HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 40

47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2006

INTRODUCED BY

Miguel P. Garcia

FOR THE LEGISLATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

A JOINT MEMORIAL

SUPPORTING THE DECISION OF THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH TO ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR ABSTINENCE-ONLY SEX EDUCATION TO GRADES SIX AND BELOW AND PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION TO GRADES SEVEN AND HIGHER.

     WHEREAS, women of color comprise over half of all New Mexican women and are faced with disparities in access to health care and health education and information necessary to make informed decisions about their own health needs; and

     WHEREAS, approximately forty-five percent of all pregnancies in New Mexico are unintended, about one-half of women with unintended pregnancies had not been using contraception and nearly eighty percent of the unintended pregnancies occur among young women between the ages of fifteen and seventeen; and

     WHEREAS, the teen birth rate in New Mexico is the third-highest in the nation and the number of mothers ages fifteen through nineteen is thirty-eight percent higher than the number of teen mothers in that age group nationwide, indicating that one out of every six pregnant women in New Mexico is a teenager; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico also has one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases among teens in the nation, and latina teens are less likely than other teens to be informed about birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and human sexuality; and

     WHEREAS, eighty percent of New Mexicans agree with the statement "sex education programs should focus on how to avoid unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS since they are such pressing problems in America today"; and

     WHEREAS, ninety percent of New Mexicans believe that teaching sex education to high school students is appropriate, and nearly eighty percent believe that teaching sex education to middle school students is appropriate; and

     WHEREAS, Governor Bill Richardson dedicated an entire month to increasing awareness and educating teens about pregnancy prevention, yet no funds have been spent to facilitate this effort;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the decision of the secretary of health to allocate funds for abstinence-only sex education for grades six and below and the effort to provide comprehensive sex education to grades seven and above be supported; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that increased funding be provided for sex education on evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention strategies; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of health.

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