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Report Finds No Evidence to Continue Funding
Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12,
2007
CONTACT: Nsombi Lambright, ACLU of
Mississippi, 601-354-3408
Jackson – The
American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi today said a new
report reviewing the effectiveness of 115 sex education programs
offers strong evidence that it is time for the government to
support sex education programs that include information that
teenagers need to make healthy life decisions and to stop
funding ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programming.
“The ACLU has
long held that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs which
deny teens information on contraceptives are ineffective,” said
Nsombi Lambright, Executive Director of the ACLU of Mississippi.
“Today’s study makes
clear that these programs have no place in our classrooms and
should not be funded by taxpayer dollars.”
Today’s
report, Emerging Answers 2007: Research Findings on
Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted
Diseases, was authored by Douglas Kirby, Ph.D., a leading
sexual health researcher. The report found
that programs containing information on abstinence and
contraception – for which there is currently no dedicated
federal funding – can significantly delay the initiation of sex,
reduce the frequency of sex, reduce the number of sexual
partners, and increase condom or contraceptive use among teens.
“Mississippi
should focus on keeping teens healthy and helping them to
protect against unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted
diseases,” said Shawna Davie, Reproductive Freedom Project
Organizer of the ACLU of Mississippi. “This
report demonstrates that programs that provide teens with
information on both abstinence and contraception have a positive
impact on teens’ behavior.”
Recognizing
the myriad problems with abstinence-only-until-marriage
instruction, fourteen states have stopped participating in the
federal funding scheme because the programs are ineffective and
leave teens without the information they need to make healthy
decisions. Twelve states have done so within
the past year.
Since 1996,
the federal government has spent more than a billion dollars on
abstinence-only-until-marriage programs despite research like
today’s indicating that many such programs are ineffective while
programs that teach about delaying sex and using protection can
significantly change sexual behaviors among teens.
Yet, Congress is poised in the coming weeks to again
increase funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs,
the ACLU said.
Besides
endangering teen’s health, abstinence-only-until-marriage
programs raise serious civil liberties concerns.
These programs create a hostile environment for gay and
lesbian teens, reinforce gender stereotypes, and in some
instances use taxpayer dollars to promote religion.
To view
today’s report visit:
http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/EA2007/default.aspx
For a summary
of key findings from today’s report:
http://www.guttmacher.org/media/evidencecheck/2007/11/07/Advisory_Emerging_Answers_2007.pdf
Background and Present
Status: (April 2007)
Reorganized in 2004 during the
March for Women’s Lives, the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom
Coalition emerged to address the assault on women’s reproductive
rights in Mississippi. The main goal of the Coalition is to
educate Mississippians on reproductive health care using
truthful and accurate information. Since, its development, the
coalition has met regularly, organized workshops, recruited
members, implemented and participated in rallies and marches and
fought legislative initiatives to limit access to reproductive
healthcare. The coalition works to educate Mississippians on
the current status of reproductive health care in Mississippi
and to advocate for system reform in order to broaden access to
information and reproductive health services. Currently, the
project is the only full-time, locally based staff program
dedicated to protecting and advocating for reproductive rights
in the state of Mississippi.
The Mississippi Reproductive
Freedom Project has 5 main goals: to educate Mississippians
about reproductive health care; build the MS Reproductive
freedom Coalition; educate & train healthcare professionals and
young women on emergency contraception; Implement the Take
Issue, Take Charge Teen Chat Program in Holmes County; and
develop & implement legislative agenda/strategies.
Public Education and
Organizing:
-
Produced Plan B public
education materials (bookmarks, postcards, and business
cards) to provide much needed information about Plan B to
communities of color, women, organizers, legislators,
college students, youth , pharmacists, social workers, and
other healthcare providers
-
The coalition meets on an as
needed basis to discuss and address specific issues related
to reproductive health, currently we are implementing a
planning group and restructuring the coalition
-
Published a reproductive
freedom project brochure to explain what the project is
about to members and potential members
-
Formed two my space pages to
educate youth ages 14-24 on Plan B and to draw new members
to the coalition
-
We hosted a workshop on Plan B
at Millsaps College
for March 20 Back up your birth control day
-
We are working with a pharmacy
professor and activist to build relationships with the
pharmacy association and the only School of Pharmacy in the
state
-
Participated in Jackson State
University’s Health Fairs, provided information on Plan B
-
Conducted after school
workshop, question and answer session about Plan B for
thirty students at a local high school in Jackson,
Mississippi for the high school’s civil liberty and civil
rights club (the only club of its kind we are aware of in
the state) March 22, 2007
-
Provided legislative updates
to a local National Organization for Women-Campus Action
Network at Millsaps College through email and by attending
their meetings to give updates
-
An article on the current
trigger ban on abortion that was passed this legislative
session was included in the spring newsletter that goes out
2,600 Mississippians
-
We passed out condoms and
information on Plan B during the American Sexual Health
Associations National Condom Week at Jackson State
University a publicly state funded local Historically Black
University with the help of a local sorority
-
Supported small local
organization youth retreat for girls by providing training
in reproductive health, information, condoms, brochures and
buttons.
