Arizona’s high rates of AIDS and teen pregnancy indicate a serious need for improvement in youth sexual health. In January of 2008, Arizona’s Governor Janet Napolitano took a positive step when she rejected Title V funding for abstinence-only education, saying that “teenagers need to have complete information for their own health.” Arizona still does not mandate that sex ed be taught in the state’s public schools, even though almost 84,000 of the state’s teenagers are already sexually active.

Get the facts about the reproductive and sexual health of Arizona's young people.

Learn more about failed abstinence-only programs in Arizona.

Sex Education Policy

Arizona does not require sex education for students. If sex ed is taught, the law requires that it stress abstinence, and any other content must be approved by a local governing board.

Arizona laws governing sex education: Revised Statutes Sections 15-716,15-102, and R7-2-303.

Funding for Abstinence-Only Programs in Fiscal Year 2007

• Title V Funds: $1,034,776
• Total Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) Funds: $3,887,410
• Organizations receiving CBAE funds in Arizona

Health Outcomes

Arizona has a lower AIDS rate than the national average, but has among the highest teen pregnancy rates in the nation.

Sexual Health Stats at a Glance

*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.

Advocates' Partner Organizations

• Planned Parenthood of Central and Northern Arizona