Nevada State Profile Fiscal Year 2009

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Nevada

Sexuality Education Law and Policy | Recent Legislation | Youth Statistical Information of Note | Sexual Health Statistics | Comprehensive Approaches to Sex Education| Federal Funding of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs | Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Curricula Used by Grantees | Federal Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in FY 09 | Adolescent Health Contact | Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education | Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education | Local Newspapers | Political Blogs | References

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Nevada Sexuality Education Law and Policy

Nevada mandates that each school district’s board of trustees “establish a course or unit of a course of:”

factual instruction concerning acquired immune deficiency syndrome; and
instruction on the human reproductive system, related communicable diseases and sexual responsibility.[1]

Such classes cannot be a requirement for graduation.[2] Furthermore, each board of trustees must appoint an advisory committee consisting of five parents with children in the school district and four representatives from medicine, counseling, religion, students, or teaching. Nevada law also mandates that:

The parent or guardian of each pupil to whom a course is offered must first be furnished written notice that the course will be offered. The notice must be given in the usual manner used by the local district to transmit written material to parents, and must contain a form for the signature of the parent or guardian of the pupil consenting to his attendance. Upon receipt of the written consent of the parent or guardian, the pupil may attend the course. If the written consent of the parent or guardian is not received, he must be excused from such attendance without any penalty as to credits or academic standing.[3]

This is referred to as an “opt-in” policy.

See Nevada Revised Statutes § 389.065.

Recent Legislation

SIECUS is not aware of any proposed legislation regarding sexuality education in Nevada.

Nevada’s Youth: Statistical Information of Note[4]

In 2009, 45% of female high school students and 53% of male high school students in Nevada reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 46% of female high school students and 46% of male high school students nationwide.

In 2009, 3% of female high school students and 10% of male high school students in Nevada reported having had sexual intercourse before age 13 compared to 3% of female high school students and 8% of male high school students nationwide.

In 2009, 11% of female high school students and 20% of male high school students in Nevada reported having had four or more lifetime sexual partners compared to 11% of female high school students and 16% of male high school students nationwide.

In 2009, 33% of female high school students and 33% of male high school students in Nevada 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 33% of male high school students nationwide.

In 2009, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 57% of females and 68% of males in Nevada reported having used condoms the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 54% of females and 69% of males nationwide.

In 2009, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 21% of females and 14% of males in Nevada reported having used birth control pills the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 23% of females and 16% of males nationwide.

In 2009, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 16% of females and 25% of males in Nevada reported having used alcohol or drugs the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 17% of females and 26% of males nationwide.

In 2009, 83% of high school students in Nevada reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 87% of high school students nationwide.

Clark County, Nevada

In 2009, 45% of female high school students and 50% of male high school students in Clark County, Nevada reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 46% of female high school students and 46% of male high school students nationwide.

In 2009, 4% of female high school students and 10% of male high school students in Clark County, Nevada reported having had sexual intercourse before age 13 compared to 3% of female high school students and 8% of male high school students nationwide.

In 2009, 10% of female high school students and 19% of male high school students in Clark County, Nevada reported having had four or more lifetime sexual partners compared to 11% of female high school students and 16% of male high school students nationwide.

In 2009, 32% of female high school students and 32% of male high school students in Clark County, Nevada 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 33% of male high school students nationwide.

In 2009, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 60% of females and 66% of males in Clark County, Nevada reported having used condoms the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 54% of females and 69% of males nationwide.

In 2009, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 22% of females and 13% of males in Clark County, Nevada reported having used birth control pills the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 23% of females and 16% of males nationwide.

In 2009, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 17% of females and 26% of males in Clark County, Nevada reported having used alcohol or drugs the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 17% of females and 26% of males nationwide.

In 2009, 81% of high school students in Clark County, Nevada reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 87% of high school students nationwide.

Nevada Youth Sexual Health Statistics

Teen Pregnancy, Birth, and Abortion

Nevada’s teen pregnancy rate ranks 3^rdin the U.S., with a rate of 90 pregnancies per 1,000 young women ages 15–19 compared to the national rate of 70 pregnancies per 1,000.[5] There were a total of 7,070 pregnancies among young women ages 15–19 reported in 2005, the most recent year for which data are available, in Nevada.[6]

Nevada’s teen birth rate ranked 11^th in the U.S. in 2005, with a rate of 50.1 births per 1,000 young women ages 15–19 compared to the national rate of 40.5 births per 1,000.[7] In 2005, there were a total of 3,921 live births reported to young women ages 15–19 in Nevada.[8]

In 2006, the U.S. teen birth rate increased for the first time in 15 years by 3% from 40.5 to 41.9 births per 1,000 young women ages 15–19, after having steadily declined between 1991 and 2005.[9] In contrast, Nevada’s teen birth rate increased 11% between 2005 and 2006, from 50.1 to 55.8 births per 1,000 young women ages 15–19.[10]

