State Issues
2007 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Medically Accurate Sexuality Education
The bill proposed by Iowa Planned Parenthood Affiliate League (IPPAL) would require school districts to teach medically accurate and research-based material as part of their sexuality education, human growth and development programs.
The bill also:
- Requires that any information provided to students about sexual health must be age-appropriate, medically accurate, research-based, and provides appropriate definitions.
- Adds information related to human papilloma virus (HPV) and the availability of a vaccine to prevent HPV to the curriculum for all Iowa schools beginning in grade 7.
- Adds education to prevent sexual exploitation by means of the Internet to the list of materials the Iowa Department of Education makes available to schools and parents.
- Requires the Iowa Department of Education to prepare and make available research-based studies which school districts must use to evaluate and update their existing human growth and development curriculum.
- Requires school boards to provide to any agency or organization information about what is taught at each grade level and how the curriculum is evaluated.
Iowa teens need information to help them both postpone sexual activity and to protect themselves when they become sexually active. It is irresponsible to provide false information to teens. False information actually promotes unintended pregnancy and dangerous diseases –- problems which accurate information could prevent. This information does not promote a certain type of behavior, but it does save lives.
Access to HPV Vaccine
The legislation proposed by IPPAL, the Iowa Medical Society, and the American Cancer Society increases access to the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine by:
- Providing financial assistance for women within 250% of poverty to receive the vaccine.
- Mandating insurance coverage so that any insurance plan which provides for any vaccine must also include coverage for the vaccine for HPV.
- Creating a public awareness and education program through the Department of Public Health.
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is linked to 98% of cervical cancer. The Center for Disease Control recommends that the vaccine be widely administered to women from ages 9-26.
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