Contact Site Map Home APA Online Public Policy Home Public Policy Home
Science Policy Masthead
Science Policy Public Interest Policy Education Policy News Take Action Fellowships About PPO

Archive: SIECUS letter to Senator Jeffords on Tiahrt Amendment


The Honorable James Jeffords
728 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

June 7, 2001

Dear Senator Jeffords:

I am writing on behalf of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) to express our concerns regarding a harmful amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act proposed by Representatives Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). SIECUS is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to affirming that sexuality is a natural and healthy part of living.

The Tiahrt/ Graham amendment is two-fold: It would require written prior parental consent for all minors seeking any non-emergency health service in a school setting as well as require any federally funded agency or institution to obtain written parental consent prior to distributing student surveys in schools or other educational settings. These tenants would effectively isolate young people from the healthcare services they need and stifle important school-based research on sexual behavior, substance abuse, youth violence, and other critical issues. The Tiahrt/ Graham amendment threatens young people’s health in the following ways:

  • It prevents young people from obtaining critical health services. While most teens seek their parents’ advice and counsel when making decisions about their healthcare, in some cases, open family communication is not possible. This is particularly true regarding sensitive services such as reproductive healthcare. School-based health centers and other school-based medical personnel provide a confidential, safe place for young people to receive essential health-care services, including contraception and related counseling. Requiring parental consent before a minor could access any health service or obtain healthcare in a school setting will mean that minors will not seek the information they need to make informed decisions about their health or be able to obtain necessary services, particularly those designed to help them avoid HIV infection, STDs, and unwanted pregnancy.

  • The amendment is contrary to the recommendations of major medical and public health organizations, which support young people’s access to confidential healthcare. Leading medical groups, including the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Public Health Association, and the National Medical Association oppose mandatory parental consent requirements for young people to obtain family planning services.

  • The amendment is so broadly worded that it would discourage school officials from offering routine, responsible guidance to young people. The Tiahrt/Graham amendment denies funds to any educational agency or institution that provides or "otherwise causes" a young person to receive a health service. The meaning of "otherwise causes" is so vague as to present serious constitutional concerns. Moreover, it is so broad that it could discourage any counseling, referral, or assistance by school nurses or other health professionals, guidance counselors, teachers, or even principals from whom minors routinely seek advice. This language, for example, could prohibit a school nurse from suggesting that a young woman complaining of repeated bouts of morning nausea consult her family physician. It could also bar a teacher from responding to a confidential inquiry from a student about contraception and STD prevention by referring him or her to a local public health clinic.

  • The Tiahrt/Graham amendment would undermine the integrity of important research regarding youth and substance abuse, violence, or HIV/AIDS. Young people who do not have written permission to participate in such surveys are more likely to be of low socioeconomic status, members of minority groups, and at risk. Any survey research that does not include a representative sample cannot provide accurate information about the extent of the problems young people face.

While we support efforts to encourage family involvement in adolescent healthcare, we believe that mandated parental consent in some situations could deter teens from seeking needed care and impede research that will potentially improve adolescent health. We hope that you will consider the gravity of these issues when deliberating over the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Please contact me at any time if you have further questions.

Sincerely,
William A. Smith
Director, Public Policy
SIECUS

Back to Top^

© 2008 American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
Telephone: 800-374-2721; 202-336-5500. TDD/TTY: 202-336-6123
PsychNET® | Contact | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Security | Advertise with us