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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
27 |
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TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
Recommending that the Board of Education consider changing its sex education policy in the secondary schools of Hawaii from a program of abstinence-only to a comprehensive, balanced, and consistent sex education program that includes abstinence and the use of contraceptives, and making that program mandatory for graduation.
WHEREAS, Hawaii ranks tenth in the nation for the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and twelfth in teen pregnancies; and
WHEREAS, according to a study by Columbia University and Yale University, sex education programs that solely teach abstinence, like the Board of Education's current policy, do not have a significant impact on the rate of sexually transmitted diseases or premarital sex; and
WHEREAS, sex education programs are not offered in all schools in Hawaii and are not required for graduation, many students in Hawaii are not educated with the specific risks and consequences of sexual intercourse; and
WHEREAS, various programs discouraging premarital sex exist, seventy per cent of young women and eighty per cent of young men approve of premarital sex, according to a study published in the Review of General Psychology; and
WHEREAS, according to a study by the Guttmacher Institute, despite the fact that comprehensive sex education programs have increased the frequency of sexual interactions, those comprehensive programs that encompass methods to engage in safe sex have reduced the rates of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy; and
WHEREAS, it is the opinion of the Council of Chief State School Officers that teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases can negatively impact a student's capacity to excel in school; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the House of Representatives concurring, that the 2007 Hawaii Secondary Student Conference recommends that the Board of Education review its policy of abstinence-only sex education, and adopt a mandatory, comprehensive, balanced, and consistent program that encompasses abstinence and the effective use of contraceptives to reduce the risks of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the Superintendent of Education, the Chairperson of the Board of Education, the Director of Health, and the principals of all Hawaii secondary schools, including the Director of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.
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OFFERED BY: |
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KEIKI CAUCUS; STUDENT CONFERENCE; ABSTINENCE ONLY SEX EDUCATION.