STD/STI/HIV Education in Public Schools
Each year, 15 to 24 year olds report more than 9 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STDs/STIs).1 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in 2008 that one in four young women, and one in two young black women, between the ages of 14 and 19 have an STI.2 Young women, particularly young women of color, bear the burden of unintended pregnancies and a disproportionate share of STIs.
The Report Card examines whether states are requiring education about STD/STI/HIV—one of the best ways to reduce and prevent unintended pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.3
States have already begun receiving funds to implement new "Personal Responsibility Education Programs" which must include information on contraception, abstinence, healthy relationships, and other adult preparation topics. The programs must be evidence-based, medically accurate, and age-appropriate. If states do not apply for program funding, local entities will be able to access the funds by the third year of the grant. The Affordable Care Act also restores funding for Title V abstinence-only programs through 2014.
Does the state require that STD/STI and HIV education be taught?
States receive a "meets policy" if they require public schools to offer STD/STI/HIV education. States that have no such requirements receive a "no policy."
| State | Strength of Policy | Change from 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Meets Policy | Same |
| Alaska | No Policy | Same |
| Arizona | No Policy | Same |
| Arkansas | No Policy | Same |
| California | Meets Policy | Same |
| Colorado | No Policy | Same |
| Connecticut | Meets Policy | Same |
| Delaware | Meets Policy | Same |
| District of Columbia | Meets Policy | Same |
| Florida | Meets Policy | Same |
| Georgia | Meets Policy | Same |
| Hawaii | Meets Policy | Same |
| Idaho | No Policy | Same |
| Illinois | No Policy | Same |
| Indiana | Meets Policy | Same |
| Iowa | Meets Policy | Same |
| Kansas | Meets Policy | Same |
| Kentucky | Meets Policy | Same |
| Louisiana | No Policy | Same |
| Maine | Meets Policy | Same |
| Maryland | Meets Policy | Same |
| Massachusetts | No Policy | Same |
| Michigan | Meets Policy | Same |
| Minnesota | Meets Policy | Same |
| Mississippi | No Policy | Same |
| Missouri | Meets Policy | Same |
| Montana | Meets Policy | Same |
| Nebraska | No Policy | Same |
| Nevada | Meets Policy | Same |
| New Hampshire | Meets Policy | Same |
| New Jersey | Meets Policy | Same |
| New Mexico | Meets Policy | Same |
| New York | Meets Policy | Same |
| North Carolina | Meets Policy | Same |
| North Dakota | No Policy | Same |
| Ohio | Meets Policy | Same |
| Oklahoma | Meets Policy | Same |
| Oregon | Meets Policy | Same |
| Pennsylvania | Meets Policy | Same |
| Rhode Island | Meets Policy | Same |
| South Carolina | Meets Policy | Same |
| South Dakota | No Policy | Same |
| Tennessee | Meets Policy | Same |
| Texas | No Policy | Same |
| Utah | Meets Policy | Same |
| Vermont | Meets Policy | Same |
| Virginia | No Policy | Same |
| Washington | Meets Policy | Same |
| West Virginia | Meets Policy | Same |
| Wisconsin | Meets Policy | Same |
| Wyoming | No Policy | Same |
Data Source: Guttmacher Institute, "State Policies in Brief: Sex and STD/HIV Education," September 2010, available at http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_SE.pdf, September 10, 2010
Footnotes
1 H. Weinstock et al., “Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among American Youth: Incidence and Prevalence Estimates,” in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 36(1) (Jan. 2004), 6–10.
2 Centers for Disease Control, “Nationally Representative CDC Study Finds 1 in 4 Teenage Girls Has a Sexually Transmitted Disease” (Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control, March 11, 2008), available at http://www.cdc.gov/STDConference/2008/media/release-11march2008.htm, accessed September 24, 2010.
3 A 2001 report confirmed that programs that include information on contraception do not increase sexual activity, and some have been shown to reduce or delay sexual activity. Douglas Kirby, Emerging Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy (Washington: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, May 2001).
