|
Maine has taken significant steps toward helping its young people make good choices about sex: it accepts no federal money for abstinence-only programs, and it has one of the most progressive sex education laws in the nation. However, there is still room for some improvement in Maine: the state had among the lowest rates for condom use among sexually active teens.
Sex Education Policy
Maine has among the most comprehensive sexuality education policies of any state. Its students must be taught the benefits of abstinence, while also receiving information about condoms and contraception. See the Maine legal statutes concerning sexuality education (1902, 1910, 1911)
Health Outcomes
Maine has among the lowest teen pregnancy, AIDS, and STIs in the nation. Condom use rates are lower than average.
Sexual Health Stats at a Glance
|
Teen Pregnancy Rate* |
Teen Birth Rate* |
Annual rate of AIDS Diagnoses (per 100,000 people) |
STI Rate+ |
% of high school students who did not use a condom at last sex |
| Maine |
43 |
24.4 |
4 |
12.3 |
39 |
| National |
70 |
39.1 |
11.2 |
100.8 |
39 |
*Per 1000 young women ages 15-19
+Because of concern over recent changes in Chlamydia reporting and relative low incidence of syphilis, we used the state's gonorrhea rate as a stand-in for sexually transmitted infection rates.
|
