Indiana
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Indiana received $1,387,042 in federal funding for
abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2003.1
Indiana Sexuality Education Law
Indiana requires that schools include sexuality education. This instruction must:
- teach abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the expected standard for all school age children;
- include that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems; and
- include that the best way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and other associated health problems is to establish a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage.
Each school must include instruction about HIV/AIDS and "integrate this effort to the extent possible with instruction on other dangerous communicable diseases." This instruction must stress abstinence-until-marriage. School boards must also establish an AIDS advisory council, consisting of 13 people. This council must review all curricula and materials for HIV/AIDS instruction to ensure that they "reflect the standards of the community."
Parents and guardians can remove their children from any part of this instruction. This is referred to as an "opt-out" policy.
See Indiana Code 20-10.1-4-10, 20-10.1-4-11, and 20-8.1-11-3.
Recent Legislation
The Indiana legislature does not carry bills over from one session to the next. Related 2003 and 2004 bills are listed. Indiana's session ended on March 4, 2004.
Bill Requiring Instruction on "Health Consequences" of Abortion Died, 2004 session
Senate Bill 84, introduced in December 2003, would have required that high school health curricula contain instruction on fetal development, including "photographic images portraying each stage of uterine fetal development" and the health consequences of pregnancy termination.
The bill died at the end of the legislative session.
Sexuality Education Bills Died, 2003 Session
House Bill 1199, introduced on January 8, 2003, would have added a requirement to current sexuality education law that any program must "include instruction on maintaining self-control, resisting peer pressure, and establishing positive relationships in preparation for marriage."
House Bill 1862, introduced on January 23, 2003, would have required that when health, AIDS, HIV, or abstinence education is required by statute, all information be medically accurate. The bill did not strike out current abstinence or marriage promotion language from the statutes. Both bills died at the end of the 2003 legislative session.
Events of Note
SIECUS is not aware of any recent events regarding sexuality education in Indiana.
Indiana's Youth: Statistical Information of Note2
- In 2003, 47% of female high school students and 50% of male high school students in Indiana reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 45% of female high school students and 48% of male high school students nationwide.
- In 2003, 38% of female high school students and 38% of male high school students in Indiana 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, 50% of females and 61% of males in Indiana reported having used condoms the last time they had sexual intercourse compared to 57% of females and 69% of males nationwide.
- In 2003, 92% of high school students in Indiana reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 88% of high school students nationwide.
- In 2000, Indiana's abortion rate was 12 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compared to a teen abortion rate of 24 per 1,000 nationwide.3
- In 2001, Indiana's birth rate was 47 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compared to a teen birth rate of 45 per 1,000 nationwide.4
Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding
Indiana received $857,042 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 provides the match with $692,782 in funding through a line item in the state Department of Health budget. In-kind services are also included. The funding is controlled by the Indiana Department of Health, which runs the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Initiative.
The federal money pays for a media campaign, which receives $214,000, and an evaluation of the program. Participation in the state-wide evaluation was voluntary; it is unclear how many grantees participated. The evaluation was completed in September of 2002 and may be made public.
The media campaign, Sex Can Wait - I'm Worth It, also receives Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention funds. It has two main focuses:
- youth abstaining from sexual intercourse and delaying pregnancy and parenting during adolescence with an emphasis on physical, emotional, social, and economic benefits, and
- parent-child communication about family sexual values and beliefs.
The campaign includes billboards, radio ads, and TV ads. In one of the TV ads focused on parents, a young woman stares at the camera and says, "If you don't talk with your son about sex, I will." The ad copy describes her as "street-wise."
A booklet for parents also encourages them to teach their children about contraceptive methods and the risks and advantages of each. It admonishes, "Don't expose them to serious risks by not telling them how to safeguard themselves." The booklet explains:
Sex isn't a 'four letter word.' It's not a dirty word. It's not a dirty subject. And talking about it with your teenager won't make them pregnant. In fact, quite the opposite. Studies show talking openly with your teen about sex and your family values reduces the risk of premature sexual activity and teen pregnancy.
The state funding is contracted out to 31grantees. State funding is contracted out to 31 community based organizations which receive $515,950 in total. No individual organization can receive more than $25,000. Seven of these are schools or school systems and four are crisis pregnancy centers. All 31 grantees use the funding for classroom instruction. Curricula are determined by school boards and include Worth the Wait, Community of Caring, and Baby Think It Over.
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 Indiana: PEERS Educating Peers. There are no AFLA grantees in Indiana.
PEERS (Peers Educating: Encouraging Responsible Sexuality) Educating Peers is a mentoring program in which high school students present to middle school students and was founded by Eve Jackson, the developer of "A Promise to Keep: God's Gift of Human Sexuality."
