Sponsored and introduced by Rep. Crisanta Duran, HB 1081 will strengthen definitions for comprehensive sex education and establish a grant program for districts to seek funds for implementing comprehensive sex education.
PPRM’s Director of the Responsible Sex Education Institute Alison Macklin testified today and said this:
“It is imperative that sex education is taught in schools. We give our youth an education in subjects such as math and English so that they are armed with a basic skill set in order to succeed in life. The same should be true for sex education. Sex education is a major component in keeping our youth healthy and providing them with the necessary skills to make positive decisions throughout their lives.
“We know that in Colorado 61 percent of high school students report having had sex by 12th grade. But, whether they are currently sexually active or choosing to remain abstinent, we want to ensure that our future leaders have the knowledge and skills to make the best decisions for them–whenever that situation arises.”
According to the CDC, sexuality education programs that are evidence-based, medically accurate, age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and comprehensive have been proven to help youth delay the onset of sexual activity, decrease the frequency of sexual activity, reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase condom and contraceptive use.
But due to the lack of clarity pertaining to what comprehensive curricula is, Colorado youth face barriers in obtaining medically accurate information and resources they need to make informed, responsible decisions and lead healthy lives. HB-1081 would add definitions and guidelines to the content standards in comprehensive human sexuality education; offer parents and guardians the opportunity to be informed about, and opt out of, the content of comprehensive human sexuality education programs; create the comprehensive human sexuality education grant program; and establish the Comprehensive Human Sexuality Education Cash Fund.
PPRM’s Responsible Sex Education Institute works with over 300 community organizations and schools, reaching over 20,000 people throughout the state of Colorado including the cities of Ft. Collins, Colorado Springs, Durango, Pueblo, and the greater Denver area.
More info after the jump:
Background:
In 2007, the state sexuality education law (HB07-1292) was adopted. HB1292 set minimum standards for curriculum on human sexuality for those institutions already offering sexuality education. In 2010, the State Board of Education updated its standards on sexual health, encouraging all schools to adopt comprehensive sexual health programming. HB-1081 addresses the weak point or “gap” in today’s existing structure where not all schools are teaching comprehensive sex education due to the lack of clarity of what constitutes comprehensive sex education. HB-1081 will strengthen existing state standards by defining comprehensive human sexuality education in addition to other core components.
State Data
- According to results from Colorado’s 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 41% of Colorado high school students report ever having had sex.
- Among 12th graders, 61% of students indicated they have had sex.
- On average, 15 babies are born to teens in Colorado every day.
- Between 2006 and 2010, of all the new Colorado cases of HIV reported 15% of these diagnoses were made among youth ages 13-25.
- According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, chlamydia remains the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection in Colorado. In 2010, 15-19 year olds accounted for nearly a third (31%) of new cases of chlamydia.
- According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the chlamydia rate for Colorado youth aged 15-19 was 1891.5 and the gonorrhea rate was 159.8 per 100,000 youth aged 15-19 in 2011.
- According to Sonfield et al., in Colorado in 2006, the federal and state governments spent $161 million on births resulting from unintended pregnancies; of this, $80 million (50%) was paid by the federal government and $80 million (50%) was paid by the state.
