Back to State Profiles Print PENNSYLVANIA Pennsylvania received $6,731,542 in federal funds for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2005.1 Pennsylvania Sexuality Education Law and Policy Schools in Pennsylvania are not required to teach sexuality education. Primary, intermediate, middle, and high schools are, however, required to teach sexually transmitted disease (STD)/HIV education. Schools must use materials that are age-appropriate, discuss prevention, and stress abstinence as “the only completely reliable means of preventing sexual transmission.” The state has created the Academic Standards for Health, Safety, and Physical Education, which include STD- and HIV-prevention education. All decisions regarding HIV-prevention curricula and materials must be made by local school districts. School districts do not have to follow specific curriculum, but they must use these standards as a framework for the development of their curriculum. School districts must publicize the fact that parents and guardians can review all curriculum materials. Parents and guardians whose principles or religious beliefs conflict with instruction may excuse their children from the programs. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy. See Pennsylvania Code Title 22, Chapter 4, Section 29 and the Academic Standards for Health, Safety, and Physical Education. Recent Legislation SIECUS is not aware of any proposed legislation regarding sexuality education in Pennsylvania. Events of Note Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Program Using Money to Promote Religion August 2005; PA On August 23, 2005, the Bush Administration suspended a federal grant to the Silver Ring Thing (SRT), a faith-based abstinence-only-until-marriage program, saying that it appeared the program was using tax money for religious activities. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ordered the group to submit a “corrective action plan” if it wishes to receive the remainder of its $75,000 grant. In a letter to SRT's program director, Harry Wilson of HHS' Family and Youth Services Bureau said the project “includes both secular and religious components that are not adequately safeguarded.”2 The action came three months after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against HHS, accusing the Administration of using tax dollars to promote Christianity. In documents filed in federal court in Boston, the ACLU alleged that the activities, brochures, and website of SRT were “permeated with religion” and use “taxpayer dollars to promote religious content, instruction and indoctrination.”3 The program's teenage graduates sign a covenant “before God Almighty” to remain virgins until marriage and earn a silver ring inscribed with a Bible passage reminding them to “keep clear of sexual sin.” Many of the events are held in Churches and, in filings with the Internal Revenue Service, the organization describes its mission as “evangelical ministry” with an emphasis on “evangelistic crusade planning.”4 The ACLU declared a partial victory but said it will continue to monitor the group's activities. “We're really pleased the government has recognized Silver Ring Thing was misusing public dollars to promote its own faith over all others,” said senior staff attorney Julie Sternberg. “It's improper for the federal government to underwrite a national roadshow designed to convert teenagers to a particular faith.”5 In the past three years, the Pennsylvania-based Silver Ring Thing has received close to $1.2 million in earmarks arranged for by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, the subcommittee that oversees two of the largest abstinence-only-until-marriage funding streams–Community-Based Abstinence Education and Adolescent Family Life Act. Pennsylvania's Youth: Statistical Information of Note In 2000, Pennsylvania's abortion rate was 17 per 1,000 women ages 15–19 compared to a teen abortion rate of 24 per 1,000 nationwide.6 In 2001, Pennsylvania's birth rate was 33 per 1,000 women ages 15–19 compared to a teen birth rate of 45 per 1,000 nationwide.7 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania8 In 2003, 57% of female high school students and 71% of male high school students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 45% of female high school students and 48% of male high school students nationwide. In 2003, 6% of female high school students and 27% of male high school students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 2003, 16% of female high school students and 42% of male high school students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported having had four or more lifetime sexual partners compared to 11% of female high school students and 18% of male high school students nationwide. In 2003, 43% of female high school students and 53% of male high school students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported being currently sexually active (defined as having had sexual intercourse in the three months prior to the survey) compared to 35% of female high school students and 34% of male high school students nationwide. In 2003, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 10% of females and 17% of males in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported having used alcohol or drugs the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 21% of females and 30% of males nationwide. In 2003, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 64% of females and 76% of males in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported having used condoms the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 57% of females and 69% of males nationwide. In 2003, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 13% of females and 5% of males in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported having used birth control pills the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 21% of females and 13% of males nationwide. In 2003, 9% of female high school students and 9% of male high school students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported ever having been pregnant or gotten someone pregnant compared to 5% of female high school students and 4% of male high school students nationwide. In 2003, 85% of high school students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported having been taught about HIV/AIDS in school compared to 88% of high school students nationwide. Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding Pennsylvania was eligible for $1,693,422 in federal Title V funding in Fiscal Year 2005; however, the state chose not to apply for these funds due to the extraordinary restrictions placed on how the money must be spent. Pennsylvania uses those state funds that previously supported abstinence-only-until-marriage programs to instead fund programs focused on general youth development. Numerous organizations in Pennsylvania do, however, receive federal earmarks for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. In total, organizations in the state received $3,100,000 in federal earmarks in Fiscal Year 2005. In Fiscal Year 2003, Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) set a new precedent for the federal funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs when he secured earmarks of approximately $3.15 million within the federal Omnibus Appropriations Bill for individual abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Pennsylvania. This was the first time a member of Congress earmarked money for specific abstinence-only-until-marriage programs outside of traditional federal funding streams. These earmarks continued for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005. Title V Evaluation Pennsylvania evaluated its Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in 2003. The evaluators found that nine of the 13 abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in the state had little to no effect on reducing “early sexual onset,” and that the effects of all programs had faded by the time students reached ninth grade.9 The programs served youth 12 and older and used a number of curricula including Me, My World, My Future and WAIT (Why Am I Tempted) Training. Pennsylvania's evaluation involved pre- and post-test surveys, comparison groups, and focus groups. In both urban and rural test sites, results yielded either mixed or negative effects on youth behaviors. Even at the two most effective urban sites, 11.5% and 25% of participating youth reported having engaged in sexual intercourse by post-test. One rural site reported attitudes towards abstinence declined while the proportion of students “who experienced sexual intercourse for the first time” increased and “only about half of these sexually active youth used any form of contraception.”10 The focus groups revealed young people's frustration with a lack of information surrounding contraception and the lack of respect for their ability to make decisions.11 The authors of the study conclude that, “this initiative was largely ineffective in reducing sexual onset and promoting attitudes and skills consistent with sexual abstinence.”12 Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE)13 and Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) Grantees There are five CBAE grantees in Pennsylvania: HOPE Worldwide; Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America; Pennsylvania Association of Latino Organizations; To Our Children's Future with Health, Inc.; and Women's Care Center of Erie County Inc. There are three AFLA grantees in Pennsylvania: Crozer-Chester Medical Center (receives two grants), Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, and To Our Children with Health. The Women's Care Center of Erie County uses two curricula: R.S.V.P and WAIT Training. SIECUS reviewed WAIT Training and found that it contained little medical or biological information and almost no information about STDs, including HIV/AIDS. Instead, it contains information and statistics about marriage, many of which are outdated and not supported by scientific research. It also contains messages of fear and shame and biased views of gender, sexual orientation, and family type. For example, WAIT Training explains, “men sexually are like microwaves and women sexually are like crockpots….A woman is stimulated more by touch and romantic words. She is far more attracted by a man's personality while a man is stimulated by sight. A man is usually less discriminating about those to whom he is physically attracted.”14 Federal and State Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in FY 2005 Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Grantee Length of Grant Amount of Grant Money Type of Grant (includes FY05 Earmarks, CBAE, and AFLA) A+ for Abstinence $45,000 FY05 Earmark Catholic Social Services, The Bridge $46,000 FY05 Earmark City of Chester, Bureau of Health, SABER Project www.chestercity.com/ health.php#abstinence $105,000 FY05 Earmark Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries DUAL GRANTEE www.diakon.org $136,000 $95,000 FY05 Earmark FY05 Earmark George Washington Carver Community Center, Project A.C.E. $86,000 FY05 Earmark Greater Calvary Community Development Corporation $50,000 FY05 Earmark Guidance Center, Project RAPPORT $74,000 FY05 Earmark Heart Beat $51,000 FY05 Earmark Keystone Central School District, Central Mountain Middle School East www.kcsd.k12.pa.us/cmms $79,000 FY05 Earmark Keystone Economic Development Corporation $88,000 FY05 Earmark L.V.C.P.T.P., St Luke's Health Network, CHOICE program www.slhn-lehighvalley.org $92,000 FY05 Earmark Lackawanna Trail School District www.ltsdhs.org $74,000 FY05 Earmark LaSalle University www.lasalle.edu $112,000 FY05 Earmark Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh DUAL GRANTEE 2005–2006 www.mercylink.org $111,000 $225,000 FY05 Earmark AFLA Neighborhood United Against Drugs $136,000 FY05 Earmark New Brighton School District www.nbsd.k12.pa.us $23,000 FY05 Earmark Nueva Esperanza $72,000 FY05 Earmark Partners for Healthier Tomorrows www.easd.k12.pa.us $50,000 FY05 Earmark Partners in Family and Community Development www.pfcd.org $72,000 FY05 Earmark Perseus House, Inc. www.perseushouse.org $50,000 FY05 Earmark Potter County Human Services www.pottercountyhumansvcs.org $50,000 FY05 Earmark Rape and Victim Assistance Center of Schuykill County $71,000 FY05 Earmark Real Alternatives www.realalternatives.org $150,000 FY05 Earmark Real Commitment www.realcommitment.org $82,000 FY05 Earmark School District of Lancaster, Project IMPACT www.lancaster.k12.pa.us $101,000 FY05 Earmark School District of Philadelphia $102,000 FY05 Earmark Shepherd's Maternity House Inc. www.shepherdsmaternityhouse.org $50,000 FY05 Earmark Silver Ring Thing www.silverringthing.com $75,000 FY05 Earmark To Our Children's Future with Health, Inc. TRIPLE GRANTEE 2005–2008 TRIPLE GRANTEE 2005–2006 http://tocfwh.org $109,000 $485,524   $225,000 FY05 Earmark CBAE   AFLA Tuscarora Intermediate Unit www.tiu11.org $84,000 FY05 Earmark Urban Family Council www.urbanfamilycouncil.org $126,000 FY05 Earmark Victim Resource Center Inc. www.titusvillepa.com/Org/vrci.htm $41,000 FY05 Earmark Washington Hospital Teen Outreach, Academy for Adolescent Health www.healthyteens.com $136,000 FY05 Earmark Women's Care Center of Erie County, Inc., Abstinence Advantage Program www.wccerie.org $136,000 FY05 Earmark York County Human Life Services, Inc. $50,000 FY05 Earmark HOPE Worldwide 2004–2007 www.hopeww.org $798,418 CBAE Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America 2004–2007 www.oicofamerica.org $799,500 CBAE Pennsylvania Association of Latino Organizations 2004–2007 www.paloweb.org $799,569 CBAE Crozer-Chester Medical Center 2005–2006 DUAL GRANTEE 2005–2006 $234,337 $154,194 AFLA AFLA State Contact Information15 Phyllis Welborn Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Family Health 7 th Floor, East Wing Health & Welfare Building Harrisburg, PA 17108 Phone: (717) 772-2762 Pennsylvania Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania PO Box 40008 Philadelphia, PA 19006 Phone: (215) 592-1513 www.aclupa.org Family Health Council, Inc. 960 Penn Ave., Suite 600 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Phone: (412) 288-2130 www.fhcinc.org Family Health Council of Central PA 3461 Market St., Suite 200 Camp Hill, PA 17011 Phone: (717) 761-7380 www.fhccp.org The Family Planning Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania 260 S. Broad St., Suite 100 Philadelphia, PA 19102 Phone: (215) 985-2600 www.familyplanning.org NARAL Pro-Choice Pennsylvania PO Box 58174 Philadelphia, PA 19102 Phone: (215) 546-4666 www.prochoicepennsylvania.org Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 200 Strawberry Sq. Harrisburg, PA 17101 Phone: (717) 236-3366 Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates 231 State St. 2nd Floor Harrisburg, PA 17101 Phone: (717) 234-3024 www.plannedparenthoodpa.org Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition (SPARC) 30 Forgedale Rd. Fleetwood, PA 19522 Phone: (717) 920-9537 www.sparc-pa.org Pennsylvania Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education Pennsylvania Family Institute 23 N. Front St. Harrisburg, PA 17101 Phone: (717) 545-0600 www.pafamily.org Pennsylvanians for Human Life 590 Snyder Ave. West Chester, PA 19382 Phone: (610) 610-0780 www.pennlife.org Pennsylvania Pro Life Federation 4800 Jonestown Rd., Suite 102 Harrisburg, PA 17109 Phone: (717) 541-0034 www.paprolife.org People for Life 1625 W. 26 th St. PO Box 1126 Erie, PA 16512 Phone: (814) 459-1333 www.peopleforlife.org The Physicians Consortium 23 N. Front St. Harrisburg, PA 17101 Phone: (612) 827-9552 www.physconsortium.com Newspapers in Pennsylvania Bucks County Courier Times Tom Haines Health & Medicine Editor 8400 Route 13 Levittown, PA 19057 Phone: (215) 