Connecticut

Print

Connecticut received $982,484 in federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2003.¹

Connecticut Sexuality Education Law

Connecticut does not require schools to teach sexuality education, but does require that schools teach human growth and development and disease prevention.

The Connecticut State Board of Education is charged with developing sexuality education curriculum guides which "shall include, but not be limited to, information on developing a curriculum including family planning, human sexuality, parenting, nutrition and the emotional, physical, psychological, hygienic, economic and social aspects of family life, provided the curriculum guides shall not include information pertaining to abortion as an alternative to family planning."

Students may be excused from sexuality education classes with written notification from a parent or legal guardian. This is referred to as an "opt-out" policy.

See Connecticut Statutes Chapter 164 Sections 10-16b and 10-19.

Recent Legislation

The Connecticut legislature does not carry bills over from one session to the next. Related 2003 and 2004 bills are listed. Connecticut's regular session ended on May 5, 2004.

Bill Requiring Child Development Education, Including "Family Life Education" 2003 Session, Died

House Bill 5993, introduced on January 27, 2003 and amended on February 5th would have required that child development education, including family life education, be included in school curricula. The purpose, in part, was to teach students parenting skills. The bill did not define "family life education." The bill sat in committee until the end of the legislative session in June 2003 and died when no further action was taken.

Events of Note

Connecticut Town Considers Revising Sexuality Education Curricula
June 2003; Waterbury, CT

A proposal by a school board member in Waterbury, Connecticut, recommended replacing instruction on birth control with discussions about the physical, social, and emotional damage that can result from teen sexual activity.

"I feel like I've got dirt on my hands if I tell (teenagers) to use a condom and you'll be safe. That's a lie. That's a flat-out lie. We need to be telling them the truth of what the consequences are if they make the choice to be sexually active," one school board member said.²

In response to the proposal, the city's board of health asked to be involved in making changes to the curriculum. Board of health members voiced support for a curriculum that includes discussion of both abstinence and contraception. "As a person, I want my kid to hear the abstinence message as much as possible," one board member said, "but as a health board, we have to be responsible… to those teenagers who are already sexually active."³

The revised curriculum would replace one that consists of eight hours of classroom instruction each year, including 45 minutes focused on contraception.

Teenager Gets School District to Reevaluate Sexuality Education Program
February 2003; Central Village, CT

A Plainfield High School junior was so inspired by her English class project which focused on the need for improved sexuality education that she decided to take her report to the school board. She described her school's existing program by saying that "there's nothing about abstinence-nothing about prevention. It's just very basic. I think we should have, at least, some part of it on abstinence and prevention. We have thousands of girls getting pregnant each year (in the region)."1

The student spoke to the school board about the need for more class time dedicated to ways to prevent teen pregnancy, including information about contraception and abstinence. As a result of her presentation, the school board voted unanimously to have the curriculum reviewed by two subcommittees. They also invited the student to provide input.

Connecticut's Youth: Statistical Information of Note

• In 2000, Connecticut's abortion rate was 30 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compared to a teen abortion rate of 24 per 1,000 nationwide.⁴
• In 2001, Connecticut's birth rate was 28 per 1,000 females ages 15-19 compared to a teen birth rate of 45 per 1,000 nationwide.⁵

Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding

Connecticut received $330,484 in federal Title V funds 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. In Connecticut, community groups provide $247,853 for the match.

Connecticut's Department of Public Health is responsible for Title V funding and allocates approximately $100,000 for a media campaign. Another $150,000 is allocated to community groups and the remainder is spent on various support systems.

According to the Department of Public Health's website, "the purpose of this initiative is to provide a non-fear-based Abstinence-Only education to youths, targeting those aged 9-14." Connecticut has chosen to focus on sections A, C, G, and H of the federal government's A-H definition of abstinence. This means that any funded program must:

• ha[ve] as its exclusive purpose teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity;
• teach[ ] that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems;
• teach[ ] young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increase vulnerability to sexual advances; and
• teach[ ] the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.

The media campaign, entitled Not Me, Not Now, includes an interactive website, which features games (with no clear abstinence message or focus), newsletters, and a question and answer section. The section answers the question, "What are the emotional consequences of sex?" by saying, "You want to wait? Right on, save yourself the heartbreak, degradation, and embarrassment that comes after sex without commitment."

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 Connecticut: Network Connecticut (Catholic Charities and Family Services). There are no AFLA grantees in Connecticut.

Network Connecticut (Catholic Charities and Family Services) coordinates a SPRANS-CBAE grant that is used in the dioceses of Bridgeport, Hartford, and Norwich. This program targets youth ages 12 to 18 and uses The Choice Game, Sex Can Wait, and Abstinence: Pick and Choose Activities.

Federal and State Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in FY 2003⁶

Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Coordinator

Lois Daniels
Maternal and Child Health Unit
Connecticut Department of Health
410 Capitol Ave, MS #11 MAT
PO Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 509-8081

Connecticut Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Connecticut Civil Liberties Union
32 Grand Street
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 247-9823
http://www.cclu.org

Connecticut NARAL
135 Broad Street
Hartford, CT 06105
Phone: (860) 524-1086
http://www.ctnaral.org

GLSEN Connecticut
P.O. Box 2405
Stamford, CT 06906
Phone: (203) 288-2399

Planned Parenthood of Connecticut
129 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06510
Phone: (203) 865-5158
http://www.ppct.org

Connecticut Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education Connecticut Right to Life Corporation
P.O. Box 2343
Waterbury, CT 06722
Phone: (203) 757-5213
http://www.ctrtl.com Family Institute of Connecticut
P.O. Box 260210
Hartford, CT 06126
Phone: (860) 548-0066
http://www.ctfamily.org Pro Life Activities
70 Gulf Street
P.O. Box 230
Milford, CT 06460
Phone: (203) 878-3571
http://www.ctprolife.com

Newspapers in Connecticut

The Advocate
Suzanne Sorrentino
Community News Editor
75 Tresser Blvd
Stamford, CT 06901
Phone: (203) 299-5522

Connecticut Post
Sev Rinaldi
Medical/Health Editor
410 State St.
Bridgeport, CT 06604
Phone: (203) 330-6309

The Day
Carol McCarthy
Community News Editor
47 Eugene O'Neill Dr.
New London, CT 06320
Phone: (860) 442-2200

The Hartford Courant
Stan Simpson
Community News Columnist
285 Broad St.
Hartford, CT 06115
Phone: (860) 241-6521

Journal Inquirer
Don Michak
Medical/Health Reporter
306 Progress Dr.
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: (860) 646-0500

New Haven Register
Michelle Tuccitto
Community News Reporter
40 Sargent Dr.
New Haven, CT 06511
Phone: (203) 789-5615

The News-Times
Nancy Hutson
Community News Reporter
333 Main St.
Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: (203) 731-3339

Norwich Bulletin
Fran Kefalas
Medical/Health Editor
66 Franklin St.
Norwich, CT 06360
Phone: (860) 887-9211

Record-Journal
Martin Waters
Community News Reporter
11 Crown St.
Meriden, CT 06450
Phone: (203) 235-2232

Waterbury Republican-American
Robyn Adams
Community News Staff Writer
389 Meadow St.
Waterbury, CT 06702
Phone: (203) 574-3636

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. "Push On To Teach Abstinence, Rather Than Birth Control," Associated Press, June 27, 2003.
3. Ibid.
4. 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.
5. A. Papillo, et.al., Facts at a Glance, (Washington, DC: Child Trends, February, 2004).
6. SIECUS was not able to obtain exact funding information for all grantees.