SENATE, No. 1924

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED MARCH 20, 1997

 

 

By Senators CARDINALE and SCOTT

 

 

An Act concerning the school curriculum and supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. This act shall be known as the "AIDS Prevention Act of 1994."

 

    2. Any sex education that is given as part of any planned course, curriculum or other instructional program and that is intended to impart information or promote discussion or understanding in regard to human sexual behavior, sexual feelings and sexual values, human sexuality and reproduction, pregnancy avoidance or termination, HIV infection or sexually transmitted diseases, regardless of whether such instruction is described as, or incorporated into a description of "sex education," "family life education," "family health education," "health education," "family living," "health," "self esteem," or any other course, curriculum program or goal of education, and any materials, including but not limited to handouts, speakers, notes or audiovisuals presented on school property concerning methods for the prevention of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), other sexually transmitted diseases and of avoiding pregnancy, shall clearly state that abstinence from sexual activity is the only completely reliable means of eliminating the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and of avoiding pregnancy.

 

    3. The board of education shall include in its family life and HIV/AIDS curriculum instruction on reasons, skills and strategies for remaining or becoming abstinent from sexual activity. Any instruction concerning the use of contraceptives or prophylactics such as condoms shall also include information on their failure rates for preventing pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in actual use among adolescent populations and shall clearly explain the difference between risk reduction through the use of such devices and risk elimination through abstinence.

 

    4. In addition, any course, program or material concerning methods for the prevention of HIV/AIDS shall stress the importance of avoiding intravenous drug use.

 

    5. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill provides that any public school program or course in sex education and any materials distributed to students on school property on the prevention of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases and on avoiding pregnancy shall clearly state that abstinence from sexual activity is the only completely reliable means of eliminating the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and of avoiding pregnancy.

    The bill also requires a board of education to include within its family life and HIV/AIDS curriculum instruction on reasons, skills, and strategies for remaining or becoming abstinent from sexual activity. Also, any instruction concerning the use of contraceptives such as condoms must include information on their failure rates for preventing pregnancy, HIV infection, and other sexually transmitted diseases in actual use among adolescent populations. In addition any course, program or material concerning methods for the prevention of HIV/AIDS shall clearly state the importance of avoiding intravenous drug use.

 

 

                             

 

Requires public school sex education and AIDS education programs to promote abstinence.