Nevada

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Nevada received $275,785 in federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2003.¹

Nevada Sexuality Education Law

Nevada mandates that each school district's board of trustees "establish a course or unit of a course of: (a) Factual instruction concerning Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; and (b) Instruction on the human reproductive system, related communicable diseases and sexual responsibility."

Furthermore, each board of trustees must appoint an advisory committee consisting of five parents with children in the school district and four representatives from medicine, counseling, religion, students, or teaching.

In order for students to participate in the course, parents or guardians must give written consent. This is referred to as an "opt-in" policy.

See Nevada Revised Statutes 389.065.

Recent Legislation

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

Events of Note

Title V-Funded Radio Announcement Pulled

In September 2003, the Nevada State Health Division pulled an abstinence-only-until-marriage public service announcement from the radio. As a result of numerous complaints, the Health Division deemed that the ad was inappropriate for the intended audience-nine to 14 year old girls.

In the announcement, developed with federal funds, a young woman speaks about her relationship with her boyfriend, including his wish to have sex with her. The young woman goes on to state that she does not feel ready to have sex, that condoms will not protect her from all diseases, and that sexually active women are three times as likely as virgins to attempt suicide. At the end of the ad, the woman asks, "What about broken hearts? So many of my friends had sex, then lost their boyfriends, and they are left feeling dirty and cheap."

Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada and the ACLU of Nevada complained about the ad when it was first broadcast in early August. Gary Peck, Executive Director of the ACLU of Nevada stated, "There's nothing wrong with encouraging teens to be abstinent, but the harshness of using 'dirty and cheap' is unhelpful, especially for adolescents who may already be feeling stigmatized. It suggests that people should feel that way."

State officials stress that the radio ad does not reflect the opinions of the health division and the ad states that its content does not necessarily represent the "official views of the Nevada State Health Division." However, the ad was written by the abstinence-only-until-marriage coordinator for the Nevada State Health Division. The ad also stated that it is "supported by the health division" and that its contents are "solely the responsibility" of the Health Division.

Nevadans Support a Comprehensive Approach

According to the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2000:²

• 98.9% of Nevadans think that students should receive education about HIV and AIDS in school.
• 76.5% believe this education should begin in elementary school.
• 88.9% of Nevadans would encourage a sexually active teenager to use a condom.

Nevada's Youth: Statistical Information of Note³

• In 2003, 45% of female high school students and 47% of male high school students in Nevada reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 45% of female high school students and 48% of male high school students nationwide.
• In 2003, 4% of female high school students and 11% of male high school students in Nevada 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, 17% of female high school students and 21% of male high school students in Nevada 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, 34% of female high school students and 31% of male high school students in Nevada 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 25% of males in Nevada 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, 53% of females and 72% of males in Nevada 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, 25% of females and 15% of males in Nevada 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, 5% of female high school students and 4% of male high school students in Nevada 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, 88% of high school students in Nevada reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 88% of high school students nationwide.
• In 2000, Nevada's abortion rate was 36 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compared to a teen abortion rate of 24 per 1,000 nationwide.⁴
• In 2001, Nevada's birth rate was 56 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compared to a teen birth rate of 45 per 1,000 nationwide.⁵

Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding

Nevada received $157,634 in 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. Consequently, the federal funds were matched by $118,151 of state funding.

Funded programs focus on youth ages nine to 14 and their parents. Seventy-five percent of this funding is used for a media campaign and the remainder support six Community Action Teams (CATs). CATs are coalitions of service providers in communities. This allows for resource sharing in order to avoid duplicating efforts. CATs develop abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Over 30 Community Action Teams are working throughout the state.

These programs use two popular abstinence-only-until-marriage programs: Best Friends and Friends First. The CATs underwent an evaluation in 1997 after one year of funding.

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

There are no SPRANS-CBAE or AFLA grantees in Nevada.

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

Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Coordinator

Jessica Cowee
Bureau of Family Health Service
Nevada State Health Division
505 E. King St, Room 200
Carson City, NV 89701
Phone: (775) 684-4285

Nevada Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education

AFAN: Aid for AIDS of Nevada
2300 South Rancho Drive, Suite 211
Las Vegas, NV 89102
Phone: (702) 382-AFAN

GLSEN Southern Nevada
PO Box 61351
Las Vegas, Nevada 89160
Phone: (702) 731-2201

Nevada Public Health Foundation
1 East First Street, Suite 806
Reno, NV 89501
Phone: (775) 884-0392

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
455 West Fifth St.
Reno, NV 89503
Phone: (775) 688-5555

Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada
3220 West Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89102
Phone: (702) 878-7776

Nevada Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Nevada Concerned Citizens
7595 Palmyra Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89117
http://nevada-concerned-citizens.8m.com/

Nevada Policy Research Institute
2073 E. Sahara Ave., Suite B
Las Vegas Nevada 89104
Phone: (702) 222-0642
http://www.npri.org

Newspapers in Nevada

Las Vegas Review-Journal
Joelle Babula
Medical/Health Editor
1111 W. Bonanza Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89106
Phone: (702) 383-4686

Las Vegas Sun
Emily Richmond
Medical/Health Reporter
2275 Corporate Circle
Henderson, NV 89074
Phone: (702) 259-8829

Reno Gazette-Journal
Laura Brigham
Medical/Health Editor
955 Kuenzli St.
Reno, NV 89502
Phone: (775) 788-6753

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. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Prevalence Data, Nevada, 2000, (Atlanta, Georgia: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000.) Accessed online on May 12, 2004 at: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/display.asp?cat=HV&yr=2000&qkey=497&state=NV.
3. 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/.
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).