Nevada’s teen abortion rate ranks 4^th in the U.S., with a rate of 23 abortions per 1,000 young women ages 15–19 compared to the national rate of 19 abortions per 1,000. In 2005, there were a total of 1,785 abortions reported among young women ages 15–19 in Nevada.[11]

HIV and AIDS

Nevada ranks 23^rd in cases of HIV infection diagnosed in the U.S. among all age groups. In 2007, there were a total of 299 new cases of HIV infection diagnosed. [12]

Nevada ranks 22^nd in cases of HIV/AIDS diagnosed among young people ages 13–19 out of the 34 states with confidential, name-based HIV infection reporting. In 2007, there were a total of 11 young people ages 13–19 diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Nevada.[13]

Nevada’s AIDS rate ranks 13^th in the U.S., with a rate of 13.1 cases per 100,000 population compared to the national rate of 12.5 cases per 100,000.[14]

Nevada ranks 26^th in number of reported AIDS cases in the U.S. among all age groups. In 2007, there were a total of 335 new AIDS cases reported in Nevada.[15]

Nevada ranks 26^th in number of reported AIDS cases in the U.S. among young people ages 13–19. In 2007, there were a total of 3 AIDS cases reported among young people ages 13–19 in Nevada.[16]

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Nevada ranks 22^nd in reported cases of Chlamydia among young people ages 15–19 in the U.S., with an infection rate of 19.77 cases per 1,000 compared to the national rate of 19.51 cases per 1,000. In 2008, there were a total of 3,221 cases of Chlamydia reported among young people ages 15–19 in Nevada.[17]

Nevada ranks 25^th in reported cases of gonorrhea among young people ages 15–19 in the U.S., with an infection rate of 3.59 cases per 1,000 compared to the national rate of 4.52 cases per 1,000. In 2008, there were a total of 585 cases of gonorrhea reported among young people ages 15–19 in Nevada.[18]

Nevada ranks 12^th in reported cases of primary and secondary syphilis among young people ages 15–19 in the U.S., with an infection rate of 0.04 cases per 1,000 compared to the national rate of 0.04 cases per 1,000. In 2008, there were a total of 6 cases of syphilis reported among young people ages 15–19 in Nevada.[19]

Comprehensive Approaches to Sex Education

SIECUS is not aware of any examples of model programs, policies, or best practices being implemented in Nevada public schools that provide a more comprehensive approach to sex education for young people.

We encourage you to submit any updated or additional information on comprehensive approaches to sex education being implemented in Nevada public schools for inclusion in future publications of the SIECUS State Profiles. Please visit SIECUS’ “Contact Us” webpage at www.siecus.org to share information. Select “state policy” as the subject heading.

Federal Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs

The Nevada State Health Division received approximately $210,130 in federal funds for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2009.[20]

Title V Abstinence-Only-Until Marriage Funding

Nevada received approximately $210,130 in federal Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding in Fiscal Year 2009.[21] Due to the expiration of the grant program on June 30, 2009, three months prior to the end of the federal fiscal year, the state received three quarters of the total funding allocated for the full fiscal year.
The Title V abstinence-only-until marriage grant required states to provide three state-raised dollars or the equivalent in services for every four federal dollars received. The state match could have been provided in part or in full by local groups.

Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) Funding

There are no CBAE grantees in Nevada.

Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) Funding

There are no AFLA grantees in Nevada.

Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Curricula Used by Grantees

SIECUS is not aware of any commercially available curricula used by abstinence-only-until-marriage grantees in Nevada.

To read reviews of abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula commonly used by federal grantees please visit the “Curricula and Speaker Reviews” webpage of SIECUS’ Community Action Kit at www.communityactionkit.org.

Federal Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in FY 2009

Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Grantee	Title V	CBAE (Length of Grant)	AFLA (Length of Grant)
Nevada State Health Division www.health.nv.gov	$210,130 (federal grant)

Adolescent Health Contact[22]

Jo Malay

Health Program Manager

Bureau of Child, Family and Community Wellness

4150 Technology Way, Suite 210

Carson City, NV 89706

Phone: (775) 684-4285

Nevada Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education

ACLU of Nevada 732 South 6^th Street, Suite 200A Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: (702) 366-1226 www.aclunv.org	Aid for AIDS of Nevada 701 Shadow Lane, Suite 170 Las Vegas, NV 89106 Phone: (702) 382-2326 www.afanlv.org
GLSEN of Southern Nevada P.O. Box 61351 Las Vegas, NV 89160 Phone: (702) 731-3811	Nevada AIDS Project 455 South Grand Central Parkway, C-344 Las Vegas, NV 89106 Phone: (702) 636-1800 www.nevadaaidsproject.org
Nevada Public Health Foundation 3579 Hwy. 50 E, Suite C Carson City, NV 89701 Phone: (775) 884-0392 www.nphf.org

Nevada Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Nevada Policy Research Institute

3155 East Patrick Lane, Suite 10
Las Vegas, NV 89120

Phone: (702) 222-0642
www.npri.org

Newspapers in Nevada[23]

