence-only sex education programs

  10. The Data • Several studies have been performed using regression that showed that girls who took “virginity” pledges were less likely to have had sex 5 years after the pledge compared to non-pledgers • BUT---did not control for other factors

  11. More Data • 2008--Rosenbaum performed a similar study, but controls were matched in age, religiosity, ideals and views on sex and birth control • 5 years after the pledge -82% denied ever making a virginity pledge -no differences in premarital sex, age of first sex, STI’s -fewer of the pledgers used condoms/birth control over the past year

  12. More Data • 2002 Survey of Teens 15-19 showed having some type of sex education BEFORE first sex was associated with: • MALES -71% less likely to have sex prior to age 15 -not having sexual intercourse (during the course of the study) -increased likelihood of using condoms at first sex • FEMALES -59% less likely to have sex prior to age 15 -African American girls—91% Mueller TE, Gavin LE, Kulkarni A. The association between sex education and youth’s engagement in sexual intercourse, age at first intercourse, and birth control use at first sex. J Adolesc Health 42(1), 2008.

  13. What is being used now • Sex education is mandated in 20 states • Kaiser Family Foundation Survey in 1999 found that sex education is taught in some form in 95% of public schools • 58% -comprehensive • 34% -abstinence only • 81% of Americans feel that sex education programs should be comprehensive

  14. Sex Education In New York • NOT mandated by New York State. • Local boards of education may choose to make sexuality education a local requirement. • Local school districts encouraged to have advisory councils-- parents, school personnel, students, members of the faith communities, and other community-based organizations to make recommendations about sexuality education programs. • Often omitted or abbreviated due to lack of mandate and funding.

  15. HIV/AIDS Education • Regulated as a separate entity from sex ed • CDC has been providing funding for HIV/AIDS education since 1988 • $47 million in 2000 • Is mandated by law in NY State

  16. Funding • Federal Funding • State Funding

  17. Federal Funding • 1981-Adolescent Family Life Act- allocated $11 million to prevent premarital teen pregnancy by establishing “family-centered” programs to “promote chastity and self discipline.” • Has been renewed annually giving $6-12 million a year

  18. Then….. • 1995, under Bill Clinton—Social Security Act, Title V, Section –dedicated 50 million dollars a year to states providing solely abstinence-only sex education. • States required to match funds $437.5 million to abstinence-only programs by 2002. • Includes detailed definition of what federally funded programs are expected to teach

  19. AND THEN…. • 2001-Bush created program that gives additional 100 million a year for abstinence only education

  20. BUT….. • Up to 17 states (including New York) have refused federal funding, feeling that abstinence only programs do not work • More than 90% of abstinence funding does not require that curricula be scientifically accurate!!! • 2004 review found incorrect information in 11 of 13 federally funded abstinence programs, primarily about birth control and condom effectiveness

  21. BUT…..THERE IS HOPE!

  22. Barack Obama’s 2010 Budget • Slashes Abstinence-Only Programs and Replaces them with Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative • Eliminates $99 million for Community-Based Abstinence Education Programs (CBAE) and $50 million for Title V abstinence only programs. • Creates Pregnancy Prevention Initiative-- $110 million to support "community-based and faith-based efforts to reduce teen pregnancy using evidence-based and promising models."

  23. Drawbacks • Focuses primarily on pregnancy prevention, leaving out STI prevention, building healthy relationships, etc.    

  24. Prevention First Act • Contains REAL (Responsible Education About Life) Act, At-Risk Communities Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2009 • Introduced 3/09--authorizes federal funding for comprehensive, medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education • Includes how to prevent pregnancy, protect their health and make responsible decisions. • Also award grants for teenage pregnancy prevention programs and research.

  25. State Funding • Currently required to match federal sex ed funds, but no other comprehensive funding mechanism • New York is one of the many states that has rejected federal abstinence-only funding

  26. Healthy Teens Act • First introduced in 2002, creates a competitive grant program, administered by the DOH for schools /communities to teach sex education • Programs MUST be age-appropriate and medically accurate, and may not teach or promote religion.

  27. Healthy Teens Act • No mandated curriculum, but programs encouraged to include: -stressing abstinence and teaching that it is the only sure way to avoid pregnancy and STIs -providing information about different contraceptive and barrier methods to prevent pregnancy and STIs; -encouraging parent involvement and family communication; -teaching relationship negotiation skills and how drugs and alcohol affect responsible decision making.

  28. Healthy Teens Act • The grant awards would preference areas with higher teen pregnancy and STI rates. • Has passed the assembly every year since introduction, but never got past state senate • Now with a new pro-choice majority, there is hope that this may change, but may be vetoed by Governor Patterson due to budget constraints

  29. What still needs to be done • Passing Obama’s budget • Healthy Teens Act • Prevention First Act/REAL Act • More research identifying programs that are shown to be effective in lowering pregnancy, STI rates • Having funding for programs that work • More universal and standardized requirements for sex education (unlikely)

  30. What Can We Do? • WRITE A LETTER!!! - To federal representatives to pass the Prevention First Act (currently in committee) -To federal representatives to support comprehensive sex education, to make sure the sex education funding in Obama’s budget is passed -To State Representatives to pass the Healthy Teens Act • Be more thorough at your next teen WCC!! • For other ways, visit Get the Facts NY: http://ga0.org/gtfny/home.html

  31. References • BMJ  2005;331:715 (1 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7519.715-a • Janet Elise Rosenbaum, PhD, AM Patient Teenagers? A Comparison of the Sexual Behavior of Virginity Pledgers and Matched Nonpledgers PEDIATRICS Vol. 123 No. 1 January 2009, pp. e110-e120 • Mueller TE, Gavin LE, Kulkarni A. The association between sex education and youth’s engagement in sexual intercourse, age at first intercourse, and birth control use at first sex. J Adolesc Health 42(1), 2008. • http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/tgr/04/4/gr040404.html • http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/tgr/06/1/gr060106.html • http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_SE.pdf • http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/05/07/2010-budget-slashes-abstinenceonly-money-keeps-abortion-funding-restrictions • http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/05/08/are-we-there-yet-comprehensive-sex-education-and-presidents-2010-budget • http://www.kff.org/youthhivstds/upload/Sex-Education-in-the-U-S-Policy-and-Politics.pdf • http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/123/1/e110 • http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats07/adol-figs.htm • http://www.nyclu.org/node/1817 • http://www.fpaofnys.org/news/newsReleases/documents/PRHTARvW012209.pdf • http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-21&tab=summary • http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/sss/coordinatedschoolhealth/health.html • http://www.natap.org/2009/newsUpdates/031109_03.htm

More Related