The majority of new mothers in Mississippi report that their pregnancies were unintended, according to the most recently available survey data collected by the Mississippi State Department of Health. The social and economic implications of unplanned pregnancy for women, families and the state are wide-reaching and enduring. Considering the broad array of contraception on the market and the availability of family planning services in publicly funded clinics across the state, Mississippi’s high rate of unintended pregnancy is concerning and deserves … Read more...
Tag Archives: Teenage Pregnancy
Implementing Sex-Related Education in Mississippi Public Schools
In 2011, the Mississippi Legislature enacted a law (§37-13-171 et seq.) that required each local school board to adopt an abstinence-only or abstinence-plus policy on sex-related education (SRE) and to implement an SRE curriculum beginning in the 2012-13 school year. This law is scheduled to expire July 1, 2016, unless the Legislature takes action to extend the act.
Since enactment of the law in 2011, the Center for Mississippi Health Policy has conducted several studies designed to provide information to … Read more...
What Do Mississippi Parents Think About Sex-Related Education in Public Schools?
During its 2011 Regular Session, the Mississippi Legislature passed HB 999, which requires each local school board to adopt a policy on sex-related education by June 30, 2012, to implement either an abstinence-only or an abstinence-plus curriculum. The Center for Mississippi Health Policy commissioned Mississippi State University’s Social Science Research Center to survey parents of Mississippi public school students to assess their attitudes and opinions regarding the content of and methods for delivering sex-related education in the schools. The Center