949-4201 Erie Times-News Jeff Hileman Health & Medicine Editor 205 W. 12 th St. Erie, PA 16534 Phone: (814) 870-1734 The Morning Call Irene Kraft Health & Medicine Editor PO Box 1260 Allentown, PA 18105 Phone: (610) 820-6597 The Morning Call Genevieve Marshall Education Reporter 101 N. 6 th St. Allentown, PA 18101 Phone: (610) 820-6585 The Morning Call Rosa Salter Health & Medicine Writer PO Box 1260 Allentown, PA 18105 Phone: (610) 820-6750 The Morning Call Ann Wlazelek Health & Medicine Reporter PO Box 1260 Allentown, PA 18105 Phone: (610) 820-6745 The Patriot-News Ford Turner Education Writer 812 Market St. Harrisburg, PA 17101 Phone: (717) 255-8486 The Patriot-News David Wenner Health & Medicine Reporter PO Box 2265 Harrisburg, PA 17105 Phone: (717) 255-8172 Philadelphia Daily News Frank Burgos Editorial Page Editor PO Box 7788 Philadelphia, PA 19101 Phone: (215) 854-5149 Philadelphia Daily News Mensah Dean Education Staff Writer 400 N. Broad St. Philadelphia, PA 19130 Phone: (215) 854-5949 Philadelphia Daily News Theresa Johnson Health & Medicine Editor PO Box 7788 Philadelphia, PA 19101 Phone: (215) 854-5444 Philadelphia Inquirer Rose Ciotta Education Editor PO Box 8263 Philadelphia, PA 19101 Phone: (215) 854-5024 Philadelphia Inquirer Russell Cooke Editorial Page Writer PO Box 8263 Philadelphia, PA 19101 Phone: (215) 854-4542 Philadelphia Inquirer Susan Fitzgerald Health & Medicine Reporter PO Box 8263 Philadelphia, PA 19101 Phone: (215) 854-2780 Philadelphia Inquirer Cynthia Henry Editorial Page Writer PO Box 8263 Philadelphia, PA 19101 Phone: (215) 854-2959 Philadelphia Inquirer Chris Mondics Correspondent 700 12 th St. NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 383-6024 Philadelphia Inquirer Chris Satullo Editorial Page Editor PO Box 8263 Philadelphia, PA 19101 Phone: (215) 854-5943 Philadelphia Inquirer Trish Wilson Health & Medicine Editor 400 N. Broad St. Philadelphia, PA 19130 Phone: (215) 854-2820 Philadelphia Metro Chris Baud Health & Medicine Editor 100 S. Broad St. Philadelphia, PA 19110 Phone: (215) 717-2633 The Philadelphia Tribune Elaine Welles Education Writer 520 S. 16 th St. Philadelphia, PA 19146 Phone: (215) 893-4050 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Ann McFeatters Politics Correspondent 955 National Press Building Washington, DC 20045 Phone: (202) 662-7071 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Christopher Snowbeck Health & Medicine Writer 34 Blvd. Of The Allies Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Phone: (412) 263-2625 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Anita Srikameswaran Health & Medicine Writer 34 Blvd. Of The Allies Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Phone: (412) 263-3858 Reading Eagle Christine Burger Health & Medicine Editor PO Box 582 Reading, PA 19603 Phone: (610) 371-5033 Tribune-Review Theresa Barnhart Health & Medicine Editor 622 Cabin Hill Dr. Greensburg, PA 15601 Phone: (724) 837-4013 References This refers to the fiscal year for the Federal Government, which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, Fiscal Year 2005 begins on October 1, 2004 and ends on September 30, 2005. Ceci Connolly, “Federal Funds for Abstinence Group Withheld,” Washington Post, 23 August 2005, A05. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics: Overall Trends, Trends by Race and Ethnicity and State-by-State Information (New York: Guttmacher Institute, February 2004),  accessed 28 January 2005, <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/state_pregnancy_trends.pdf>. Angela Papillo, et.al., Facts at a Glance (Washington, D.C.: Child Trends, February, 2004). Unless otherwise cited, all statistical information comes from: Jo Anne Grunbaum, et. al., “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2003,” Surveillance Summaries, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 53.SS-2 (21 May 2004): 1-95, accessed 28 January 2005, <http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/>. Pennsylvania did not participate in either the 2005 or 2003 YRBS but Philadelphia participated in the 2003 YRBS. Debra Hauser, Five Years of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Education: Assessing the Impact (Washington, D.C.: Advocates for Youth, 2004), 16. E. Smith, J. Dariotis, S. Potter, Evaluation of the Pennsylvania Abstinence Education and Related Services Initiative: 1998-2002 (Philadelphia, PA: Maternal and Child Health Bureau of Family Health, Pennsylvania Department of Health, January 2003). Ibid., 9. Ibid., 10. In Fiscal Year 2004 SPRANS–CBAE was administered within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. In Fiscal Year 2005 this funding stream was moved to HHS' Administration for Children and Families and is now referred to simply as Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE). WAIT Training -Workshop Manual (Longmont, CO: Friends First, 1996). For more information see, Toward a Sexually Healthy America, Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that Try to Keep Our Youth Scared Chaste at <http://www.siecus.org/pubs/tsha_scaredchaste.pdf>. There is no Title V Coordinator in Pennsylvania, the person included in this section is the former abstinence-only-until-marriage coordinator.

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