Sexuality Education Law and Policy | Recent Legislation | Events of Note | Youth Statistical Information of Note | Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding | Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) and Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) Grantees | Federal and State Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs | Adolescent Health Contact | Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education | Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education | Local Newspapers | References   

Maine’s sexuality education law is one of the most comprehensive in the country; it mandates that the state “undertake initiatives to implement effective, comprehensive family life education services.” The state must provide:

 

·        training for teachers, parents, and community members;

·        forums among youth and community members in communities with a high need for sexuality education;

·        staff to provide trainings, develop curricula, and evaluate the program;

·        funding for issue management and policy development training for school boards, superintendents, principals, and administrators; and

·        funding for programs that have shown outstanding work around sexuality education.

 

“Comprehensive family life education” must be taught in kindergarten through 12^th grade. The information provided must be medically accurate and age-appropriate, and must respect community values and encourage parent-child communication. Programs must teach about abstinence, healthy relationships, contraception, and conflict resolution. No specific curriculum is mandated.             

Parents or guardians may remove their children from sexuality education and/or STD/HIV education classes. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy.

 

See Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, Chapter 406, Sections 1902, 1910, and 1911.

 

 

House Bill 745, introduced in March 2007, would have required the existing system of learning standards to include the subject area of “family life skills.” Students would have been required to study and demonstrate proficiency in subject areas including healthcare choices and family dynamics. The bill was sent to the Senate Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, but failed to pass.

·        In 2007, 45% of female high school students and 46% of male high school students in Maine reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 46% of female high school students and 50% of male high school students nationwide.

 

·        In 2007, 4% of female high school students and 6% of male high school students in Maine reported having had sexual intercourse before age 13 compared to 4% of female high school students and 10% of male high school students nationwide.

·        In 2007, 12% of female high school students and 12% of male high school students in Maine reported having had four or more lifetime sexual partners compared to 12% of female high school students and 18% of male high school students nationwide.

 

·        In 2007, 35% of female high school students and 31% of male high school students in Maine reported being currently sexually active (defined as having had sexual intercourse in the three months prior to the survey) compared to 36% of female high school students and 34% of male high school students nationwide.

 

·        In 2007, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 51% of females and 69% of males in Maine reported having used condoms the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 55% of females and 69% of males nationwide.

 

·        In 2007, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 41% of females and 30% of males in Maine reported having used birth control pills the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 19% of females and 13% of males nationwide.

 

·        In 2007, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 16% of females and 25% of males in Maine reported having used alcohol or drugs the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 18% of females and 28% of males nationwide.

 

·        In 2007, 87% of high school students in Maine reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 90% of high school students nationwide.

 

 

·        Maine was eligible for $161,398 in federal Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding in Fiscal Year 2008.

·        The Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage grant requires states to provide three state-raised dollars or the equivalent in services for every four federal dollars received. The state match may be provided in part or in full by local groups.

·        Maine, however, chose not to apply for these funds due to the extraordinary restrictions placed upon how the money must be spent. Therefore, the state does not match funds nor does it have organizations supported by this type of federal money.

 

On September 20, 2005, Maine officials announced their decision to reject Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding. With this action, Maine became one of the first states to reject this ideologically biased funding.

Dr. Dora Anne Mills, the state’s public health director, explained that tighter federal control of the funding and its growing inconsistency with state law made it difficult for Maine to continue its more inclusive media campaign. (The state had already decided that due to Maine law, which mandates a comprehensive approach to sexuality education, abstinence-only-until-marriage funding could not be used in schools.) Dr. Mills also worried that this funding would not allow the state to help sexually active young people or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.^[3]

Earlier that same month, the Maine Department of Education sent a letter to all school superintendents stating that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs do not fulfill the requirements of Maine law.^[4] At the time, Dr. Mills referred to abstinence-only-until-marriage funding as “ideological money” and said, “Studies show over and over again when youth are given full information, including abstinence, they make the healthiest choices possible.”^[5]

 

 

· There are no CBAE grantees in Maine. 

· There is one AFLA grantee in Maine: People’s Regional Opportunity Program.

 

 

Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Grantee Length of Grant	Amount of Grant	Type of Grant (includes Title V, CBAE, AFLA, and other funds)
People’s Regional Opportunity Program 2003–2008 www.propeople.org	$165,000	AFLA

 

Nancy Birkhimer

Teen and Young Adult Health Program

Bureau of Health, Department of Human Services

11 State House Station, Key Bank Plaza, 5^th Floor

Augusta, ME 04333

Phone: (207) 287-5361

 

 

 

 

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