Sex, Lies and Federal Funding

[marmar]

from HuffPost:


Sarada Peri|

Sex, Lies and Federal Funding



The New York Times reported that abstinence-only "education" has taken a hard hit. It turns out that teenagers like sex. They really do. In fact, even when Texas devotes $17 million to pleading bumper stickers, t-shirts, and billboards of cute blonds scolding "pet your dog, not your date", a Mathematica study found that teens who receive abstinence-only "education" have sex for the first time at the same age as teens who get no such education.

The message is clear: Congressional Democrats need to stand up for what's right and stop funding programs that teach crap and accomplish nothing. We voted you into office for a reason.

The Times article points out that states are getting smart and increasingly rejecting abstinence-only, but federal money is still flowing towards those initiatives. As Christina Larson highlighted in a 2002 Washington Monthly piece, a commitment of federal funds for abstinence-only marked a major shift in the landscape, allowing conservatives to securely proliferate such programs. And for the duration of President Bush's tenure, unless Congress grows a spine, the funds will arguably continue.

Despite the Bush administration's calls for parental involvement and individual responsibility, it has chosen to override the overwhelming majority of parents who, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey would much rather have their kids receive comprehensive sex education. It doesn't matter that both the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics oppose abstinence-only programs. Never one to let scientific evidence and medical expertise get in the way of a political agenda, the administration ominously tossed the provision for abstinence-only education into the welfare bill. Funding is contingent on requirements to teach gems like sex before marriage is psychologically damaging. And abstinence-only curricula are peppered with unapologetic gender stereotypes. Here's a real winner from Sex Respect's curriculum:

"A young man's natural desire for sex is already strong due to testosterone...females are becoming culturally conditioned to fantasize about sex as well."

Sex Respect, Student Workbook, p. 11

OK, then. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarada-peri/sex-lies-and-federal-fun_b_56959.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Bet there is a statistically significant difference in

the number of unwanted pregnancies between those who have real sex ed and those who have abstinance only.

[BOSSHOG]

3. Is that why

there is DNA testing signs on the electric poles all over this red state county? Gotta to find out who my babies daddy is.

[BOSSHOG]

2. TEENAGERS LIKE SEX - for the love of god who would have thought

Even evangelical preachers like to stroll on the wild side and conservative congressmen and senators with values. Wow, did God intend for us to like Sex or to stone people to death who work on the sabbath?

Well, fuck me to tears! Teenagers really, really like sex.

[DemSoccerMom]

4. Oh wow,

did I read THIS wrong: Here's a real winner from Sex Respect's curriculum . . .

At first glance, I thought it said "Sex Rectum's." Guess that we give a whole new meaning to the article, eh?