Alaska

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Alaska received $359,660 in federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in FY 2003.¹

Alaska Sexuality Education Law

Alaska does not require schools to teach sexuality or STD education, however, "the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development's health education team is committed to providing teachers and school staff within the state of Alaska with current and scientifically sound research in health education and violence and disease prevention." The Department endorses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s list of "programs that work,"² and encourages schools to incorporate one or more of the recommended curricula into a "planned, sequential, comprehensive school health education program."

According to the 1998 Alaska School Health Education Profile Overview, health education for students in grades six through 12 is required in 91 percent of Alaskan schools surveyed.⁴

Alaska does not have a specific policy by which parents or guardians can removed their children from sexuality education classes.

Recent Legislation

SIECUS is not aware of any recent legislation regarding sexuality education in Alaska.

Events of Note

SIECUS is not aware of any recent events of note regarding sexuality education in Alaska.

Alaska's Youth: Statistical Information of Note⁵

• In 2003, 40% of female high school students and 40% of male high school students in Alaska reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 45% of female high school students and 48% of male high school students nationwide.
• In 2003, 3% of female high school students and 6% of male high school students in Alaska reported having had sexual intercourse before age 13 compared to 4% of female high school students and 10% of male high school students nationwide.
• In 2003, 11% of female high school students and 13% of male high school students in Alaska reported having had four or more lifetime sexual partners compared to 11% of female high school students and 18% of male high school students nationwide.
• In 2003, 28% of female high school students and 27% of male high school students in Alaska reported being currently sexually active (defined as having had sexual intercourse in the three months prior to the survey) compared to 35% of females and 34% of males nationwide.
• In 2003, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 23% of females and 28% of males in Alaska reported having used alcohol or drugs the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 21% of females and 30% of males nationwide.
• In 2003, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 58% of females and 66% of males in Alaska reported having used condoms the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 57% of females and 69% of males nationwide.
• In 2003, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active, 28% of females and 22% of males in Alaska reported having used birth control pills the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 21% of females and 13% of males nationwide.
• In 2003, 4% of female high school students and 2% of male high school students in Alaska reported ever having been pregnant or gotten someone pregnant compared to 5% of female high school students and 4% of male high school students nationwide.
• In 2003, 86% of high school students in Alaska reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 88% of high school students nationwide.
• Alaska ranks 34th in gonorrhea rates in youth ages 15-24 in the U.S. and 7th in chlamydia rates in youth ages 15-24.⁶
• In 2000, Alaska's abortion rate was 14 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compared to a teen abortion rate of 24 per 1,000 nationwide.⁷
• In 2001, Alaska's birth rate was 41 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compared to a teen birth rate of 45 per 1,000 nationwide.⁸

Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding

Alaska received $78,511 in federal Title V funding, in Fiscal Year 2003. The Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage grant requires states to provide three state-raised dollars or the equivalent in services for every four federal dollars received. The state match can be provided in part or in full by local groups. In Alaska, the federal funds are matched with $58,883 from in-kind contributions. The Alaska Department of Health and Human Services oversees this funding.

The Adolescent Health Advisory Committee, initially formed to make recommendations to the Alaska Department of Health and Human Services on adolescent health issues, serves as the advisory council for the abstinence-only-until-marriage program. It is comprised of teachers, youth workers, healthcare professionals, non-profit organizations, police, and other community members.

The overall goal of Alaska's abstinence-only-until-marriage program is to help youth build 40 "developmental assets" or environmental factors and personal qualities. This is based on the premise that the more "assets" a youth has, the more likely he/she is to remain abstinent. The Alaska program focuses on three points of the eight point federal definition of abstinence-only-until-marriage program:

• C. teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems;
• G. teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increase vulnerability to sexual advances; and
• H. teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.

The Alaska program uses the Postponing Sexual Involvement (PSI) curricula with seventh and eighth grade students in at least six school districts.

Special Projects of Regional and National Significance-Community Based Abstinence Education (SPRANS-CBAE) and Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) Grantees

There is one SPRANS-CBAE grantee in Alaska: the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Anchorage and Eagle River. There are no AFLA grantees in Alaska.

