September
15, 2008
Dear
School Principal and Health Educator,
We
expect teachers to handle teenage pregnancy,
substance abuse, and the failings of the family.
Then we expect them to educate our children.
~John Sculley, former PepsiCo CEO
You
do not have an easy job and no single set
of resource materials can make up for the
challenges you face. However, we know that
as a dedicated educator you have the best
interest of your students in mind. We, the
Health Access and Privacy Alliance (HAPA),
hope you will find the resources included
with this letter helpful.
Who
are we and why are we sending you this information?
HAPA
is a coalition of civic, educational, religious,
and professional organizations in Indiana
dedicated to improving the health and safety
of women, children, and families. As a part
of this mission, we want to help prevent unintended
pregnancies (thereby reducing abortion rates)
and the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
We
have a tremendous challenge in Indiana where
31 teens become pregnant every day. However,
studies show that the best way to prevent
teens and young adults from engaging in unsafe
sexual practices is through education. Our
goal is to help you locate the materials needed
to effectively communicate with young people
about their sexual health choices.
HAPA
understands sexual health education is tricky
to navigate. In Indiana,
" State law does not require school corporations
to teach sexual health education.
" If a school does offer sexual health
education, it must teach abstinence. Schools
are free to teach an "abstinence plus"
curriculum unless their district accepts certain
federal funds which limit them to "abstinence
only."
" State law requires school corporations
to include instruction on AIDS and breast/testicular
cancer regardless of funding sources.
HAPA does not encourage the violation of federal
funding restrictions or school board/curriculum
protocols. We simply feel young people are
best served when the adults in their lives
know about sexual health resources that exist.
Whether you can use these materials directly
with students, or refer a parent to them,
they exist to aid adults in helping young
people learn to make informed, responsible
decisions and develop into healthy adults.
Please
take advantage of the Web sites and other
resources we have suggested. You may also
want to pass these materials along to other
school staff who might find them useful. Do
not hesitate to contact HAPA at info@hapaindiana.org
with any questions about our organization
or the materials referenced in this packet.
Sincerely,
Robyn
Pauker-Honig
HAPA President
