FPA in the News: 2007

The Star- Gazette
"Winner leads push for better sex ed: Activists say current system in schools is 'hodgepodge.' "
By: Dan Wiessner

1.24.07

ALBANY -- Advocates and state lawmakers renewed their call for state funding of comprehensive sex education Tuesday, citing New York's high rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among teens.

The bill "recognizes the reality that New York has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the nation," said state Sen. George H. Winner Jr., R-Elmira, who sponsored the measure. "It recognizes that age-appropriate, accessible, community-based, effective education and communication may represent the best hope in confronting this challenge."

In 2004, 40,000 girls in New York age 15 to 19 years old became pregnant, a rate of 61.9 per 1,000 girls, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The New York rate was 13th highest in the country. The national rate was 54 per 1,000 girls that year.

"The current hodgepodge system of sexual education is unacceptable," said JoAnn Smith, head of Family Planning Advocates, who support proposed legislation that she said would "reduce the number of teens who needlessly face unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections because they don't have the knowledge or resources to protect themselves."

Her group, which represents Planned Parenthood chapters, is supporting a bill that would allow school districts to apply for grants that support what the advocates call "age-appropriate, scientifically based sex-education programs.''

Scott Heyman, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes, said he thinks the bill has a good chance of passing.

"All indications are that it has widespread support in the Legislature and with the governor," he said.

He said Planned Parenthood works with many area school districts and could be in line for some additional assignments if the grants become available.

"We're very popular with the schools in this area," he said. "School districts would be able to access funds and could take proposals or bids. We would be a strong competitor, but we probably would not be the only one."

Britt Lenhardt, a health teacher at Horseheads High School, said, "Anytime they're willing to put more money into education it's a good idea."

And she said it's possible the Horseheads district could work with outside organizations on a sex education project, though she said that would be a decision for the administration.

"We don't teach sex education as a separate course," she said. "It's taught as part of the health curriculum." She said if an outside organization taught sex the same way, as part of an overall program of making good choices, "absolutely it could be very beneficial."

Sex ed isn't mandatory in New York, though many school districts teach it in various forms. Schools are only required to teach about HIV and AIDS.

"New York state spends $11 million a year on abstinence-only education," mostly from federal funding, "but there is no scientific basis to prove that it works," Smith said. "Comprehensive education has been proven to be effective."

The bill isn't new; it had bipartisan support in the Assembly last year, passing 126-15, but didn't reach a vote in the GOP-controlled Senate. The measure met the same fate in 2005. This is the first year Winner has sponsored the bill. It was introduced for the last two years by Nicholas Spano of Yonkers, who was defeated in November.

The advocates said that school officials and parents are overwhelmingly in favor of comprehensive sex ed, and that schools only opt for abstinence-only programs because of a need for funding. Federal money is only allocated to abstinence programs.

Religious groups are among those opposed to the measure.

"This would give Planned Parenthood an opening in public schools to push their propaganda encouraging sexual behavior among teens," said Dennis Poust, a spokesman for the New York State Catholic Conference. "Most parents feel that teens are too young to be having sex and ought to be given a direct message to wait until adulthood, if not marriage."

Supporters of comprehensive sex education note that more than four out of 10 students said they had sex before graduating from high school and those students can't be ignored in sex ed programs. But Poust said that's the wrong message to send.

"If four in 10 students are taking drugs, do we have a program telling them how to do drugs more safely? No, we tell them that drug use is always a bad idea," he said.

One Planned Parenthood chapter head said that too many teens get their information from popular culture, and comprehensive education in schools would be an effective counter.

"Most students are dealing with rumors instead of facts," said Reina Schiffrin of the Hudson Peconic chapter, which covers Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties. "With school-based sexual education, you get rid of the mystique."

Star-Gazette reporter Roger Neumann contributed to this report.