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New Jersey was one of the first states in the country to mandate comprehensive sex education for all students, and it rejected Title V abstinence-only funding because the requirements contradicted its state law.
Sex Education Policy
New Jersey has among the most comprehensive sex education policies of any state. Its students must receive age-appropriate information on a variety of topics, including gender stereotypes, sexual orientation, the benefits of abstinence, and condoms and contraception. See the New Jersey statutes governing sexuality education: 18A:35-4.7, 18A:35-4.20 and 18A:35-4.21
Health Outcomes
Compared to the national average, New Jersey has an average teen pregnancy rate, higher than average AIDS rate, and lower than average STI rates.
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 |
| New Jersey |
68 |
22.7 |
16.9 |
67.4 |
35 |
| 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.
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