Illinois
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Illinois received $5,001,926 in federal funding for
abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2003.1
Illinois Sexuality Education Law
Schools in Illinois are required to teach sexuality education and Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)/(HIV) education. These courses must be taught in elementary and secondary schools and the curricula must be based on "scientific knowledge." In grades six through 12, the curricula must include information about the prevention, transmission, and spread of HIV/AIDS. It must also include the "social responsibilities of family including sexual abstinence until marriage" and present abstinence "as the expected norm." State law does not specify whether or not contraception should be discussed.
Parents may remove their children from any or all sexuality education and/or STD/HIV programs. This is referred to as an "opt-out" policy.
See 105 ILCS (Illinois Compiled Statute) Sections 5/27-9.1, 5/27-9.2, 5/27-11, and 110.
Recent Legislation
The Illinois legislature carried bills over from the 2003 to the 2004 session. Illinois' legislature meets throughout the year.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education Bill Died
Senate Bill 99, introduced on January 29, 2003, would have amended Illinois' current Education Code to require that all sexuality education be comprehensive and medically accurate and include instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases as well as HIV/AIDS. The language changes included an emphasis on the effectiveness of abstinence, but the phrase "abstinence is the expected norm" was deleted. The bill also removed language promoting heterosexual marriage from current code in the bill and made other changes as well.
The bill passed a Senate committee on March 6, 2003 but subsequently died.
Requirement that Students be Taught About Safe Surrender Law and Adoption Signed
House Bill 2298, introduced on February 19, 2003, and signed by Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) on July 2, 2003, requires that students in sex education classes be advised of the provisions of the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act, a so-called "safe surrender" law. An amendment to the bill added a provision that information about parenting skills and confidential adoption services also be required under the law.
Hispanic/Latino Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Intervention Initiative Adopted
House Bill 1630, the Hispanic/Latino Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Intervention Initiative passed the House on March 20 and the Senate on May 9. It was adopted on August 12, 2003. The Department of Human Services will establish the program which is intended to fund research, education, and prevention activities.
Events of Note
In February 2002, the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health documented seven areas of the state that use medically inaccurate programs. The Caucus is conducting a grassroots campaign to inform schools and parents about these programs.
Illinois' Youth: Statistical Information of Note2
- In 2001, 31% of female high school students and 36% of male high school students in Illinois reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 43% of female high school students and 49% of male high school students nationwide.
- In 2001, 2% of female high school students and 6% of male high school students in Illinois reported having had sexual intercourse before age 13 compared to 4% of female high school students and 9% of male high school students nationwide.
- In 2001, 5% of female high school students and 13% of male high school students in Illinois reported having had four or more lifetime sexual partners compared to 11% of female high school students and 17% of male high school students nationwide.
- In 2001, 23% of female high school students and 23% of male high school students in Illinois reported being currently sexually active (defined as having had sexual intercourse in the three months prior to the survey) compared to 33% of females and 33% of males nationwide.
- In 2001, among those high school students in Illinois who reported being currently sexually active, 28% reported having used alcohol or drugs the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 26% nationwide.
- In 2001, among those high school students in Illinois who reported being currently sexually active, 68% reported having used condoms the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 58% nationwide.
- In 2001, among those high school students in Illinois who reported being currently sexually active, 18% reported having used birth control pills the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 18% nationwide.
- In 2001, 2% of female high school students and 3% of male high school students in Illinois 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 2001, 91% of high school students in Illinois reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 89% of high school students nationwide.
- In 2000, Illinois' abortion rate was 27 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compared to a teen abortion rate of 24 per 1,000 nationwide.3
- In 2001, Illinois' birth rate was 46 per 1,000 females ages 15-19 compared to a teen birth rate of 45 per 1,000 nationwide.4
Chicago, Illinois' Youth: Statistical Information of Note5
- In 2003, 50% of female high school students and 61% of male high school students in Chicago reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 45% of female high school students and 48% of male high school students nationwide.