-
Met with campus health center
physician at Jackson State University in an effort to
persuade him to provide Plan B to young women on campus.
-
Held focus groups with youth
organizers and other students at our partner organization,
Citizens for Quality Education, office in Lexington,
Mississippi to determine what students in the area would
respond to positively
-
We created specialized
invitations for youth and other interested families to
invite them to a lunch and parent orientation
-
We created Holmes County
specific “Teen Chat” brochures to create awareness about the
program with youth, parents, pastors, principals, nurses,
and teachers.
-
Hosted a parent orientation
lunch for families interested in the Teen Chat program all
ten families invited attended. We showed a power point
presentation using statistics on sexually transmitted
diseases and teen pregnancy for the state and Holmes
County. One parent noted that he had not planned to sign up
his ten year old daughter but after seeing our presentation
which showed the number of girls 10-14 who gave birth in his
county the year before, he decided it was the best thing for
his daughter. All parents in attendance signed permission
slips for 13 students to be a part of the Teen Chat program,
-
Later, we were able to get
three more permission slips signed for students interested
in “Teen Chat”
-
Hosted and trained 15 youth in
8 sessions on reproductive health and advocacy for
comprehensive reproductive health education
-
The Reproductive Freedom
Project coordinator was able to spend more time in the
Lexington area working with the youth after school, during
spring break, and sometimes twice a week
-
Held additional Teen Chat
Reproductive Health Education Workshops (1-5) during Holmes
County School District spring break at Southside M.B Church
-
Held a graduation ceremony for
students who participated in the program and those who
completed the program. Certificates of Achievement were
given to each participant
-
Provided planning sessions and
rehearsals for peer educators leading break-out workshops in
the Teen Summit
-
Hosted the first Teen Summit
at an extremely religious and conservative high school in a
rural and impoverished community with high teen pregnancy
and std rates. All break-out workshops were youth led
by “Teen Chat” Peer Educators between the ages of 10-17.
The workshops included: The 411 on Pregnancy:
a discussion of the reproductive systems, pregnancy,
contraception, Plan B, and the cost of pregnancy and caring
for newborns; STD’s and HIV: discussion of
the risks associated with having sex, how STD’s and HIV are
transmitted, what prevention methods can lower risk
including not having sex and using condoms; Condom
World: discussion and demonstration of how to use a
male and female condom, steps in putting on a condom, do’s
and don’ts of condom usage, allowed students to demonstrate
as well; Cakin’: discussion of sexual
harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, negotiation
skills, equipped students with messages or “comeback lines”
for pressure situations, helped students practice saying
they did not want to have sex yet or that they must use a
condom; “Role Playin’ for the Real World”: youth
skit around teen pregnancy and STD Prevention, shows what an
Emergency Pregnancy Test is and how to use it, promoted
getting tested for stds, allowed other students ( audience
volunteers) to act out a role play as well.
-
Hosted an awards ceremony to
honor the peer educators who lead workshops at the Teen
Summit (each youth leader received a certificate and
carnation)
-
Conducted video interview with
youth leaders/peer educators and students who attended the
Teen Summit to be used for further organizing
Legislation:
-
A strategic planning
conference call was held to discuss ways to defeat 3 pieces
of anti-choice legislation that made it out of committee
-
The coalition, through
strategic messaging, persuaded the legislators, specifically
the head of the House Public Health and Welfare committee,
that an outright ban on abortion would be quite costly to
the state of Mississippi and extremely detrimental and
deadly to women’s lives
-
Met with social workers to
provide information and talking points on anti-abortion
legislation for their meetings with legislators
-
We held a legislative dinner
for the representatives and senators who voted for
reproductive health this year despite a conflicting event
being held by the chairmen of the appropriations committee,
eleven people were in attendance. We gave a power point
presentation to help connect the dots between the need for
abortion and the need for access to contraception and
comprehensive sex education. The legislator interrupted the
presentation to invite the reproductive freedom project
coordinator to the Mississippi Delta Task force meeting, a
group of community leaders, businessmen, and legislators
concerned about the revitalization of the Mississippi Delta
including the teen pregnancy rate.
-
Gave a successful presentation
to the Mississippi Delta Task force and received many
questions and inquiries from with legislators, businesses,
universities, and school districts. Many were also
interested in duplicating the “Teen Chat” program in their
businesses, churches, and school districts.
Next Steps:
Access to Reproductive
Healthcare
· Increase
organizing in underserved populations of women including women
and girls in detention facilities, shelters, group homes, low
income communities, and communities of color
· Create
Healthcare Professionals steering committee to address access
to Plan B and other reproductive health services
Legislation
· Host
strategic planning retreat in preparation of upcoming session
· Meet
with key legislators to find ways to increase access to
reproductive health care
Coalition Building:
· Form
Planning Group- identify barriers to reproductive freedom
implement strategies
·
Host quarterly
updates and organizing and media trainings
Access to Reproductive Health
Education
· Host
Celebrating Our Queendom House parties to educate women of color
on reproductive health and reproductive rights
· Expand
Teen Chat program in the Mississippi Delta and Jackson to
organize youth for comprehensive reproductive health education
·
Continue
culturally-competent public education campaign for Plan B
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