In the gargantuan spending bill passed this week, Congress failed to increase spending for the federally mandated abstinence-only sex education program. Instead, funding was extended for another six months. Which is a shame. Left unfunded, the ineffective law would have died a natural death.
The federal government has spent about $1 billion on abstinence-only education in the last decade. Reams of evidence exists, including a congressional study released in April, showing that such a model doesn’t delay teens’ decisions about whether to have sex.
Most recently, a study released by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy confirmed the findings of previous studies that abstinence-only education does not reduce sexual activity or the incidence of pregnancies among teens. The study also contradicted assertions by advocates of abstinence-only programs that comprehensive sex education promotes promiscuity.
This year, Washington joined a dozen or so other states in mandating comprehensive sex education in schools. This means teaching about abstinence and other methods of “preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.”
The law puts the state at odds with the federal law, which only allows grant money for states that teach abstinence-only. This week, New Mexico became the 14th state to refuse to apply for the federal money, choosing to offer comprehensive classes without the help of federal funds. The states say they took the action because abstinence-only programs don’t work.
Washington and Ohio applied for the funds, but stipulated they would use the money for comprehensive programs, pretty much assuring they won’t get any. Last year Washington received $800,000 in federal grant money, which was used for an abstinence ad campaign and a program to teach kids to resist sex-filled media messages.
Critics of abstinence-only programs say not only do they not work, they often include factually wrong material. A report by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) revealed that curricula used by abstinence-only organizations in 25 states contain unproven claims and outright falsehoods regarding reproductive health, condom safety, AIDS and abortion.
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy study, however, found that comprehensive sex education programs are, in fact, effective in “delaying the initiation of sex, reducing the frequency of sex, reducing the number of sexual partners, and increasing condom or contraceptive use.”
It’s time for the federal government to respect states’ rights, and scientific evidence, and just say no to the abstinence-only requirement.
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