- In 2003, 5% of female high school students and 22% of male high school students in Chicago 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, 12% of female high school students and 27% of male high school students in Chicago 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, 41% of female high school students and 44% of male high school students in Chicago 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, 15% of females and 25% of males in Chicago 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, 60% of females and 73% of males in Chicago 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, 10% of females and 7% of males in Chicago 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, 10% of female high school students and 7% of male high school students in Chicago 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, 81% of high school students in Chicago reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 88% of high school students nationwide.
Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding
According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois received $2,096,116 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 Fiscal Year 2003, Illinois provided $137,750 of state funding for the administration of this program with the rest of the match coming from sub-grantees.
The Illinois Abstinence Education Program is run through the Bureau of Child and Adolescent Health Division of the Illinois Department of Human Services. The program is implemented by 29 providers across the state in nearly 300 schools. Providers include local health departments, schools, youth organizations, and faith-based organizations. Their work consists of curriculum and after-school programs which include seminars, workshops, town-hall assemblies, and youth/church group activities. They also contract with Project Reality to provide abstinence education in an additional 311 schools.
Project Reality uses A.C. Green's Game Plan abstinence-only-until-marriage program. SIECUS' review of this program found that it is fear- and shame-based, presents inaccurate information about STDs and condoms, and assumes that all students in the class are heterosexual.
Special Projects of Regional and National Significance-Community Based Abstinence Education (SPRANS-CBAE) and Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) Grantees
There are five SPRANS-CBAE grantees in Illinois: Roseland Christian Ministries, the Family Centered Educational Agency, Lawndale Christian Health Center, Rend Lake College, and the Confederation of Spanish American Workers. There is one AFLA grantee in Illinois: Lake County Health Department Community Health Center.
The Roseland Christian Ministries website describes their ministry as "holistic, evangelical, reformed urban ministries, from Sunday worship to overnight shelter to children's programs. It is biblically driven, Christ-centered, comprehensive; a place to serve as well as worship."
The Lake County Health Department Community Health Center runs a program called "Family Life Education/Adolescent Health." It includes curricula, Girl 2 Girl (peer counseling for girls in seventh to twelfth grade) and Smart Moves (male responsibility program for teenage boys), groups with teen mothers, outreach to the Latina community, and support groups. This program appears to be fairly comprehensive: the curriculum includes a section entitled "Birth Control Choices Throughout the Reproductive Years."
Federal and State Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in FY 2003 6
|
Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Grantee Length of Grant | Amount of Grant | Type of Grant (includes SPRANS-CBAE, Title V, and AFLA) |
Illinois Department of Human Services www.dhs.state.il.us/chp/ofh/CAH/Abstinence.asp | $2,096,116 federal/ $137,750 state | Title V |
| ABJ Community Services, Inc. | | Title V sub-grantee |
| African-American Life Skills Institute | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Alton Community Unit School District #11 | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Anna-Jonesboro Community High School | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Boone County Health Department | | Title V sub-grantee |
| CareFirst Pregnancy Center | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Carole Roberston Center for Learning | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Catholic Social Service - Peoria | | Title V sub-grantee |
Confederation of Spanish-American Workers DUAL GRANTEE 2003 - 2006 | $703,895 | Title V sub-grantee SPRANS-CBAE (Implementation Grant) |
| East Side Health District | | Title V sub-grantee |
Family-Centered Education Agency, Inc. DUAL GRANTEE 2001 - 2004 | $279,807 | Title V sub-grantee SPRANS-CBAE (Implementation Grant) |
| Forward P.C. | | Title V sub-grantee |
