April 2008

March 2008

• California and Minnesota Advance Sexuality Education
• CDC Releases New Reports Showing an Increase in STD Prevalence, Increase In HIV Cases
• Conference Examines Women's HIV/AIDS Risks in Pakistan
• 52nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women Held at United Nations
• U.S. District Court Dismisses Lawsuit against FDA over Nonprescription Sales of Plan B
• Editorials across the Country Voice Support for Comprehensive Sex Education
• Oklahoma Rejects Sexuality Education Bill Requiring Opt-In Policy and Banning Pro-Choice Groups

February 2008

• Connecticut Considers Grants for Health Education
• European Parliament Hearing on Comprehensive Sexuality Education in the Global South
• European Parliament Holds Public Hearing on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
• HIV Ban Repealed By State Department on Foreign Service Officers
• Iowa Becomes 17th State to Reject Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding
• Committee Details Continued Racial Disparities in U.S. Reproductive Health Care

January 2008

• Arizona Rejects Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding
• President Releases Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request; Cuts Critical Healthcare Program; Requests Huge Increase for Abstinence-Only Programs
• Florida Considers Comprehensive Sexuality Education Legislation
• International Conference Held to Address Global Health Worker Shortages
• State in Focus: The Status of Sexuality Education in Illinois

December 2007

• HIV Travel Ban: New Regulation Draws Outrage from Advocates and Policymakers
• New Mexico Rejects Title V Federal Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funds
• Congress' 2007 Endgame Brings Good and Bad News for Sexual and Reproductive Health Issues
• After More Than a Decade of Decline Teenage Pregnancy Rates Climb
• The United Nations Convenes Special Session to Discuss A World Fit for Children
• Congress Passes Six-Month Extension of Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Program

November 2007

• District of Columbia Releases Startling AIDS Statistics; Adopts Comprehensive Sexuality Education Standards
• Sex Education Requirement is Not Enough: Study Reveals Lack of Consistency in Florida Schools
• More Bad News for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs
• UNAIDS Report Revises Global HIV/AIDS Estimates
• The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Reports a Rise in HIV/AIDS Cases in Europe
• The Politics of HIV/AIDS Prevention 2008: Presidential Candidates Provide Views on Sex Education, Needle Exchange, National AIDS Plan, PEPFAR
• Virginia Rejects Title V Federal Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funds

October 2007

• New York Upholds Law Concerning Contraceptive Access and Rights
• Recent California Legislation Supports Sex Ed
• Fiscal Year 2008 Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill Moves Through Congress; President Vetoes Bill that Includes $28 Million Increase for CBAE
• International Human Rights Case Targets Teen STAR Program in Croatia
• Birth Control Critic and Former Director of Family Research Council Appointed to Oversee Title X Family Planning Program
• UN Releases New Financial Resources Report for HIV/AIDS

September 2007

• Senate Votes to Repeal the Global Gag Rule, President Threatens
• The Politics of Health 2008: The Candidates on Health Care
• New York Rejects Title V Federal Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding
• NAEA Launches Media Campaign Against Massachusetts Governor
• The National Abortion Debate Come to Aurora, Illinois
• Congress Temporarily Extends Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Program

August 2007

• The Politics of Sexuality 2008: The Candidates' Views Uncovered
• South African President Fires Deputy Health Minister and AIDS Activist Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge
• PEPFAR to Fund Male Circumcision Programs as Prevention Strategy in Some African Countries
• Oklahoma Legislature Expands State Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding
• House Proposes Important Fixes with Reauthorization of Title V Abstinence-Only Program
• Study Finds that Abstinence-Only Programs Do Not Affect Rates of HIV Infection, Sexual Behavior

July 2007

• Election 2008: Fred Thompson and the Politics of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
• Plan B Sales Surge After FDA Authorizes Over-the-Counter Access
• New Evidence on Youth Sexual Behavior Suggest a New Direction Is Needed
• House passes Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Spending Bill
• Surgeon General Nominee Holsinger Testifies He Would Resign if Politically Pressured; Former Surgeon General Carmona Says Administration Suppressed His Opinions
• Female Genital Mutilation May Persist Despite Attempts to Curtail It
• A Debate over Sexuality Education Heats Up in Brevard County, Florida

June 2007

• SIECUS Releases the Fiscal Year 2006 Edition of the SIECUS State Profiles
• Mixed Bag on Funding Decisions from House and Senate
• AIDS Care Crisis in Puerto Rico
• Administration on Children and Families' Report Attacks Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programs
• Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Continues to Blur the Intent of Its Own Guidance for Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding
• Vatican Criticizes Newly Unveiled Amnesty Abortion Policy
• House Approves Bill That Would Allow for Waiver of PEPFAR's Abstinence Spending Requirements