The Crisis Pregnancy Center of Anchorage and Eagle River's mission statement describes the center as a "Christian ministry whose mission is to demonstrate the love of Christ by providing practical services, including emotional and spiritual support to men and women in unplanned pregnancy and family crisis situations." Their objective is "to defend life. We desire to bring wholeness to lives traumatized by abortion; sharing the love of Jesus Christ and educate our community to adopt a Godly view of sexuality and the sanctity of human life."

Through its "Let's Talk" presentations, the organization claims to have reached almost 5,000 youth with 86 presentations. The organization describes "Let's Talk" as "a positive alternative to the 'safe sex' message."¹⁰

Federal and State Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in FY 2003

Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Coordinator

Becky Judd
Adolescent Health Coordinator
Alaska Division of Public Health, Section of Maternal, Child and Family Health
1231 Gambell St.
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 269-3425

Alaskan Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Alaska Pro-Choice Alliance
P.O. Box 232676
Anchorage, AK 99523
http://www.alaskaprochoice.org

Juneau Pro Choice Coalition
P.O. Box 22860
Juneau, Alaska 99802
Phone: (907) 463-1548
http://juneauchoice.com

Planned Parenthood of Alaska
3401 East 42nd Ave., Suite 201
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 563-2229
http://www.plannedparenthoodalaska.org

Alaska Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Alaska Interior Right To Life
P.O. Box 18566
Fairbanks, AK 99708
Phone: (907) 479-LIFE

Alaska Right To Life
3400 Spenard Rd., Suite 4
Anchorage, AK 99503-3738
Phone: (907) 276-1912
http://www.akrtl.org

Newspapers in Alaska

Alaska Magazine
Andy Hall
Editor
301 Arctic Slope Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99518
Phone: (907) 275-2101

Anchorage Daily News
Lisa Demer
Education Reporter
1001 Northway Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 257-4390

Daily Sitka Sentinel
Sandy Poulson
Editor
112 Barracks St.
Sitka, AK 99835
Phone: (907) 747-3219

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Marmiam Grimes
Education Writer
200 N Cushman St.
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: (907) 459-7504

Juneau Empire
Julia O'Malley
Education Editor
3100 Channel Dr.
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 586-3740

Ketchikan Daily News
Education Editor
501 Dock St.
Ketchikan, AK 99901
Phone: (907) 225-3157

Kodiak Daily Mirror
Adam Lesh
Editor
1419 Selig St.
Kodiak, AK 99615
Phone: (907) 486-3227

Peninsula Clarion
Education Editor
150 Trading Bay Dr.
Kenai, AK 99611
Phone: (907) 283-7551

References

1. This refers to the fiscal year for the Federal Government which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2003 begins on October 1, 2002 and ends on September 30, 2003.
2. The CDC no longer sponsors the "Programs That Work." Although these programs were proven effective, information about them has been removed from the CDC website. For more information, contact the SIECUS Public Policy office.
3. School Health: Health Education Programs. Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. Accessed on May 12, 2004 at http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/schoolhealth/healthed.html.
4. T. Green, et. al. Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey 1999 and Alaska School Health Education Profile 1998, (Anchorage, AK: Alaska Department of Health and Human Services and Alaska Department of Education and Early Development), p. 130. Accessed online on May 12, 2004 at http://www.epi.hss.state.ak.us/pubs/yrbs/yrbs1999.pdf.
5. Unless otherwise cited, all statistical information comes from: J. Grunbaum, et. al., "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2003," Surveillance Summaries, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 53, no.SS-2, May 21, 2004, pp. 1-95. Available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/.
6. T. Green, et. al. Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey 1999 and Alaska School Health Education Profile 1998, p. 32.
7. U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics: Overall Trends, Trends by Race and Ethnicity and State-by-State Information, (New York: Alan Guttmacher Institute, February, 2004). Available online at http://www.guttmacher.org.
8. A. Papillo, et.al., Facts at a Glance, (Washington, DC: Child Trends, February, 2004).
9. For more information, please see the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Anchorage and Eagle River at: http://www.cpc.org/anchorage/HOME.
10. Ibid.