Oklahoma

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Oklahoma received $980,797 in federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2003.¹

Oklahoma Sexuality Education Law

Oklahoma does not require schools to teach sexuality education. If a school district chooses to teach sexuality education, all curricula and materials must be approved by the superintendent. All materials must also be available to parents for review.

All sexuality education classes must have as one of their "primary purposes the teaching of or informing students about the practice of abstinence."

Schools are required to provide HIV/AIDS prevention education. This education must be limited to the "discussion of the disease AIDS and its spread and prevention." The class must be taught once in either fifth or sixth grade, once in grades seven through nine, and once during grades ten through 12. All curricula and materials must be checked for medical accuracy by the Oklahoma Department of Health and must only include "factual medical information for AIDS prevention." HIV/AIDS education must specifically teach that:

1. engaging in homosexual activity, promiscuous sexual activity, intravenous drug use or contact with contaminated blood products is now known to be primarily responsible for contact with the AIDS virus;
2. avoiding the activities specified in paragraph 1 of this subsection is the only method of preventing the spread of the virus;
3. sexual intercourse, with or without condoms, with any person testing positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies, or any other person infected with HIV, places that individual in a high risk category for developing AIDS.

HIV/AIDS prevention education must also teach that "abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain means for the prevention of the spread or contraction of the AIDS virus through sexual contact. It shall also teach that artificial means of birth control are not a certain means of preventing the spread of the AIDS virus and reliance on such methods puts a person at risk for exposure to the disease."

A school district must provide written notification of all sexuality and HIV/AIDS prevention classes. Parents or guardians can submit written notification if they do not want their children to participate in such classes. This is referred to as an "opt-out" policy.

See Oklahoma Statutes 70-11-105.1 and 70-11-103.3.

Recent Legislation

The Oklahoma legislature carried bills over from the 2003 to the 2004 session. Oklahoma's legislative session ended on May 28, 2004.

Act for Coordination of Efforts for Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Died

The Act for Coordination of Efforts for Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, House Bill 1104, was introduced on February 2 and passed committee on February 18, 2003.

The purpose of the bill was to provide for a comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, and inter-agency effort to reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The bill would have created a committee for this purpose. It went on to enumerate the activities for the committee, including evaluating successful programs from around the country and recommending legislative changes. The bill also outlined qualifications and representatives who should serve on the committee.

The bill died at the end of the 2004 legislative session.

Events of Note

Tea Party for Abstinence
May 2002; Muskogee, OK

The Crisis Pregnancy Support Center sponsored the fourth annual Spring Abstinence Tea where 840 girls from 21 schools were told the "three why's and a how" of abstinence. The three "why's" include pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, and mental anguish. The "how" involves declaring a line and "defending it."

A featured speaker from To Know Christ Ministries told the audience that "girls lose their virginity before marriage because of peer and media pressure, low self-esteem, and sexual attraction." After sharing that she was a virgin on her wedding night, the speaker told them that teens should refrain from premarital sexual activity "because they will lose their ability to bond with other people if they have sex with multiple partners."

She ended by offering the girls the following retort to use with boyfriends who are pressuring them into sexual activity: "Don't let the screen door whack you where the good Lord cracked you."

Oklahoma's Youth: Statistical Information of Note²

• In 2003, 49% of female high school students and 51% of male high school students in Oklahoma reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 45% of female high school students and 48% of male high school students nationwide.
• In 2003, 2% of female high school students and 9% of male high school students in Oklahoma 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, 13% of female high school students and 19% of male high school students in Oklahoma 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, 38% of female high school students and 37% of male high school students in Oklahoma 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, 20% of females and 31% of males in Oklahoma 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, 61% of females and 67% of males in Oklahoma 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, 20% of females and 16% of males in Oklahoma 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, 6% of female high school students and 3% of male high school students in Oklahoma 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, 86% of high school students in Oklahoma reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 88% of high school students nationwide.
• In 2000, Oklahoma'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, Oklahoma's birth rate was 58 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

Oklahoma received $756,837 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. Oklahoma matches federal funding with a total of $567,628 from the state.

