legislation

A major component of our campaign to provide comprehensive sex education to Illinois youth is in the form of legislation.  Senator Carol Ronen (D-Chicago) has introduced a bill in Springfield that would make this possible.  A fact sheet about this bill is below, and you can also view the text of the bill.

SB 2267 - Responsible Sex Education Program - Senator Ronen

The Responsible Sex Education Program provides opportunities for local schools and community groups to provide comprehensive, responsible sex education to youth. 

  • Requires all instruction to be age appropriate
  • Requires all materials and information to be medically accurate
  • Requires teaching that abstinence is the only sure way to avoid pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases
  • Requires providing students with the information they need to make responsible decisions to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies
  • Allows for local control – local schools and other community groups still decide what they teach while this program gives them more choices
  • Informs youth about establishing and maintaining healthy life skills including goal setting, communication, and developing positive relationships while promoting their self-esteem
  • Arms youth with information on how to avoid unwanted verbal, physical and sexual advances, and in addition, on how not to make those advances
  • Emphasizes the specific responsibility of both males and females in sexual decision-making
  • Will provide information on how alcohol and drug use can affect responsible decision-making
  • Is administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services and will be held to high standards. Annual reports will include information on program success and failure rates regarding altered attitudes of students.

According to a February 2005 statewide survey of Illinois residents, the public overwhelmingly supports responsible sex education in public schools.  This support is consistent throughout the state – support is strong in rural and urban areas, as well as in Chicago, central, and southern Illinois. 1

  • 83% of Illinoisans agree that all students in Illinois should have information about contraception and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases 
  • 84% of Illinoisans think that age-appropriate facts about pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention are an important part of all sex education programs in schools 
  • 88% of Illinoisans say that teens should not have sex, but if they do, they should know how to protect themselves 
  • 73% of Illinoisans support comprehensive sex education programs where abstinence is included as a component but that also include information about contraception and protection from sexually transmitted diseases.  Only 21% prefer abstinence-only sex education programs where abstinence is the only method of birth control and disease prevention discussed

We need to teach that abstinence is best, but make sure that students also get information on prevention, diseases, and responsibility.

Sexual activity and marriage:

  • 46.7% of all high school students have had sex.  The numbers increase with age (32.8% in grade 9; 44.1% in grade 10; 53.2% in grade 10; 61.6% in grade 12).  80% of young adults ages 18 to 24 (83% of males and 78% of females) have had sexual intercourse.2 
  • 36% of adolescents ages 15 to 17 (40% of males and 32 percent of females) reported having had oral sex.  66% of young adults ages 18 to 24 (73% of males and 58% of females) reported having had oral sex.3 
  • On average, men experience first intercourse at 16.9, on average, and women at 17.4. Men spend slightly longer being sexually active before getting married: nearly 10 years, on average, compared with just less than 8 years for women.4 
  • By their early 20s, slightly over 25% of all women, but fewer than 20% of men, are married. As men approach their late 20s, their rate of marriage sharply increases; by their late 20s, 42% of men and 48% of women are married.5 

Teen Pregnancy:

  • U.S. teenagers have the highest rates of pregnancy, childbearing and abortion among developed countries.  European countries that have better access to responsible sex education and family planning services have teen pregnancy rates that are far lower than the U.S. 6 
  • Illinois' teenage pregnancy rate ranks 20th nationally (where #1 has the highest rate).7 
  • In 2000, there were 37,480 teen pregnancies in Illinois.  Of the teen pregnancies each year in Illinois, 55% result in live births and 31% result in abortions.8 
  • In 2002, there were 18,546 births to teenagers in Illinois.  10.3% percent of all Illinois births were to teens.9

Sexually Transmitted Disease:

  • 19% of those aged15 to 17 do not know STDs can be spread through oral sex and 3 percent of participants do not know STDs can be spread through sexual intercourse.  33% do not know STDs can increase the risk for HIV/AIDS, and 24% do not know STDs can cause infertility.10
  • 25% of those aged 15 to 17 "agree" that if someone they were dating had an STD they would know, 20% "agree" that STDs can only be spread when symptoms are present, 12% "agree" that "unless you have had sex with a lot of people, STDs are not something you have to worry about," and 10% "agree" that "STDs are a nuisance but they do not have any serious health effects".11
  • Reported cases of chlamydia increased 10% (43,716 to 48,101) in Illinois between 2001 and 2002.  The chlamydia rate was 260.7 per 100,000.  Adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 years accounted for 71% (33,872) of reported cases where age was known during 2002. 12
  • In 2002, the Gonorrhea rate in Illinois was 193.5 per 100,000.   Adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 years accounted for 60% (14,667) of reported gonorrhea cases where age was known during 2002. 13

Notes:

1.  Lake, Snell, Perry "Illinois Statewide Survey", January 2005.

2.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (May 2004). Surveillance Summaries. MMWR 2004:53 (No.SS-2).

3.  T. Hoff, et al, "National Survey of Adolescents and Young Adults: Sexual Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Experiences," (Menlo Park, CA: Henry Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003), 14.

4.  "Sexual and Reproductive Health: Women and Men," The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2002.  www.guttmacher.org

5.  Ibid.

6.  "Teenagers' Sexual and Reproductive Health: Developed Countries," The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2004.  www.guttmacher.org

7.  "Contraception Counts: Illinois," The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2004.  www.guttmacher.org

8.  Ibid.

9.  "Births to Mothers Under 20 Years of Age, Illinois: 1959 – 2002," Illinois Department of Public Health. http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/teen/birthsunder20--59-99.htm

10.  T. Hoff, et al, "National Survey of Adolescents and Young Adults: Sexual Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Experiences," (Menlo Park, CA: Henry Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003), 24. 

11.  Ibid.

12.  "Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Illinois 2002: Epidemiologic Summary and Yearly Trends for 1992-2002," Illinois Department of Public Health, March 2004.  1.3 - 1.6. http://www.idph.state.il.us/pdf/STD%20DataBook%202002%20PDF.pdf

13.  "Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Illinois 2002: Epidemiologic Summary and Yearly Trends for 1992-2002," Illinois Department of Public Health, March 2004.  1.7 - 1.9. http://www.idph.state.il.us/pdf/STD%20DataBook%202002%20PDF.pdf 
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