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ICAH works with policy makers at all levels of government to advance legislative, regulatory and budgetary policies that promote the sexual health of Illinois youth and comprehensive support for young parents. We also help advocates from across Illinois affect public policy through our Action Network. Click here to join our action network and start speaking out in support of adolescent sexual health and pregnant and parenting youth.

OPPOSE PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN ABSTINENCE-ONLY PROGRAMS:

The health of Illinois youth depends on their ability to make informed, healthy choices.  Abstinence-only programs have been found to be insufficient, inaccurate, and ineffective. The abstinence-only experiment has failed.

CLICK HERE to tell the Governor to stop abstinence-only funding in Illinois!

Abstinence-only programs are insufficient
The Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health conducted a curriculum content review of sex education curricula in use in Illinois schools, which found that abstinence-only programs fail to cover critical sexual health topics.
Read the full report.

Abstinence-only programs are inaccurate
Rep. Henry Waxman released a report on federally funded abstinence-only programs, which found that they contain medically inaccurate and misleading information. 
Read the full report.

Abstinence-only programs are ineffective
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. conducted a multi-year impact study of four Title V abstinence-only programs on youth sexual behavior.  The study found that young people who received abstinence-only instruction were no more likely than the control group to abstain from sexual activity.  And among those who had already engaged in sexual activity, they reported initiating sexual activity at the same age as the control group and had the same number of sexual partners. 
Read the full report.

Click here to read ICAH’s new fact sheet: Illinois Rules and Regulations for Sexual Health Education.

National medical and public health associations recommend comprehensive sex education.  Click here to read the fact sheet.

ICAH'S PRIORITIES:

Promoting a Positive Approach to Adolescent Sexual Health
Access to the full-range of sexual and reproductive health care services is critical to the health and well-being of youth.  Without the ability to manage their own health, visit youth-friendly clinics and access birth control and other sexual and reproductive health technologies, young people will continue to face countless challenges as they grow into healthy adults.  Consider data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

  • Nearly 50% of sexually transmitted infections occur among youth age 15-24
  • Nearly 47% of American high school students have had sex, and 37% of them did not use a condom at last intercourse
  • Only 43% of adolescent women and 26% of adolescent men discussed preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections during their last medical exam

Increasing Access to Comprehensive Sex Education
Incomplete information about sexual health leaves young people unprepared for the choices ahead. Despite research showing that comprehensive, age-appropriate and medically accurate sex education equips youth with the information and skills they need to make healthy decisions, it is not readily available in Illinois schools. Consider the following:

  • The percentage of high school students in the United States who were taught about HIV/AIDS decreased nearly 5% from 1997-2005 (CDC)
  • 52.7% of surveyed sex education teachers in Illinois do not teach about where to get birth control and health related services (National Opinion Research Center)
  • There are no state funds dedicated to comprehensive sex education in Illinois

Ensuring Support for Pregnant and Parenting Youth
Although the rates of teen births in the United States is at an all time low, the Illinois Department of Public Health reports that, in 2003, nearly 10% of all Illinois births were among teenage women. Pregnant and parenting youth face tremendous challenges in their efforts to successfully grow into healthy adults while raising their families. Finishing school is a critical marker of success for young parents. Consider data published in the 2004 Report on Illinois Poverty:

  • Almost 60% of teens with a school-age pregnancy drop out between 8th and 12th grades
  • Only 64% of teen mothers complete their high school education or receive a GED
  • Teen parents who do complete school are less likely to attend college than their childless peers

Click here to read ICAH's 2007 Policy Priorities.

ISSUE BRIEFS:

Youth-Friendly Clinics and Sexual Health Services
Parental Notification and Consent for Abortion
Sex Education in Illinois Schools
Youth and TANF Reauthorization
The Housing Crisis Among Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Illinois
Pregnant and Parenting Youth: Policy Recommendations for Chicago Public Schools

FEDERAL POLICY:

Read ICAH's fact sheet on the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act.

On September 15, 2005 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new analysis of data collected in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Click here to download a copy of the report.

Congressman Henry Waxman (D-California) released a report highlighting many of the problems with abstinence-only education. Click here to download a copy of the report.

ILLINOIS CAMPAIGN FOR RESPONSIBLE SEX EDUCATION:

Learn about the statewide campaign co-sponsored by ICAH and Planned Parenthood of Illinois to change the face of sex education in Illinois. Go to http://www.responsiblesexed.com.

Join the campaign

For more information, contact Soo Ji Min, Executive Director, at (312) 427-4460 x225 or sooji@icah.org

Join ICAH’s Action Network