The money is controlled by the Oklahoma Department of Health. The majority of the funding is divided between 6 sub-grantees. In addition, a project evaluation by the Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Oklahoma is funded with $98,791 and $24,647 is used for office administration at the Oklahoma State Department of Health Central Office.

Four of the six sub-grantees use the Project Reality (Facing Reality) curriculum. Comache City Memorial Hospital uses Postponing Sexual Involvement (abstinence-only version), and the Pregnancy Help Center of Hope has designed its own curriculum.

According to the Oklahoma Family Policy Council's KEEP Program's (Kids Eagerly Endorsing Purity) website, over one-third of Oklahoma's 77 counties currently use an abstinence-only curriculum. Their program focuses on youth between the ages of 12 and 18 and includes one session on STDs led by a physician from the Oklahoma Physicians Resource Council (OPRC), an organization formed in association with Focus on the Family's Physicians Resource Council.

The Family Policy Council's website includes a prayer guide with Bible quotations. Its other projects include the Marriage Initiative, the Fatherhood Campaign (in partnership with the National Center for Fathering), Character Education, and the Pro-Life Campaign.

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 Oklahoma: Wichita Mountain Prevention Network. There are no AFLA grantees in Oklahoma.

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

Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Coordinator

Paul Wesselhoft
Oklahoma State Department of Health
1000 N.E. Tenth St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
Phone: (405) 271-4477

Oklahoma Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Oklahoma NARAL
P.O. Box 702503
Tulsa, OK 74170
Phone: (918) 494-9585
http://www.okchoice.org

Oklahoma Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
P.O. Box 35194
Tulsa, OK 74153
Phone: (918) 481-6444
http://www.okrcrc.org

Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma
619 N.W. 23rd
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
Phone: (405) 528-2157
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/centralok/

Oklahoma Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Oklahoma Family Policy Council
3908 N. Peniel Ave.
Bethany Bank Tower, Suite 100
Bethany, OK 73008
Phone: (405) 787-7744
http://www.okfamilypc.org

Oklahomans for Life
3105 E. Skelly Dr., Rm. 605
Tulsa, OK 74105
Phone: (918) 749-5022

Newspapers in Oklahoma

Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
Susan Albert
Community News Editor
4125 Nowata Rd.
Bartlesville, OK 74006
Phone: (918) 335-8243

The Daily Ardmoreite
Assignment Editor
117 W. Broadway St.
Ardmore, OK 73401
Phone: (580) 223-2200

The Daily Oklahoman
Henry Dolive
Community News Assistant Editor
9000 Broadway
Oklahoma City, OK 73114
Phone: (405) 475-3940

Enid News and Eagle
Scott Fitzgerald
Medical/Health Reporter
227 W. Broadway Ave.
Enid, OK 73701
Phone: (580) 233-6600

The Lawton Constitution
Philip Muse
Medical/Health Reporter
102 SW 3rd St.
Lawton, OK 73501
Phone: (580) 585-5139

Muskogee Daily Phoenix
Julie Hubbard
Community News Reporter
214 Wall St.
Muskogee, OK 74401
Phone: (918) 684-2926

News-Capital & Democrat
Assignment Editor
500 S. 2nd St.
McAlester, OK 74501
Phone: (918) 423-1700

The Norman Transcript
Assignment Editor
215 E. Comanche St.
Norman, OK 73069
Phone: (405) 321-1800

The Ponca City News
Assignment Editor
300 N. 3rd St.
Ponca City, OK 74601
Phone: (580) 765-3311

Tulsa World
Delbert Schafer
Community News Editor
315 S. Boulder Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74103
Phone: (918) 437-0150

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. 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/.
3. 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.
4. A. Papillo, et.al., Facts at a Glance, (Washington, DC: Child Trends, February, 2004).