Las Vegas City Life Newsroom 1385 Pama Lane, Suite 111 Las Vegas, NV 89119 Phone: (702) 871-6780 www.lasvegascitylife.com	Las Vegas Review-Journal Newsroom P.O. Box 70 Las Vegas, NV 89125 Phone: (702) 383-0211 www.lvrj.com
Las Vegas Sun Newsroom P.O. Box 98970 Las Vegas, NV 89193 Phone: (702) 385-3111 www.lasvegassun.com	Las Vegas Tribune Newsroom P.O. Box 14446 Las Vegas, NV 89114 Phone: (702) 366-9310 www.lasvegastribune.com
Reno Gazette-Journal Newsroom P.O. Box 22000 Reno, NV 89520 Phone: (775) 788-6200 www.rgj.com

Political Blogs in Nevada

Blue Lyon www.bluelyon.wordpress.com	Desert Beacon www.desertbeacon.blogspot.com
Las Vegas Gleaner www.lasvegasgleaner.com	Nevada Progressive www.nvprogressive.blogspot.com

[1] Nev. Rev. Stat. § 389.065(1)(a)-(b).

[2] Nev. Rev. Stat. § 389.065(4).

[3] Ibid.

[4] Danice K. Eaton, et. al., “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2009,” Surveillance Summaries, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 59, no. SS-5 (4 June 2010): 98–109, accessed 4 June 2010, <http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss5905.pdf>. Note: Clark County also participated in the 2009 YRBS.

[5] U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births, and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity, (Washington, DC: Guttmacher Institute, January 2010), accessed 5 March 2010, <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends.pdf>, Table 3.1.

[6] Ibid., Table 3.2.

[7] Joyce A. Martin, et. al, “Births: Final Data for 2006,” National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 57, number 7 (Hyattsville, MD: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7 January 2009), accessed 5 March 2010, <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_07.pdf>, Table B.

[8] U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births, and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity , Table 3.2.

[9] Martin, et. al, “Births: Final Data for 2006,” 4.

[10] Ibid., Table B.

[11] U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births, and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity, Table 3.5.

[12] “Cases of HIV Infection and AIDS in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2007,” HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, vol. 19, (Atlanta, GA:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February 2009), accessed 5 March 2010, <http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/2007report/pdf/2007SurveillanceReport.pdf> , Table 18.

[13] Slide 6: “Estimated Numbers of HIV/AIDS Cases among Adolescents 13 to 19 Years of Age, 2007—34 States,” HIV/AIDS Surveillance in Adolescents and Young Adults (through 2007), (Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 2009), accessed 25 March 2010, <http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/slides/adolescents/index.htm>.

[14] Ibid.; “AIDS Case Rate per 100,000 Population, All Ages, 2007,” (Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed 5 March 2010, <http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?ind=513&cat=11&sub=120&yr=62&typ=1&sort=a>.

[15] Ibid., Table 16.

[16] Slide 15: “Reported AIDS Cases among Adolescents 13 to 19 Years of Age, 2007—United States and Dependent Areas,” HIV/AIDS Surveillance in Adolescents and Young Adults (through 2007), (Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 2009), accessed 25 March 2010, <http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/slides/adolescents/index.htm>.

[17] “Wonder Database: Selected STDs by Age, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender, 1996-2008 Results,” (Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 30 June 2009, accessed 5 March 2010, <http://wonder.cdc.gov>; see also Table 10: “Chlamydia: Reported Cases and Rates Per 100,000 Population by Age Group and Sex: United States, 2004–2008,” Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2008, (Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of STD Prevention, November 2009), accessed 5 March 2010, <http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats08/surv2008-Complete.pdf>, 95.

[18] Ibid; see also Table 20: “Gonorrhea—Reported Cases and Rates per 100,000 Population by Age Group and Sex: United States, 2004–2008,” Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2008,106.

[19] Ibid; see also Table 33: “Primary and Secondary Syphilis—Reported Cases and Rates per 100,000 Population by Age Group and Sex: United States, 2004–2008,” Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2008, 121.

[20] This refers to the federal government’s fiscal year, which begins on October 1^st and ends on September 30^th. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, Fiscal Year 2009 began on October 1, 2008 and ended on September 30, 2009.

[21] SIECUS estimated this amount based on the amount of total funding Nevada was allocated in previous fiscal years. Despite repeated attempts to contact the State Health Division, representatives in the department refused to provide SIECUS with the exact amount of funding received by the state.

[22] SIECUS has identified this person as a state-based contact for information on adolescent health and if applicable, abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

[23] This section is a list of major newspapers in your state with contact information for their newsrooms. This list is by no means exhaustive and does not contain the local level newspapers which are integral to getting your message out to your community. SIECUS strongly urges you to follow stories about the issues that concern you on the national, state, and local level by using an internet news alert service such as Google alerts, becoming an avid reader of your local papers, and establishing relationships with reporters who cover your issues. For more information on how to achieve your media goals visit the SIECUS Community Action Kit.

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Nevada State Profile Fiscal Year 2009