May 2007

• Sexuality Education Victories in Colorado and Kansas
• President Bush Announces Request for $30 billion for PEPFAR
• Polls in California and Ohio Show Support for Comprehensive Sexuality Education
• CDC Lowers Goal of Reducing HIV Transmission Rates
• ACLU, Advocates for Youth, and SIECUS Call on Government to Stop Funding Medically Inaccurate and Incomplete Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs
• Studies Show Marriage Can Be a Risk Factor for Acquiring HIV

April 2007

• Federal Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs Proven Ineffective in Delaying Sexual Activity among Young People
• U.S. Supreme Court Rule Federal Abortion Ban Constitutional
• Mexico City Legalizes Abortion
• No Clear Definition of Family Life Education in Tennessee
• Developing Countries Need to Strengthen HIV/AIDS Prevention Efforts; Access to Antiretroviral Treatment Not Sufficient
• Recent Legislation in Iowa and Washington Advances Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; Utah Legislation Restricts Them

March 2007

• Federal Legislation Advances Human Rights for LGBTQ Americans
• Prevention Against Transmission of HIV to Women and Youth (PATHWAY) Act of 2007 Introduced
• Senator Lautenberg and Representatives Lee and Shays Introduce the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act
• Institute of Medicine Releases PEPFAR Report
• Landmark Abortion Decision by European Court of Human Rights
• Wisconsin and Ohio Reject Fiscal Year 2007 Federal Title V Funding

February 2007

• NYC and DC Distribute City Sanctioned Condoms
• Fiscal Year 2007 Appropriations Completed as Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Released
• New Committees Bring Potential for New Opportunities in the 110th Congress, Part 2
• Montgomery County School Board Approves New Sexuality Education Curriculum
• Recent Legislation in New York and Washington Advances Sexuality Education; Missouri Legislation Moves to Tighten Sexuality Education
• Portugal Set to Legalize Abortions
• Rwandan Government Proposes Legislation Limiting Family Size

January 2007

• States Consider Mandating HPV Vaccine
• New Report Highlights Challenges for PEPFAR in Vietnam
• Prevention First Act Introduced
• New Committees Bring Potential for New Opportunities in the 110th Congress

December 2006

• SIECUS and Partners Host Summit for State Advocates
• Bush Orders Easing of Travel Restrictions on HIV-Positive Foreigners
• National Institutes of Health Halts Two Studies on Male Circumcision and HIV
• New Mexico Abstinence Coalition Sues Governor for Allegedly Withholding Information about Abstinence-Only Funds
• Office of Global AIDS Coordinator Releases Report on PEPFAR Activities on Gender Based Violence
• Rhode Island Reconsidering Abstinence Curriculum
• World AIDS Day 2006: REAL Sexuality Education is HIV Prevention

November 2006

• UNAIDS Report: Lack of Comprehensive Prevention Knowledge among Young People Contributes to Increase in HIV in PEPFAR Focus Countries
• Center for Reproductive Rights Can Subpoena White House
• Measures Supporting Same-Sex Unions in South Africa and Mexico
• Proposed Constitutional Amendment Continues Poland's Assault on Sexual and Reproductive Rights
• Bush Administration Appoints Anti-Choice, Anti-Contraception, Anti-Sexuality Education Doctor to Head U.S. Family Planning Program
• New GAO Report Documents Failure of Oversight for Federally Funded Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs
• Research Finds Americans Favor Comprehensive Sexuality Education Over Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs

October 2006

• World Bank Report Says Abstinence-Until-Marriage Messages Alone Are Ineffective
• United Nations Report Emphasizes Consequences of Worldwide Violence against Women
• The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Releases National and State-by-State Figures on the Costs of Teen Pregnancy to Taxpayers
• New Irish Study of Sexual Health and Relationships Released
• The Capital Compassion Fund Grants $58 Million To Faith-Based Organizations Around The Country
• Governor Schwarzenegger Vetoes Prison Condoms Distribution Bill
• New Jersey Governor Rejects Federal Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs
• New GAO Finding Says HHS in Violation of the Law as a Result of Medically Inaccurate Information about Condoms in Abstinence-Only Programs
• SIECUS Releases New Reviews of Commonly Used, Federally Funded Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Curricula

September 2006

• California Family Planning Program Successfully Averts Thousands of Unplanned Pregnancies
• Anti-Choice Groups Target People of Color
• Article Details HIV/AIDS Infection Among Young People
• India Plans to Primarily Promote Condom Use for HIV Prevention
• New Report Outlines Progressive Vision for Reproductive Health and Rights
• House Democrats Introduce Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act
• Representatives Question Abstinence-Until-Marriage Funding Requirement

