Back to State Profiles Print MINNESOTA Minnesota received $488,623 in federal funds for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2006.1 Minnesota Sexuality Education Law and Policy In 1988, the Minnesota legislature passed a bill requiring school districts to develop and implement a comprehensive HIV/AIDS-prevention and risk-reduction program. In 1999, the law was amended to include instruction on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and “helping students to abstain from sexual activity until marriage.”         While the state has not developed a specific curricular framework or set of standards, each school district must have “a comprehensive, technically accurate, and updated curriculum that includes helping students to abstain from sexual activity until marriage” and must target “adolescents, especially those who may be at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and diseases, for prevention efforts.” Minnesota also requires each school district to: [H]ave a procedure for a parent, guardian, or an adult student, 18 years of age or older, to review the content of the instructional materials to be provided to a minor child or to an adult student and, if the parent, guardian, or adult student objects to the content, to make reasonable arrangements with school personnel for alternative instruction. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy. See Minnesota Statutes 120B.20 and 121A.23. Recent Legislation Bill Allows, Mandates Sexuality Education in Schools House File 615 and Senate File 588, introduced in February 2007, would allow school districts to implement age-appropriate, medically accurate sexuality education programs in kindergarten through grade six, and mandate such education be provided to students in grades seven through twelve. The sexuality education must take an “abstinence-first approach,” but must also include information on contraception when age-appropriate. School districts are required to establish procedures for parents and guardians to review all related educational materials, as well as to give parents and guardians the option to remove their children from any or all of the sexuality education instruction. The bills also state that the Department of Education may offer services to help school districts craft and implement these programs, which may be done by creating eight regional training centers. These bills mirror House File 3708 and Senate File 2977 from 2006; however, HF 615 designates specific dollar amounts to be appropriated for these programs from the general fund for certain fiscal years, specifies the dollar amount to be used for establishing training centers, and provides resources for carrying out the activities above. HF 615 and SF 588 were recently referred to the K-12 Finance Division of the House and Senate Committees on Education. Bill Allows, Mandates Sexuality Education in Schools House Bill 3708 was introduced in March 2006 and assigned to the House Committee on Education Policy and Reform. Senate Bill 2977 was introduced in January 2006 and assigned to the Senate Committee on Education. These bills would allow sexuality education in grades K–6 and require it in grades 7–12. These bills are largely the same as HF 615 and SF 588. Events of Note Parents Protest Discussion of Homosexuality by Openly Gay Teacher October 2006; Minneapolis, MN Parents of students at Interdisciplinary Downtown School were enraged over a second-grade teacher’s decision to tell his class that he is gay. The controversy arose from a class period focused on diversity. The teacher spoke about different types of families and read his students a book about a family with two mothers. He then told his students that he is gay. Some parents were upset that they had not been notified before the topic of homosexuality was raised in the classroom. Other parents and community members staged a protest at the school voicing objection to any school discussions on homosexuality. Some parents asked that their children be switched to different classes. The school principal, however, refused the parents’ requests, claiming that students are thoughtfully placed into specific classrooms.2 The school’s curriculum supports a mission of diversity, which is welcomed by most of the community.3 Parents have the right to review school curriculum and to report any grievances to the school board. Minnesota’s Youth: Statistical Information of Note In 2000, Minnesota’s abortion rate was 13 per 1,000 women ages 15–19 compared to a teen abortion rate of 24 per 1,000 nationwide.4 In 2003, women ages 15–19 accounted for 15% of the 14,024 total abortions performed in Minnesota.5 In 2004, Minnesota’s birth rate was 27 per 1,000 women ages 15–19 compared to a teen birth rate of 41 per 1,000 nationwide.6 In 2002, Minnesota’s gonorrhea rate was 202 per 100,000 persons ages 15–19, compared to a rate of 476 cases per 100,000 persons ages 15–19 nationwide.7 In 2003, Minnesota’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate was 5.3 per 100,000 persons ages 13–19.8 Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding Minnesota received $488,623 in federal Title V funding in Fiscal Year 2006. 