http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20043507-503544.htmlA pair of Democrats introduced legislation in the House and Senate Tuesday to cut off funding for abstinence-only sexual education, which they said had wasted more than $1.5 billion over the last 15 years.
"Abstinence-only education doesn't work and is a poor use of federal funding," said Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), who sponsored the bill in the Senate. "Our nation's young adults deserve access to information that helps them take on real life situations and make smart decisions."
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The bill, known as the Repealing Ineffective and Incomplete Abstinence-Only Program Funding Act, would redirect $50 million spent annually on abstinence-only sexual education to "evidence-based, comprehensive sex education programs," according to a release from Lautenberg. The release cites as evidence that abstinence education doesn't work the relatively high teen pregnancy rate in the United States as well as the HIV infection rate among those under the age of 29.
A national study authorized by Congress and released in 2007 concluded that abstinence-only sexual education, which had been supported by the administration of President George W. Bush, did not keep teenagers from having sex.
Abstinence-Only Sex Education
This page provides a compendium of artilces and documentaries about Abstinence Only Sex Education
TheocracyWatch.orghttp://www.theocracywatch.org/abstinence_only_sex_education.htmSome Abstinence Programs Mislead Teens, Report Says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26623-2004Dec1.htmlMany American youngsters participating in federally funded abstinence-only programs have been taught over the past three years that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, and that touching a person's genitals "can result in pregnancy," a congressional staff analysis has found.
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One curriculum, called "Me, My World, My Future," teaches that women who have an abortion "are more prone to suicide" and that as many as 10 percent of them become sterile. This contradicts the 2001 edition of a standard obstetrics textbook that says fertility is not affected by elective abortion, the Waxman report said.
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Bill Smith, vice president of public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, a comprehensive sex education group that also receives federal funding, said the Waxman report underscored the need for closer monitoring of what he called the "shame-based, fear-based, medically inaccurate messages" being disseminated with tax money. He said the danger of abstinence education lies in the omission of useful medical information.
Some course materials cited in Waxman's report present as scientific fact notions about a man's need for "admiration" and "sexual fulfillment" compared with a woman's need for "financial support." One book in the "Choosing Best" series tells the story of a knight who married a village maiden instead of the princess because the princess offered so many tips on slaying the local dragon. "Moral of the story," notes the popular text: "Occasional suggestions and assistance may be alright, but too much of it will lessen a man's confidence or even turn him away from his princess."
"Drink the Spit" (Abstinence-Only Lesson #1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoIeXgCfwNI"Girls Shouldn't Have Ideas" (Abstinence-Only Lesson #2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmwJvgKTTjwRainbow Bear's Wedding (Abstinence-Only Lesson #3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk_kiNZJYfYBoys Are Like Microwaves (Abstinence-Only Lesson #4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry42ZL3c0Z0"Daddy I Do" Trailerhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXVPjg7gNBwThe politically conservative Evangelical community believes sex is meant to take place only within the context of marriage, and favors Abstinence-Only curriculum in the American educational system. Powerful Christian organizations along with $1.3 billion in federal funding have created Purity Balls, high-tech road shows and faith-based education curricula disputing safe sex practices. Daddy I Do sheds light on the personal and social implications of the growing Abstinence Movement by examining key abstinence programs from the perspective of promoters and participants. This documentary includes vigorous discussion between both sides of the debate, punctuated by personal stories, creating a controversial dynamic.
For more information about "Daddy I Do", visit: www.JayeBirdProductions.com
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