Creating Healthy and Responsible Teens (CHART) Abstinence Plus Policy Mississippi Teen Pregnancy Prevention Summit

AGENDA I.Teen Sexual Health in Mississippi II.Sex Education in Mississippi III.CHART: Creating Health and Responsible Teens IV.CHART Policy’s Cost to School Districts V.How You Can Help VI.Panelists/Questions

Teen Sexual Health in Mississippi

O Teen Health Crisis in Mississippi Teen Birth Rate over Last Five Years ( ) Source: Vital Statistics, Mississippi State Department of Health

O Teen Health Crisis in Mississippi Chlamydia Infection Rate over Last Five Years ( ) Source: Vital Statistics, Mississippi State Department of Health

O Teen Health Crisis in Mississippi Gonorrhea Infection Rate over Last Five Years ( ) Source: Vital Statistics, Mississippi State Department of Health

O Teen Pregnancy’s Cost to Mississippians $155,000,000 The same amount of money would buy: Pre-K for 97% of Mississippi 4-year-olds 1 year of 4-year college tuition for 31,624 Mississippians 4,871 police officers 2,666 registered nurses 3,677 teachers Source: Mississippi Economic Policy Center; Mississippi First

Teen Healthy Crisis in Mississippi: WHY? Many Teens in MS are Sexually Active 76% of 12 th Graders have had sexual intercourse – Nation: 62.3% 50% of 9 th Graders have had sexual intercourse – Nation: 31.6% Lack of Knowledge about Sexual/Reproductive Health Abstinence-only was the state standard for years No requirement for sex education Many districts contracted with 3 rd party groups Source: Youth Risky Behavior Surveillance. CDC & MSDH, 2009

Sex Education in Mississippi

HB 999: The New Sex Education Law Key Details Sex education requirement for public school districts Must adopt abstinence- only or abstinence-plus policy July 1, 2012 deadline No state funding New Restrictions Restrictions on condom instruction Opt-in Policy Separated by gender Curricula must be approved by the State Board of Ed

“Abstinence-Only” vs. “Abstinence-Plus” Abstinence Only Proven ineffective in reducing rates Teens as likely to have sex before marriage Teens less likely to use contraceptives Teens more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior Abstinence - Plus Far more effective in reducing teen birth/STD rates Decreases in frequency and number of partners Increases in use of contraceptives

CHART: Creating Healthy and Responsible Teens

CHART Abstinence-Plus Policy Highlights of CHART Policy Instruction must begin no later that 7 th grade Must include abstinence education Taught by Health, Science, and Family/Consumer Science teachers Must have Program Coordinator and at least 1 public meeting Evidence-Based Sex Ed Curricula Each option is age-appropriate, medically accurate, and evidence-based. 1 elementary, 3 middle school, and 2 high school options Curricula currently being reviewed by the State Board of Education

CHART Advocacy Strategy Setting Priorities through Sexual Health Indicators* Significantly high current teen birth rate Significantly high 5-yr. average teen birth rate Significantly high teen birth rate in two of the last three years Significantly high 5-yr. average Chlamydia infection rate Significantly high 5-yr. average gonorrhea infection rate 3-5 Indicators = Priority 1 (17) Goal: Get 75% of districts to adopt the policy 1-2 Indicators = Priority 2 (16) Goal: Work with community partners to get policy adopted 0 Indicators = Priority 3 (49) Goal: Provide resources for local advocates * Sexual health indicators currently under review.

CHART Policy’s Cost to School Districts

Cost to the District = $0 Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) $75 million from the Affordable Health Care Act Funding for evidence-based comprehensive sex education Worked with the MS State Dept. of Health to apply for state grant Through a $2 million federal PREP grant, districts that adopt the CHART policy will receive the following at no cost to the district: Evidence-Based Curricula Teacher Training Technical Assistance Data Gathering Assistance

Implementing this FREE Program Five-Step Implementation Process STEP ONE – Policy Adoption STEP TWO – Curriculum/Implementation Guide STEP THREE – Curriculum Selection STEP FOUR – Training from MSDH STEP FIVE – Curriculum Implementation

How You Can Help! How You Can Help Us Get CHART Adopted Talk to the Superintendent and School Board Members Talk to Teachers and Administrators about CHART Help Us Connect with District Administrators Share CHART Information with Others Share Your Story Remember Four Things about CHART: Needed, Required, Proven Effective and FREE!