Governor Quinn signs Sexual Health Education bill - 5266 - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News

Governor Quinn has today signed The Sexual Health Education bill (HB 2675) into law.

HB 2675 creates a standard for existing sexual health education courses taught in public schools grades 6-12. It provides medically accurate, age-appropriate, complete information on reducing STIs and unintended pregnancies including information on abstinence, contraception, healthy relationships and boundary setting.

Statement from Carole Brite, Planned Parenthood of Illinois President and CEO

"Planned Parenthood applauds Governor Pat Quinn for signing a law that ensures that teens in Illinois have access to medically accurate, evidence based, age appropriate, comprehensive information when they receive sex education in Illinois public schools. Research shows that comprehensive sex education that includes information about abstinence and contraception delays sexual activity among youth and increases the use of effective protection against unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections when sexual activity occurs. Planned Parenthood of Illinois is committed to working with Illinois public schools to implement this law."

Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) provides affordably-priced, high-quality reproductive health care services to women and families throughout Illinois. Through health care services, educational programs and advocacy efforts, PPIL works to ensure and protect the reproductive rights of each individual. For more information, visit www.ppil.org .

Illinois Sexual Health Education Facts

What HB 2675 does

HB 2675 is the first bill in Illinois history to set a standard for sex education that is comprehensive, medically accurate, and age appropriate. HB 2675:

Creates a standard for existing sexual health education courses in grades 6 through 12

Provides medically accurate, age-appropriate, complete information on reducing sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies—including information on abstinence, contraception, healthy relationships and boundary setting

Ensures that local school districts can choose curricula that meet their community's standards

Allows for parents to remove their children from sexual health education courses for any reason without penalty to their child

Impact of Comprehensive Sex Education

According to a 2007 report by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, comprehensive sex education which includes information about abstinence delays sexual activity among youth and increases the use of protection when sexual activity occurs. Emerging Answers, 2007

Impact of Abstinence-Only Sex Education

There is no evidence to date that abstinence-only-until-marriage education delays teen sexual activity. Research shows that abstinence-only strategies may deter contraceptive use among sexually active teens, increasing their risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Facts on American Teens' Sources of Information about Sex, Guttmacher In Brief Fact Sheet, December 2011

Illinois Youth Health Statistics

Teen pregnancy rate. Illinois has the 21st highest teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. According to the Guttmacher Institute, more than 30,000 teens ages 15 — 19 years in Illinois become pregnant every year. U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions, 2008: State Trends by Age, Race and Ethnicity, March 2013

STI rates. The rate of sexually transmitted infections is also high among Illinois youth. Adolescents and young adults represent the majority of reported cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea in Illinois. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, teens ages 15 — 19 years accounted for 34% of chlamydia cases and 62% of gonorrhea cases reported during 2007.

Teen sexual activity rates. Almost half of high school students in Illinois report that they are sexually experienced. In a 2011 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, 45% of Illinois high school students reported that they have had sexual intercourse. One in three high school students reported that they had had sexual intercourse in the previous three months before the survey. 1991-2011 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Youth Online Interactive Data Tables

Planned Parenthood of Illinois Sex Education Programs

Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) works every day to reduce the unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection rates among Illinois youth. All patients visiting PPIL health centers receive medically accurate, age appropriate sexual health information when receiving medical care from PPIL.

PPIL's school-based and community-based sexual health education programs provide age-appropriate and medically accurate that is comprehensive and includes information about abstinence. PPIL uses curricula that have been rigorously evaluated for effectiveness by independent third-party evaluators.

PPIL's 17 health centers throughout the state provide medically accurate information about sexual health which includes information about abstinence and low-cost access to basic preventive care including comprehensive birth control, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, HIV testing and counseling, well woman exams, and more. For more information about Planned Parenthood of Illinois, visit www.ppil.org .

Organizations Supporting HB 2675

ACLU of Illinois

AIDS Foundation of Chicago

American Academy of Pediatrics, Illinois Chapter

American Association of University Women

Chicago Abortion Fund

Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus

Chicago Department of Public Health

Chicago Foundation for Women

Chicago Women's Health Center

Citizen Action/Illinois

Cook County Department of Public Health