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NEW JERSEY Abstinence Education in New Jersey After receiving federal Title V funding for 9 years, the Governor, the NJ Department of Health and Department of Education decided that NJ will no longer accept abstinence funding from the federal government. This decision was made without consideration to the fine programs that were successfully running with document results from evaluation done through Montclair State University. NJ is not, and has never been open or friendly to an abstinence message for teens. The promotion of condoms and "alternative behaviors" is what has been supported through state health dollars. Currently, Teen PEP, a graphic adolescent program is running in over 50 public schools with grant funding and training through NJ DOH. Submitted by Peggy Cowan 5/2/08 New Jersey Sexuality Education Law and Policy New Jersey law mandates at least 150 minutes of health education during each school week in grades one through twelve. In addition, high school students must acquire 3 ¾ credits of health education each year. School districts must align their health education curricula with the New Jersey Department of Education's Core Curriculum Content Standards. One of the four required health education standards, Standard 2.4:Human Relationships and Sexuality, addresses three subject areas: relationships, sexuality, and pregnancy and parenting. Learning expectations within Standard 2.4 focus on abstinence and helping students to identify and address internal and external pressures to become sexually active. Standard 2.4 also mandates that instruction in middle and high school classes address the use of contraceptive methods and risk reduction strategies as well as the implications of their use. Standard 2.4 also requires including information about sexual orientation. In addition to Standard 2.4, sexuality related information is also included in Standard 2.1: Wellness and Standard 2.3: Drugs and Medicines. Standard 2.1 includes sexually transmitted disease (STD)- and HIV/AIDS-prevention education, and Standard 2.3 addresses the impact of alcohol and drug use on the incidence of sexual assault, STDs, and unintended pregnancy. In addition, the New Jersey Comprehensive Health Education and Physical Education Curriculum, put out by the New Jersey Department of Education, includes detailed suggestions for teaching about HIV/AIDS, STDs, and teen pregnancy prevention. State law also requires that: Any instruction concerning the use of contraceptives or prophylactics such as condoms shall also include information on their failure rates for preventing pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted diseases in actual use among adolescent populations and shall clearly explain the difference between risk reduction through the use of such devices and risk elimination through abstinence. New Jersey allows parents or guardians to remove their children from any or all parts of sexuality, STD-prevention, and HIV/AIDS-prevention education or any topic that conflicts with their “sincerely held beliefs.” This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy. Local boards of education must establish procedures by which students may be removed from class, and alternative assignments must be created. See New Jersey Statutes Amended 18A:35-4.7, 18A:35-4.20, and 18A:35-4.21; New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:8-3.1; and New Jersey Comprehensive Health Education and Physical Education Curriculum. Parents for Truth Member Organizations in New Jersey Several Sources Foundation New Jersey Physicians Advisory Group – Project Yes You Can Other Organizations Providing Abstinence Education in New Jersey Catholic Community Services - Teens About Smart Choices Columbus Hospital - Project YES You Can! Community Health Care, Inc. - Sex Can Wait Cumberland Co. Dept. of Health Families and Friends United, Inc. - Best Friends/Best Men Free Teens USA, Inc. Impact Community Development Corp. - Winners Wait LIFENET Montclair State University - Project H.O.P.E. Peer Challenge, Inc. St. Peter’s University Hospital - Adolescent Fertility Awareness |