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. In Minnesota, the federal money is matched with $366,467 in state funds. This funding is controlled by the Minnesota Department of Health. Minnesota’s Title V funding is used to fund the state’s Education Now and Babies Later (ENABL)program, an abstinence-only-until-marriage program that was established prior to Title V funding. This statewide initiative targets youth ages 12–14, their parents/caregivers, and has two main goals: Reduce adolescent pregnancy by decreasing the number of teens who engage in sexual activity Promote abstinence until marriage using a multi-faceted approach Minnesota’s Title V funding for ENABL is split among five components: Community Organizing Activities: This is the only area in which the money is sub-granted. There are 23 sub-grantees including three school districts, six community health organizations, and 14 non-profit organizations. There are no faith-based groups among the sub-grantees. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, these grantees “provide school and community-wide activities to convey and reinforce the message of abstinence as the norm for youth age 14 and under.” Each of the grantees must work in three areas: curriculum, community organizing, and public awareness. Statewide Media Campaign: This targets youth ages 10–14 and their parents or caregivers. Training for Staff and Community Leaders: The Minnesota Department of Health provides training and technical assistance. Program Evaluation: The program evaluation was released in January 2004 and showed that these programs are not effective in delaying sexual activity. Program Administration: Funds used to provide staffing, technical assistance, and support for the statewide program. The MN ENABL program uses the following curricula: Making a Difference, Managing Pressures, Postponing Sexual Involvement, and Worth the Wait.9 According to the Minnesota Department of Health, all curricula and supplemental materials must be “technically accurate, up-to-date, use a positive approach, gender-fair, racially, ethnically, and culturally non-biased, and not teach or promote religion.”10 All of Minnesota’s sub-grantees implement the MN ENABL campaign. SIECUS reviewed Worth the Wait and found that it covers some important topics related to sexuality such as puberty, anatomy, and sexual abuse, and that the curriculum is based on reliable sources of data. Despite these strengths, Worth the Wait relies on messages of fear, discourages contraceptive use, and promotes biased views of gender, marriage, and pregnancy options. For example, the curriculum claims that “teenage sexual activity can create a multitude of medical, legal, and economic problems not only for the individuals having sex but for society as a whole.”11 Minnesota’s ENABL program includes a website as part of its media campaign. The website (www.saynotyet.com) displays the slogan “Say Not Yet To Sex.” It includes a set of “fast facts” that use fear and shame to connect premarital sex to high school dropout rates, welfare, STDs, guilt, and embarrassment. For example, it states, “Approximately 48% of Minnesota families who were enrolled on welfare in December 1999 began with a teen birth.” 12 Some of the Minnesota Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage sub-grantees provide more comprehensive or progressive services in addition to the ENABL program. Itasca County Health and Human Services, for example, mentions that it also provides “comprehensive sexuality info…for the older teen.”13 Another sub-grantee, Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, sponsors a youth group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teenagers.14 Title V Evaluation Minnesota evaluated its Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program in 2003 and found that ENABL had reached 45,500 junior high students. The evaluation involved pre- and post-test surveys with follow-up surveys one year later. While youth did report that the program made them feel more comfortable talking with their parents about sex, the evaluation explains that “there was little impact of the curriculum on youth’s attitudes, sexual intentions, and behaviors after one year.”15 Evaluators also expressed concern about the “ability of the initiative to reach students and families of color.”16 The report found that sexual activity among junior high school participants of the ENABL program at three schools doubled between 2001 and 2002 and those participants who said they would “probably” have sex during high school almost doubled as well.17 The evaluation, which was conducted by Professional Data Analysts and Professional Evaluations Services, concluded that ENABL’s weaknesses were the result of the program constraints rather than the way it was implemented. The evaluators recommend that any further intervention be based on a more comprehensive sexuality education