V. WADE THIS YEAR. NBC’S SIMONE TAKES A LOOK AT HOW
THESE STATES STACK UP.
>> THE CRACKDOWN ON ABORTION
ACCESS AROUND THE COUNTRY GOT ME
THINKING ABOUT SEX EDUCATION IN
SCHOOLS TODAY.
SCHOOLS TODAY. AND YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO
LEARN THERE IS NO NATIONAL
DEFINITION FOR SEX EDUCATION.
SO WHAT YOU LEARN DEPENDS ON
WHERE YOU LIVE.
AND IN SOME AREAS, THAT MEANS
HEARING A LOT ABOUT ABSTINENCE
AND NOT MUCH ABOUT ANYTHING
ELSE.
ELSE. MOST OF THE STATES THAT HAVE
PASSED STRICT NEW ABORTION
LEGISLATION LATELY REQUIRE
TEACHERS TO STRESS ABSTINENCE
DURING THOSE SEX EDUCATION
COURSES.
COURSES. AND IN ALABAMA AND MISSOURI,
THEY ACTUALLY DON’T REQUIRE
SEXUAL EDUCATION BE TAUGHT AT
ALL.
ALL. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT ALABAMA
FIRST A SECOND.
I CALLED UP THE STATE
SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION TO
FIND OUT WHAT AN ABSTINENCE
FIRST APPROACH LOOKS LIKE.
>> SO THE GOAL OF SEX EDUCATION
IS TO TELL STUDENTS TO ABSTAIN
FROM SEXUAL ACTIVITY UNTIL THEY
ARE ADULTS.
ARE ADULTS. THE HEALTH COURSE OF STUDY DOES
GO FURTHER AND TALK ABOUT THINGS
LIKE PARENTING SKILLS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES AND STDs AND
ABOUT CONTRACEPTION.
ABOUT CONTRACEPTION. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, MAKING IT
VERY CLEAR THAT THE ONLY CERTAIN
WAY TO AVOID PREGNANCY OR
TRANSFERENCE OF STDs IS THROUGH
ABSTINENCE.
ABSTINENCE. >> SO I’M LOOKING AT A CHART
FROM THE CDC.
AND ALABAMA RANKS IN THE TOP TEN
FOR THE HIGHEST TEEN BIRTH RATES
IN THE COUNTRY.
WHEN A STATE HAS A HIGH TEEN
BIRTH RATE COMPARATIVELY, DOES
THAT INDICATE TO YOU THAT
ABSTINENCE ONLY EDUCATION IS
EFFECTIVE?
EFFECTIVE? >> I DON’T THINK YOU CAN MAKE
THE CAUSAL DETERMINATION.
>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE ADDING MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT CONTRA SEPTION
INTO THE SEX EDUCATION
CURRICULUM COULD LOWER THE TEEN
PREGNANCY RATE?
PREGNANCY RATE? >> I DON’T KNOW.
I THINK THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT
COULD BRING IN SOME HEALTH
EXPERTS.
EXPERTS. >> HEALTH TEACHERS AND OUR STATE
SPECIALISTS AND HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. >> THE ALTERNATIVE TO THAT
APPROACH IS COMPREHENSIVE
EDUCATION.
EDUCATION. WHICH MEANS AT THE VERY LEAST,
STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT ABSTINENCE
AS WELL AS OTHER CONTRACEPTIONS.
A STUDY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF
GEORGIA SHOWED A CONNECTION
BETWEEN ABSTINENCE FOCUSED
EDUCATION AND TEEN BIRTH RATES.
THESE RESEARCHERS FOUND STATSZ
THAT PLACE ADD STRONGER EMPHASIS
ON ABSTINENCE, SEE HIGHER RATES
OF TEEN PREGNANCY.
SO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PUSH FOR
COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION, I
CALLED UP JENNIFER DRIVER, A
STATE DIRECTOR AND THEY’RE A
NONPROFIT WORKING TO BROADEN SEX
EDUCATION AROUND THE COUNTRY AND
THEY ALSO SUPPORT ABORTION
RIGHTS.
RIGHTS. WHAT ARE THE SHORTCOMINGS OF
ABSTINENCE ONLY EDUCATION IN
YOUR MIND?
YOUR MIND? >> OFTEN WHAT WE SEE IN
ABSTINENCE ONLY PROGRAMS OR ALSO
WHAT’S CALLED EXCELLENT
AVOIDANCE PROGRAMS IS AN ATTEMPT
TO WITHHOLD INFORMATION AND NOT
PROVIDE YOUNG PEOPLE THE
COMPLETE PICTURE OF SEXUAL
HEALTH INFORMATION.
HEALTH INFORMATION. IT’S ALL BEEN DONE IN A
STIGMATIZING WAY.
STIGMATIZING WAY. THEY ARE HARMFUL AND
STIGMATIZING TO YOUNG LGBTQ
YOUNG PEOPLE BY FRAMING MARRIAGE
BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN.
>> DO YOU THINK WE’LL SEE A
CHANGE IN SEX EDUCATION
CURRICULUM IN SOME OF THE STATES
THAT HAVE A -- SORT OF A NARROW
VIEW OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE?
DO YOU ANTICIPATE ANY BROADENING
OF THAT AT ALL?
>> THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE
MAKING A MOVEMENT AND MAKING
CHANGES.
CHANGES. >> DO YOU SEE ANY UPSIDE TO
ABSTINENCE ONLY EDUCATION?
>> I THINK AS A PART OF A WIDE
RANGE OF INFORMATION.
IT’S THE ABSTINENCE ONLY THAT I
THINK I TAKE THE MOST ISSUE
WITH.
WITH. IT’S NOT PROVIDING YOUNG PEOPLE
WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION.
>> THE U.S. HAS INVESTED OVER $1
BILLION INTO ABSTINENCE ONLY
PROGRAMS.
PROGRAMS. AND WE DID SEE A REVERSAL DURING
THE OBAMA YEARS, BUT IT LOOKS
LIKE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
SHUTTING FEDERAL FUNDING BACK
INTO THOSE ABSTINENCE ONLY
PROGRAMS.
PROGRAMS. SEVERAL STUDIES OVER THE YEARS
ACTUALLY SHOW SEX EDUCATION IS
LESS CONTROVERSIAL AMONG PARENTS
PARENTS.
PARENTS. THERE’S CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC
SUPPORT FOR A MORE BALANCED