Teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are major public health issues in the state of Mississippi. Our state teen birth rate—64.1 births for every 1,000 teenage (15-19-year- old) girls in 2009—is the highest in the nation. Mississippi also leads the nation in teen infection rates for gonorrhea and Chlamydia. These alarming rates have far-reaching consequences. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school, adding to an already troubling school dropout crisis. Children of teen parents are more likely to grow up below the poverty line, have lower academic achievement, and drop out of school. Teen childbearing also affects local economies through increased need for public services and decreased lifetime earnings for teen parents. Finally, teenagers infected with gonorrhea and Chlamydia face a greater risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. The tremendous need to reduce teen birth rates and sexually transmitted infection rates is undeniable.

In the 2011 Legislative Session, the Mississippi Legislature passed House Bill 999, which requires school districts to adopt a sex education policy by June 30, 2012. School districts may adopt either an "abstinence-only" policy or an "abstinence-plus" policy. Mississippi First unequivocally supports "abstinence-plus" sex education and urges school districts to adopt the model sex education policy we designed as part of our Creating Healthy and Responsible Teens (CHART) Initiative.

We support comprehensive sex education—also known as “abstinence-plus” education—because it works. National studies show that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs have been woefully ineffective in reducing teen birth and sexually transmitted infection rates. Students that complete these programs are as likely as their peers to engage in sexual activity before marriage and are less likely to use contraceptives when they do become sexually active. Conversely, comprehensive sex education programs can delay sexual initiation and reduce risky sexual behaviors, such as engaging in sex with multiple partners and having unprotected sex.

Comprehensive sex education teaches kids how and why to abstain as well as how to protect themselves from pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections once they become sexually active. Because comprehensive sex education stresses abstinence as the only 100% effective way to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, some call comprehensive sex education “abstinence-plus” education.  

Programs can start as early as kindergarten or first grade with lessons about “stranger danger,” healthy friendships, and resisting peer pressure in non-sexual situations. Comprehensive sex education DOES NOT teach kindergartners about condoms. Lessons about contraception are reserved for older kids, usually 8th grade and above. The age-appropriateness of material is a hallmark of effective programs. Effective programs are also medically accurate. When children have all the facts, they make more responsible decisions about their health. Finally, since parental involvement is an important part of pregnancy prevention, comprehensive sex education curricula may include a strong parental involvement component, requiring parents or guardians to complete homework assignments with their children.