approach.18 The evaluation also found that the majority of parents surveyed by the Minnesota ENABL program (77 percent) wanted their children to learn about both abstinence and contraception. In fact, only 20 percent of these Minnesota parents wanted abstinence-only-until-marriage programs to be taught to their children. This result closely mirrors the findings of numerous national surveys.19 Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) and Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) Grantees There are no CBAE or AFLA grantees in Minnesota. Federal and State Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in FY 2006 Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Grantee Length of Grant Amount of Grant Type of Grant (includes Title V, CBAE, AFLA, and other funds) Minnesota Department of Health/ENABL www.saynotyet.com $488,623 federal $366,467 state Title V Agape House for Mothers www.agapehouseinc.com $31,000 Title V sub-grantee American Indian Family Center www.aifc.net $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Association for the Advancement of Hmong Women in Minnesota www.aahwm.org $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Cass County/Leech Lake Reservation Children’s Initiative $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis www.ccspm.org $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Cottonwood-Jackson County Community Health Services $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Crookston Public Schools Independent School District #593 www.crookston.k12.mn.us $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Freshwater Education School www.fed.k12.mn.us $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Independent School District #840/St. James (Watonwan County) $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Itasca County Health & Human Services http://www.co.itasca.mn.us/HHS/index.htm $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Kanabec/Pine Community Health Services $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Koochiching County Health Department www.co.koochiching.mn.us/ dept/county_health/cohealth main.htm $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Lao Family Community www.laofamily.org $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Lutheran Social Service www.lssmn.org $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Mid-State Community Health Services $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Minneapolis Urban League www.mul.org $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Parenting Resource Center www.parentonline.org $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Project SIGHT $31,000 Title V sub-grantee St. Paul Urban League $31,000 Title V sub-grantee University of Minnesota Extension Service – Crow Wing County www.extension.umn.edu/ county/template/index.aspx? countyID=18 $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Wadena County Public Health www.health.state.mn.us/divs/ chs/wadena.html $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Youth Values for Life Abstinence Program $31,000 Title V sub-grantee Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Coordinator Jill Briggs Minnesota Department of Health 85 East Seventh Pl. P.O. Box 64882 St. Paul, MN 55164 Phone: (651) 281-9781 Minnesota Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education Minnesota AIDS Project 1400 Park Ave. S Minneapolis, MN 55404 Phone: (612) 341-2060 www.mnaidsproject.org Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention, and Parenting 1619 Dayton Ave., Suite 111 St. Paul, MN 55104 Phone: (651) 644-1447 www.moappp.org   Minnesota Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice 122 West Franklin Ave., Suite 303 Minneapolis, MN 55404 Phone: (612) 870-0974 www.mnrcrc.org   NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota 550 Rice St. St. Paul, MN 55103 Phone: (651) 602-7655 www.prochoiceminnesota.org The National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Research Center 200 Oak St. SE, Suite 260 Minneapolis, MN 55455 Phone: (612) 626-2820 www.allaboutkids.umn.edu/cfahad/   Outfront Minnesota 310 38th St. E, Suite 204 Minneapolis, MN 55409 Phone: (612) 822-0127 www.outfront.org Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota 1965 Ford Pkwy. St. Paul, MN 55116 Phone: (612) 825-2777 www.ppmns.org   Minnesota Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education Center of the American Experiment 12 South 6th St. Minneapolis, MN 55402 Phone: (612) 338-3605 www.amexp.org Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life 4249 Nicollet Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55409 Phone: (612) 825-6831 www.mccl.org Minnesota Family Council 2855 Anthony Ln. S Minneapolis, MN 55418 612.789.8811 www.mfc.org   Newspapers in Minnesota Brainerd Daily Dispatch Kathy Nagorski City Editor 506 James St. Brainerd, MN 56401 Phone: (218) 855-5859   City Pages Beth Hawkins Education Editor 401 N. 3rd St. Minneapolis, MN 55401 Phone: (612) 375-1015 Daily Globe Beth Rickers Medical/Health Editor 300 11th St. Worthington, MN 56187 Phone: (507) 376-9711   Duluth News-Tribune Catherine Conlan Community News Editor 424 W. 1st St. Duluth, MN 55802 Phone: (218) 723-5300 Duluth News-Tribune Janet Goerdt Education Reporter 424 W. 1st St. Duluth, MN 55802 Phone: (218) 723-5300   The Free Press Kathy Vos Health & Medicine Editor 418 S. 2nd St. Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: (507) 344-6357 Mesabi Daily News Jesse White Community News Reporter 704 S. 7th Ave. Virginia, MN 55792 Phone: (218) 741-5544   Mesabi Daily News Linda Tyssen Health & Medicine Editor 704 S. 7th Ave. Virginia, MN 55792 Phone: (218) 741-5544 Post-Bulletin Edie Grossfield Education Reporter 18 1st Ave. SE Rochester, MN 55904 Phone: (507) 285-7635   St. Cloud Times Sue Helena Editor 3000 7th St. N Saint Cloud, MN 56303 Phone: (320) 255-8777 St. Paul Pioneer Press Susan Campbell Health & Medicine Editor 345 Cedar St. St. Paul, MN 55101 Phone: (651) 228-5326   St. Paul Pioneer Press Doug Belden Education Reporter 345 Cedar St. St. Paul, MN 55101 Phone: (651) 228-5136 Star Tribune Maria Baca Family & Parenting Reporter 425 Portland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55488 Phone: (612) 673-4409   Star Tribune Steve Brandt Education Reporter 425 Portland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55488 Phone: (612) 673-4438 Star Tribune H.J. Cummins Family & Parenting Reporter 425 Portland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55488 Phone: (612) 673-4671 Star Tribune Maura Lerner Health & Medicine Reporter 425 Portland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55488 Phone: (612) 673-7384   West Central Tribune Anne Polta Medical/Health Reporter 2208 Trott Ave. SW Willmar, MN 56201 Phone: (320) 235-1150   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 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.  “Gay Teacher ‘Outs’ Himself, and Parents Are Upset,” Associated Press, 7 October 2006, accessed 1 December 2006, <http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_280171542.html>. Ibid. U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics: Overall Trends, Trends by Race and Ethnicity and State-by-State Information (New York: The Guttmacher Institute, February 2004), accessed 26 January 2007, <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/2006/09/12/USTPstats.pdf>. Induced Abortions in Minnesota, January–December 2003: Report to the Legislature (St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, July 2004), Table 4, accessed 26 January 2007, <http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/abrpt/2003abrpt.pdf>. National Vital Statistics Reports 55.01 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 2006), 10, accessed 26 January 2006, <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr55/nvsr55_01.pdf>. 2002 Minnesota Sexually Transmitted Disease Statistics (St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Health, STD and HIV Section), Table 2, accessed 26 January 2007, <http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/stds/stdreport2002.pdf>. “HIV/AIDS Prevalence and Mortality Tables,” Minnesota Department of Health, (2004), accessed 3 February 2005, <http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/hiv/pmtables.html#table1>. “Say Not Yet! to Sex,” Minnesota Department of Health, (2003), accessed 30 January 2007, <http://www.saynotyet.com/about.htm>. “MN ENABL Summary of Approved Curricula,” Minnesota Department of Health, (2003), accessed 31 January 2007, <http://www.saynotyet.com/pdfs/approvedcurric.pdf>. Patricia Sulak, Worth the Wait (Temple, TX: Scott & White Memorial Hospital, 2003). For more information, see SIECUS’ review of Worth the Wait at <http://www.communityactionkit.org/curricula_reviews.html>. “ Fast Facts,” Minnesota Education Now and Babies Later, (2003), accessed 17 January 2007, <http://www.saynotyet.com/fastfacts.htm>. Kate Lavalier, “Teen Pregnancy Prevention,”Itasca County Health and Human Services Itasca Resource Center (20 September 2004), accessed 17 January 2007, <http://www.co.itasca.mn.us/HHS/health/teenpreg.htm>. “ Together For Youth,” Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, (2004), accessed 17 January 2007, <http://www.lssmn.org/together_for_youth.htm>. Professional Data Analysts and Professional Evaluation Services, Minnesota Education Now and Babies Later: Evaluation Report 1998-2002 (St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Dept. of Health, Division of Family Health, Maternal and Child Health Section, 2003). Ibid, 10. Ibid. Minnesota Education Now and Babies Later (MN ENABL), Evaluation Report 1998-2002 (St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Health, Division of Family Health, Maternal and Child Health Section), accessed 30 January 2007, <http://saynotyet.com/report.htm>. Sex Education in America: General Public/Parents Survey (Washington, DC: National Public Radio, Kaiser Family Foundation, Kennedy School of Government, 2004), 5.

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