| F.O.R.U.M. | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Hult Health Education Center | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Jane Addams Hull House Association | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Lee County Health Department | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Lydia Home Association | | Title V sub-grantee |
| New Life Family Services | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Pregnancy Aid South Suburbs | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Rend Lake College | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Rock Island County Health Department | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Shawnee Crisis Pregnancy Center | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Shelby County Health Department | | Title V sub-grantee |
| St. Clair County Health Department | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Tazewell County Health Department | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Will County Health Department | | Title V sub-grantee |
| Y.M.C.A. of Metropolitan Chicago | | Title V sub-grantee |
Roseland Christian Ministries 2002 - 2005 | $800,000 | SPRANS-CBAE (Implementation Grant) |
Lawndale Christian Health Center 2003 - 2006 | $461,278 | SPRANS-CBAE (Implementation Grant) |
Rend Lake College 2003 - 2006 | $298,080 | SPRANS-CBAE (Implementation Grant) |
Lake County Health Department Community Health Center 2002 - 2004 | $225,000 | AFLA
|
Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Coordinator
Anna Maria Accove
Illinois Department of Human Services
Division of Community Health and Prevention
535 West Jefferson St
Springfield, Il 62702
Phone: (312) 793-4605
Illinois Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Equality Illinois
3712 N. Broadway St. #125
Chicago, IL 60613
Phone: (773) 477-7173
http://www.equalityillinois.org
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health
28 East Jackson, Suite 710
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: (312) 427-4460
http://www.icah.org
Illinois Gender Advocates
47 W. Division St. #391
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 409-5489
http://www.genderadvocates.org
IL NOW
522 E. Monroe, Suite 501
Springfield, Illinois 62701
Phone: (217) 528-2077
http://www.illinoisnow.org
Illinois Planned Parenthood Council
107 W. Cook St. Ste. F
Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.plannedparenthoodcouncil.org
IL Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
P.O. Box 2198
LaGrange, IL 60525
Phone: (773) 509-6374
Illinois Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Eagle Forum of IL
P.O. Box 233
Oak Forest, IL 60452
Phone: (708) 401-0379
http://www.eagleforum.org
IL Family Institute
799 Roosevelt Rd.Building 3, Ste 218
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Phone: (603) 790-8370
http://www.illinoisfamily.org
IL Federation for Right to Life
Phone: (847) 548-2229
IL Federation for Right to Life
Business Office
1104 Milton Rd.
Alton, IL 62002
Phone: (618) 465-7655
http://www.ifrl.org
Newspapers in Illinois
Belleville News-Democrat
Roger Schlueter
Medical/Health Editor
120 S. Illinois St.
Belleville, IL 62220
Phone: (618) 239-2465
Chicago Sun-Times
Brenda Warner Rotzoll
Community News Reporter
401 N. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 321-2196
Chicago Tribune
Kristin Eddy
Medical/Health Staff Writer
435 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 222-3498
Community News Reporter
Renee Messacar
The State Journal-Register
1 Copley Plaza
Springfield, IL 62701
Phone: (217) 788-1519
Hoy Chicago
Jaime Reyes
Community News Reporter
435 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 654-3030
Journal Star
Jennifer Towery
Community News Editor
1 News Plaza
Peoria, IL 61643
Phone: (309) 686-3119
Paddock Publications
Christine Bolin
Community News Reporter
155 E. Algonquin Rd
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Phone: (630) 587-8641
RedEye
Assignment Editor
435 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 222-3232
Red Streak
Assignment Editor
401 N. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 321-3000
Rockford Register Star
Melissa Westphal
Community News Reporter
99 E. State St.
Rockford, IL 61104
Phone: (815) 987-1352
References
- 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.
- Unless otherwise cited, all statistical information comes from: J. Grunbaum, et. al., "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2001," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 51, no.SS-4, June 28, 2002, pp. 1-64. Available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/. Information on Illinois does not include Chicago which is collected and listed separately. Illinois did not participate in the 2003 YRBS. However, Chicago did participate and information is listed separately.
- 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.
- A. Papillo, et.al., Facts at a Glance, (Washington, DC: Child Trends, February, 2004).
- 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/.
- SIECUS was not able to obtain exact funding information for all grantees.
