A Closer Look at Florida
Healthy Teens Campaign
On November 5, 2007, the University of Florida released a study confirming what we already knew - that the state of sex education in Florida is failing our youth. The very next day, a national report, Emerging Answers 2007, was released by Douglas Kirby, Ph.D., and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The report showed that abstinence-only programs are ineffective, and includes strong evidence that abstinence-only programs do not have any impact on teen sexual behavior.
Did you know?
- Florida has the 6th highest teen pregnancy rate with 48,440 teenage pregnancies annually.
- Florida has the 2nd highest AIDS rate in the country, with 4,960 new AIDS cases in 2005 and 100,809 cases overall.
- In 2005, 47% of female high school students and 54% of male high school students in Florida reported ever having had sexual intercourse.
- In 2005, 12% of female high school students and 21% of male high school students in Florida reported having had four or more lifetime sexual partners.
- And in 2006, Florida had 121,791 reported cases of sexually transmitted infections other than HIV/AIDS.
Without comprehensive sex education in the classrooms, Florida's teens are at a greater risk for unintended pregnancies and contracting sexually transmitted infections like HIV/AIDS.
Teens need and deserve responsible sex education that includes information about abstinence, AND about protection from diseases and pregnancy.
While we all hope that teens will wait to have sex, half of Florida teens have intercourse before they graduate high school. We need comprehensive sex education so even if a teen chooses not to wait they will still know how to be safe.
Latest News
Abstinence-Only Programs Fall Short of Teens' Needs
8/21/08 ABC News 4
Sarasota
THURSDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- One reason why abstinence-only programs don't do much to prevent teen sexual activity is because abstinence can mean different things to teens than it does to adults,
WLRN's Topical Currents Examines Florida Sex Education
Topical Currents
Monday, August 18th 2008
Topical Currents
examines Florida sex education. It’s a controversial topic. Most
experts say government funded “abstinence-only” plans don’t reduce teen
pregnancy or sexually-transmitted disease. Some one-billion tax dollars
have been devoted to abstinence programs. Planned Parenthood and others
want funding shifted to give kids accurate information about pregnancy
and to avoid STDs.
Young Viewers Give ABC Family A Hit With Cautionary Tale About Teen Pregnancy
FSU: Block Party Fosters HIV/AIDS Awareness
Molly Chess, FSUNews.com , August 4, 2008
New HIV cases in U.S. 40 Percent Above Earlier Estimate
By Bob Lamendola,
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, August 3, 2008
Ideological Obstacles to Evidence-Based Prevention
Excerpted from Confronting the Evidence in Evidence-Based Prevention: Current Scientific and Political Challenges by Judith D. Auerbach, PhD and William Smith
Protecting Yourself Against HPV
Most large insurance plans usually cover recommended vaccines, including Gardasil.
By SHELLY HOLMSTROM, M.D., Tampa Tribune, July 31, 2008
The Latino Commission on AIDS releases report on the state of HIV/AIDS in Latino/Hispanic communities
A National Delegation of the Commission will dialogue with leaders at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City to share and learn about successful strategies in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
To see full report, click here.
Report: Black U.S. AIDS rates rival some African nations
Link to full report, here.
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The AIDS epidemic among African-Americans in some parts of the United States is as severe as in parts of Africa, according to a report out Tuesday.
Bush Administration Twists Facts to Trick States into Accepting Funds for Ineffective Abstinence-Only Programs
July 28, 2008
Title V Grant Extension Is a Gimmick; Hurts Florida Teens
Sarasota, FL — Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates (FAPPA) today criticized the Bush administration for misleading states about the certainty of Title V abstinence-only program funding in a new grant extension announced recently. The move is a gimmick aimed directly at countering states’ rejection of failed abstinence-only programs.