August 2006

• A Close Vote on Sexuality Education in the Senate
• South Carolina Comprehensive Sexuality Education Program Successfully Lowers Teen Pregnancy Rate
• FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Access to Plan B for Women 18 Years and Older; Young Women Still Require Prescription
• CREW Requests IRS Review of Abstinence Clearinghouse
• Growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) In Asian-Pacific Countries

July 2006

• Senators Agree: No Increase for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding
• Depressed Teens More Likely to Engage in Risky Sex
• Missouri Gives Tax Credits for Crisis Pregnancy Centers
• SIECUS Releases New Edition of State Profiles
• Study Shows Male Circumcision in Sub-Saharan Africa May Help Prevent Spread of HIV
• Specter Brings Pork Back to the Table for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in Pennsylvania
• Federally Funded Crisis Pregnancy Centers Provide False and Misleading Information about Abortion; Money Funneled through Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding Streams

June 2006

• Annual UNAIDS Report Opposes Abstinence-Only Approach to Young People's HIV Prevention
• House Appropriations Committee Approves Level Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs; Denies President's Requested Increase
• Former FDA Commissioner Testifies; He Expected Decision on Plan B by Now
• Guarantee of Medical Accuracy in Sex Education Act Introduced in the House
• The FDA Approves Use of HPV Vaccine
• Vatican Condemns Abortion, Contraception, and In Vitro Fertilization
• Youth Survey Present Mixed Picture of Sexual Behaviors
• At the United Nations, the U.S. Once Again Opposes the Role of Evidence in HIV Prevention

May 2006

• Web Filtering in Palm Beach, FL: Schools Blocks Access to LGBT Sites
• Massachusetts to Change Use of Title V Funds
• Secret White House Meeting on Plan B
• CDC Censors Panel at the 2006 National STD Prevention Conference
• States' Legislative Sessions Draw to a Close
• Marriage Promotion for Refugees Living in the U.S.
• Chicago Public Schools Adopt Comprehensive Sexuality Education Policy
• Brazil: An Inspiration and Model for HIV/AIDS Prevention

April 2006

• Congress Takes Aim at Crisis Pregnancy Centers
• Condom Interventions Do Not Lead to Earlier Sex, More Sex, or More Partners
• South African Political Figure's Trial Brings HIV/AIDS and Violence Against Women to the Fore
• With New STD Statistics, State and Local Health Departments Are Instigating Change
• Rhode Island Department of Education Takes Stand Against Abstinence-Only Program
• Nigeria to Outlaw Same-Sex Marriage
• GAO Report finds Frustration and Confusion in Countries Receiving U.S. Assistance for HIV/AIDS
• Gay-Straight Alliance Banned in North Carolina, Challenge Expected

March 2006

• South Dakota Passes Bill to Ban Abortion
• Two State Boards of Education Attempt to Limit Students' Access to Information
• UNAIDS Program on Prevention: The More Education, the Less HIV
• UNGASS +5 Review Meeting Provides Forum for Youth Voices
• FDA to Review Ban on Blood Donations by Gay Men
• EC Roundup: A Trio of Recent Developments
• After Reexamination, Kelso, WA Decides Against Abstinence-Only
• LGBT Health Website Censored After Complaints from the Radical Right

February 2006

• Women Sue Wal-Mart over Access to Emergency Contraception
• HHS Releases Extreme Version of Abstinence-Only Programs
• President Releases Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Request
• States Open 2006 Legislative Sessions: Legislative Highlights from the States
• BBC Rejects U.S. AIDS Money Over Ideological Restrictions
• Latest PEPFAR Report Maintains Abstinence Until Marriage Promotion is at the Forefront of U.S. HIV-prevention Initiatives Worldwide

January 2006

• U.S. Officials Travel to Africa Bearing the Anti-Sexual Health Message of U.S. Foreign Policy
• Tampa Schools Reviewing Abstinence-Only Speakers
• Society for Adolescent Medicine Denounces Abstinence-Only as Medically and Ethically Indefensible
• Sauerbrey Appointed: Advocates Await First Acts and Replacement at the United Nations
• Candidates Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education
• Californians Overwhelmingly Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education
• Bush Judicial Nominations Watch

Archives of 2005

Archives of 2004

Archives of 2003

Archives of 2002

Archives of 2001

Archives of 2000

Archives of 1999

Archives of 1998

Archives of 1997

Policy Watch Columns