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How to Use This Publication

This publicationincludes individual profiles of every state and the District of Columbia that are intended to serve as a guide and major resource for advocates, policymakers, and other interested parties. This fourth edition includes information from federal Fiscal Year 2006, which began on October 1, 2005 and ended on September 30, 2006.

Each State Profile includes the following information in the order listed:

the total amount of federal abstinence-only-until-marriage funding the state receives;

the state’s current law(s) related to sexuality education;

currently proposed legislation regarding sexuality education or abstinence-only-until-marriage policies;

significant events or controversies related to sexuality education or abstinence-only-until-marriage programs;

statistics regarding teen sexual behavior, adolescent pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among teens;

the use of Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding in the state, including (when applicable) the groups that receive this funding;

groups within the state (if any) that receive CBAE or AFLA funding and how this funding is used;

a chart listing all state-based entities receiving federal abstinence-only-until-marriage funds, including (when available) the amount of money each receives;

contact information for the state’s Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage coordinator;

contact information for state-level organizations that support comprehensive sexuality education;

contact information for state-level organizations that oppose comprehensive sexuality education; and

contact information for major newspapers in the state, including specific contacts at those outlets who cover health and/or education issues.

We encourage colleague organizations and supporters of sexuality education to use these State Profiles in advocacy efforts geared toward legislators and policymakers on the national, state, and local levels. For example, you may use your state’s profile to bring policymaker attention to federal and state funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs or to raise awareness of the growth of such programs in your state or community.

On a community level, you may use your state’s profile in advocating for comprehensive sexuality education with the local school board. The profile can help call attention to state mandates that are not being followed or to other communities in your area that have rejected unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. In addition, we have provided brief analyses of specific abstinence-only-until-marriage programs funded with federal and state dollars. This information can help you explain why certain curricula and materials are inappropriate for students in your community.

SIECUS State Profiles can also be an important tool for educating the media. To this end, we have included an extensive list of major newspaper outlets for each state, including specific reporters at those outlets who cover health and/or education issues. Your state’s profile can serve as the foundation for a “letter to the editor” about abstinence-only-until-marriage programs or as a comprehensive background document for a press briefing on prevention efforts in your area.

It is our hope that each State Profile willempower individuals and organizations to expand or develop their own advocacy efforts related to comprehensive sexuality education and prevention programs. Together, we can and must create policies that support the best programs for our young people.
In addition to the profiles, we have included tables that show federal funding in each state as well as laws and policies across the states. We hope that these tables will provide a convenient way in which to see how your state compares to others.

SIECUS is committed to helping advocates in all states and communities secure policies and programs that are based on evaluation and science; we hope that these State Profiles will be of great value in such efforts.

It is not necessary to seek SIECUS’ permission to reprint portions of this publication as we hope that you will photocopy and distribute these Profiles widely. If you wish to access profiles for individual states in a printer-friendly format, please visit SIECUS’ website at www.siecus.org.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like additional suggestions on how the State Profiles can help you advocate for comprehensive, age-appropriate, and medically accurate sexuality education.

Web Master: siecus@siecus.org