Georgia

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Georgia received $5,637,736 in federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2003.¹

Georgia Sexuality Education Law

Since 1989, schools in Georgia have been required to teach sexuality education and sexually transmitted disease (STD)/(HIV) prevention education. Local school boards are largely responsible for deciding which subjects this education must cover and the grade level in which topics are introduced. Certain subjects are mandated by state law including abstinence, community values, the legal consequences of pregnancy, STDs, HIV/AIDS, and conception. No discussion of condoms or other forms of contraception is required. Such discussion is, however, allowed.

If a local school board does not have sexuality and AIDS education, state funds are withheld until a program is implemented.

Parents may send written notice that they do not want their child to attend all or part of sexuality and/or HIV/AIDS education. This is referred to as an "opt-out" policy.

See the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 20-2-143.

Recent Legislation

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

Events of Note

Macon, Georgia Mayor Calls for Sex Education

In September 2003, after returning from a trip to Africa, Macon Mayor Jack Ellis, called for better sexuality education and HIV/AIDS prevention programs that include condom distribution in public schools.²

Georgia currently prohibits the distribution of condoms or other contraceptives on public school property.

Georgia's Youth: Statistical Information of Note

• In 2003, 94% of high school students in Georgia reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 88% of high school students nationwide.³
• In 2000, Georgia's abortion rate was 18 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compared to a teen abortion rate of 24 per 1,000 nationwide.⁴
• In 2001, Georgia's birth rate was 60 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

Georgia received $1,450,083 in federal funding for Title V programs 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. Georgia has a total match of $660,095. Of that, $373,156 comes from state funds and the rest is provided from Title V sub-grantees.

These funds are received by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health, Office of Adolescent Health and Youth Development (AHYD). AHYD is primarily responsible for running a public awareness initiative and evaluation as well as for providing technical assistance. The media campaigns are entitled Wait While You Date and You Are Worth the Wait. The campaigns, which began in 2000, receive $385,196 and focus on males and females ages ten and older.

AHYD gives the remainder of the funding to the Children and Youth Coordinating Council (CYCC), which distributes the money to community-based groups. Currently, 55 groups receive this funding with grants that range from $7,000 to just over $100,000. The programs focus on at-risk males and females ages ten to 19. Grantees include youth development organizations, county social service agencies, school districts and school boards, and crisis pregnancy centers. A full list of grantees was not available, but some are listed in the chart below.

One sub-grantee, the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Coastal Georgia, runs the BRAVEheart Teen Initiative, which is described on their website as "a non-profit Christian organization that promotes an abstinent lifestyle to reduce the risks of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and emotional trauma." The website also states that the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Coastal Georgia promotes abstinence-only-until-marriage because "it is in God's plan to stay pure until marriage." It conveys this message through teen drama presentations, peer mentoring, school clubs, and media campaigns.

Grantees are required to evaluate their own programs and can choose to join in the larger, state-run evaluation. The state-run evaluation is being conducted by researchers at the University of Nebraska. AHYD will be evaluating both the project process and the outcomes of the participating youth. The outcome component includes the rates of sexual intercourse, pregnancy rates, STD rates, and attitudes about abstinence among participants.

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

There are seven SPRANS-CBAE grantees in Georgia: Choosing the Best Inc., Augusta-Richmond County Community Partnership for Children and Families, East Metro Health District, Communities in Schools in Georgia, Wholistic Stress Control Institute, Carrollton Housing Authority, and Friends of Cobb County Community Children and Youth. There are two AFLA grantees in Georgia: Wheeler County Board of Education and Morehouse School of Medicine.

Choosing the Best created two curricula: Choosing the Best LIFE and Choosing the Best PATH. According to SIECUS reviews, these curricula use fear- and shame-based messages to encourage premarital abstinence and include misleading information about STDs and condoms, as well as biased information regarding gender and sexual orientation. One exercise from the Choosing the Best curricula is entitled "A Mint for Marriage":

A peppermint patty is unwrapped and passed around the class. Once returned, the teacher asks if a student would like to eat it. The teacher is instructed to ask, "Why is this patty no longer appealing?" The answer they give is "No one wants food that has been passed around. Neither would you want your future husband or wife to have been passed around."

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

Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Coordinator

Janet Tyree
Children & Youth Coordinating Council
10 Park Place, Suite 410
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 657-2868

Georgia Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Emory University School of Medicine
Regional Training Center
United Way Building
100 Edgewood Av., N.E.Suite 802
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 523-1996
http://www.med.emory.edu/rtc

Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention
100 Auburn Ave., Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 524-2277
http://www.gcapp.org/

Planned Parenthood of Georgia
100 Edgewood Ave., Suite 1604
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 688-9300
http://www.ppga.org

Georgia Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Christian Coalition of Georgia
8975 Roswell Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30350
Phone: (770) 998-3541
http://www.gachristiancoalition.org

Georgia Family Council
5380 Peachtree Ind Blvd., Suite 100
Norcross, GA 30071-1565
Phone: (770) 242-0001
http://www.georgiafamily.org

Georgia Right to Life
P.O Box 927
Lawrenceville, GA 30046-0927
Phone: (770) 339-6880
http://www.grtl.org

Teen Advisors - A Peer Counseling Group that Works
P.O. Box 6468
Columbus, GA 31917
http://www.teenadvisors.org

Newspapers in Georgia

Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cynthia Tucker
Editorial Page Editor
72 Marietta St., NW
Atlanta, GA 30303-2899
Phone: (404) 526-5084

Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Don O'Briant
Medical/Health Reporter
72 Marietta St., NW
Atlanta, GA 30303-2899
Phone: (404) 526-5465

Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Maryn McKenna
Medical/Health Staff Writer
72 Marietta St., NW
Atlanta, GA 30303-2899
Phone: (404) 526-5987

The Augusta Chronicle
Tom Corwin
Medical/Health Writer
725 Broad St.
Augusta, GA 30901-1321
Phone: (706) 823-3213

The Macon Telegraph
Joe Kovac
Medical/Health Editor
120 Broadway
Macon, GA 31201-3491
Phone: (478) 744-4397

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. G. Beverley, "Mayor: Provide condoms to teens," The Macon Telegraph, September 11, 2003. Available online at http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/6742011.htm.
3. 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/.
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).