In order to find student mentors PEERS asks counselors and teachers to recommend "role model" students, defined as students "known to abstain from sexual activity and drugs." According to the PEERS website, 30,000 adolescents at more than 100 schools in Indiana and neighboring states have been involved with the program.
Federal and State Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in FY 2003
|
Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Grantee Length of Grant | Amount of Grant | Type of Grant (includes SPRANS-CBAE, Title V, and AFLA) |
Indiana Department of Health R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Initiative http://www.in.gov/isdh | $857,042 federal/ $587,787 state | Title V |
| Bedford North Lawrence High School | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Bluffton Harrison M.S.D. | $1,960 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Brownstone Central Community School Corporation | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Christian Haven | $24,879 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Clarian Health Partners | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Clay County Extension Office | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| DeKalb County Caring for Our Children | $20,650 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Family Service Society | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Heartline Pregnancy Center | $20,615 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Holy Family Church (PEERS Educating Peers) | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Johnson Nichols Health Clinic | $12,500 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Kids Place (New Hope Services Inc.) | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| The King's Daughter Hospital | $21,906 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Madison County Health Department | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Memorial Health Systems | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| MSD of Perry - Perry Meridian High School | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| MSD of Perry - Southport High School | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| North Knox High School | $20,027 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Northern Indiana Community Foundation (PEERS Educating Peers) | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Our Place | $12,500 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Perry County Memorial Hospital | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Saint Anthony Medical Center | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Saint Anthony Memorial Health Center | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Saint Vincent Randolph Hospital | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Second Baptist Church | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Taylor Community Schools | $18,378 | Title V sub-grantee |
| True Life Choices | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Vincennes Community School Corporation | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| Women's Care Center | $25,000 | Title V sub-grantee |
| PEERS Project2001-2004 | $530,000 | SPRANS-CBAE (Implementation Grant)
|
Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Coordinator
Katherine Newland
Indiana State Department of Health
Maternal and Child Health Services
2 N. Meridian Street, Section 7-C
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317) 233-1374
Indiana Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Planned Parenthood of Greater Indiana
3209 North Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 40208
Phone: (800) 421-3731
http://www.ppin.org
Indiana Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education
American Family Association of Indiana
P.O. Box 26208
Indianapolis, IN 46226
Phone: (317) 541-9287
http://www.afain.net
Indiana Family Institute
55 Monument Circle, Suite 322
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317) 423-9178
http://www.hoosierfamily.org
Newspapers in Indiana
The Criterion
Education Editor
1400 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202-2305
Phone: (317) 236-1570
Electric Consumer
Education Editor
720 N. High School Rd.
Indianapolis, IN 46214-3756
Phone: (317) 487-2220
The Evansville Courier & Press
Patricia Swanson
Education Reporter
300 E. Walnut St.
Evansville, IN 47713-1985
Phone: (812) 464-7526
Indianapolis Monthly
Education Editor
1 Emmis Plaza
Indianapolis, IN 46204-3019
Phone: (317) 237-9288
The Indianapolis Star
Kim Hooper
Education Reporter
307 N. Pennsylvania St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204-1899
Phone: (317) 444-6494
The Indiana & Michigan Source Magazine
Education Editor
11915 River Dr.
Mishawaka, IN 46545-7852
Phone: (574) 255-6677
Indy's Child
Education Editor
1901 Broad Ripple Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220-2327
Phone: (317) 722-8500
Journal & Courier
Emily Richwine
Education Reporter
217 N. 6th St.
Lafayette, IN 47901-1448
Phone: (765) 420-5205
The Journal Gazette
Krista Stockman
Education Reporter
600 W. Main St.
Fort Wayne, IN 46802-1498
Phone: (260) 461-8457
The News-Sentinel
Charlie Roduta
Education Reporter
600 W. Main St.
Fort Wayne, IN 46802-1498
Phone: (260) 461-8431
Post-Tribune
Carole Carlson
Education Writer
1433 E. 83rd Ave.
Merrillville, IN 46410-6307
Phone: (219) 648-3085
South Bend Tribune
Don Porter
Education Reporter
225 W. Colfax Ave.
South Bend, IN 46626-1001
Phone: (574) 235-6350
The Star Press
Oseye Boyd
Education Writer
345 S. High St.
Muncie, IN 47305-2326
Phone: (765) 213-5830
The Times
Olivia Clarke
Education Reporter
601 45th Ave.
Munster, IN 46321-2819
Phone: (219) 933-4078
Tribune Star
Sue Loughlin
Education Writer
222 S. 7th St.
Terre Haute, IN 47807-3601
Phone: (812) 231-4235
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, 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/.
- 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).
