South Dakota

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South Dakota received $801,795 in federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in Fiscal Year 2003.¹

South Dakota Sexuality Education Law

South Dakota law does not require schools to teach sexuality education. Instead, the decision is left up to local school boards. However, schools are required to teach "character development instruction," which includes sexual abstinence. South Dakota does not specify if or how students can be exempted from sexuality education classes.

See South Dakota Statute 13-33-6.1.

Recent Legislation

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

Events of Note

SIECUS is not aware of any events of note regarding sexuality education in South Dakota.

South Dakota's Youth: Statistical Information of Note²

• In 2003, 43% of female high school students and 40% of male high school students in South Dakota reported ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 45% of female high school students and 48% of male high school students nationwide.
• In 2003, 3% of female high school students and 6% of male high school students in South Dakota 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, 9% of female high school students and 14% of male high school students in South Dakota 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, 32% of female high school students and 28% of male high school students in South Dakota 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, 32% of females and 36% of males in South Dakota 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, 55% of females and 70% of males in South Dakota 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, 31% of females and 17% of males in South Dakota 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, 2% of female high school students and 3% of male high school students in South Dakota 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 South Dakota reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 88% of high school students nationwide.
• In 2000, South Dakota's abortion rate was 7 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compared to a teen abortion rate of 24 per 1,000 nationwide.³
• In 2001, South Dakota's birth rate was 38 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

South Dakota received $139,295 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 South Dakota, the federal funding is matched by approximately $25,000 in state funds. The remainder of the match comes from sub-grantees. The South Dakota Department of Health oversees the funding.

In 2003, South Dakota granted Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding to five groups: the Minn-la-Kota Girl Scouts Council in Sioux Falls, the Northern Hills Pregnancy Care Center in Spearfish, the Abstinence Clearinghouse in Sioux Falls, Youth and Family Services in Rapid City, and Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in Mitchell.

The Abstinence Clearinghouse uses its Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding to provide its Truth for Youth program in 25 schools or communities in the eastern half of South Dakota. This program focuses on youth ages 15 to 17. The Abstinence Clearinghouse's website includes medically inaccurate information regarding condom failure rates and the effects of sexually transmitted disease (STDs).

The Northern Hill Pregnancy Center is a crisis pregnancy center. Its website includes biased information such as the following list of the physical and emotional "aftermath" of abortion:

Physical:

• Excessive bleeding, may require blood transfusions.
• Perforated uterus or damage to other organs.
• Chronic and acute infections.
• Intense pain.
• Incomplete removal of baby or placenta.
• High fever, convulsions, shock, coma.
• Increase in miscarriages, ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, premature births, and stillbirths.
• Irregular pap smears; breast cancer.
• Infertility.
• Death.

Emotional:

• Inability to tolerate the sound of a vacuum cleaner or dentist's drill, because it sounds like the suction machine.
• Depression; mental breakdown.
• Fear of punishment from God.
• Thoughts of suicide.

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

South Dakota has no SPRANS-CBAE grantees. South Dakota has three AFLA grantees: Teca Aicibleza Pi Kte (Youth Understanding Themselves) Project, Youth and Family Services, and Rural American Initiative.

All AFLA funding in South Dakota is directed toward Native American Youth. The Oglala Sioux Tribe runs the Teca Aicibleza Pi Kte (Youth Understanding Themselves) Project. This project links the Lakota tradition with the abstinence message on the Pine Ridge Reservation and includes talking circles with families and experiential learning activities.

The Rural American Initiative Partnership works with the St. Isaac Joques Catholic Parish and targets Native American males ages 12 to 19 in daily after-school programming using the Sex Can Wait and Lifeskills curricula.

Federal and State Funding for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in FY 2003⁵

Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Coordinator

Sherrie Fines
South Dakota Department of Health
615 4th St.
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 773-3737

South Dakota Organizations that Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education

ACLU of the Dakotas
Manchester Building
112 N. University Dr., Suite 301
Fargo, ND 58102
Phone: (701) 461-7290

Planned Parenthood of Minnesota/South Dakota
1200 Lagoon Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone: (612) 825-2777
http://www.ppmsd.org

South Dakota NARAL
401 E. 8th St., Suite 330G
Sioux Falls, SD 57103
Phone: (605) 334-5065
http://www.sdnaral.org

South Dakota Organizations that Oppose Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Abstinence Clearinghouse
801 E. 41st St.
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
Phone: (888) 577-2966
http://www.abstinence.net

Catholic Social Services
(Crisis Pregnancy Services)
918 Fifth St.
Rapid City, SD 57701
Phone: (605) 348-6086

South Dakota Family Policy Council
P.O. Box 88007
Sioux Falls, SD 57109
Phone: (605) 335-8100
http://www.sdfamily.org

South Dakota Right to Life
P.O. Box 1032
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 224-9181

Newspapers in South Dakota

Aberdeen American News
Jeff Bahr
Medical/Health Editor
124 S. 2nd St.
Aberdeen, SD 57401
Phone: (605) 622-2320

Argus Leader
Kevin Dobbs
Medical/Health Reporter
200 S. Minnesota Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
Phone: (605) 331-3924

Black Hills Pioneer
Wendy Pitlick
Community News Reporter
315 Seaton Cir.
Spearfish, SD 57783
Phone: (605) 642-2761

Brookings Register
Assignment Editor
312 5th St.
Brookings, SD 57006
Phone: (605) 692-6271

Capital Journal
Assignment Editor
333 W. Dakota Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 224-7301

The Daily Republic
Assignment Editor
120 S. Lawler St.
Mitchell, SD 57301
Phone: (605) 996-5514

Huron Plainsman
Roger Kasa
Community News Reporter
49 3rd St. SE
Huron, SD 57350
Phone: (605) 352-4942

Rapid City Journal
Barbara Tomovick
Community News Editor
507 Main St.
Rapid City, SD 57701
Phone: (605) 394-8403

Watertown Public Opinion
Assignment Editor
120 3rd Ave. NW
Watertown, SD 5720
Phone: (605) 886-6901

Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan
Assignment Editor
319 Walnut St.
Yankton, SD 57078
Phone: (605) 665-7811

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).
5. SIECUS was not able to obtain exact funding information for all grantees.