Abstinence Education Is at Risk

A 20-year stranglehold on funding for sex education ended last week. July 15 was the deadline for states to apply for $250 million authorized by Congress under the 1996 welfare reform law for abstinence-centered sex education. Every state has applied. The “safe sex” cartel--the Sex Information and Education Council of the U.S., Planned Parenthood and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services--is hopping mad.

These self-appointed guardians of adolescent health would rather throw condoms at our kids than teach them the benefits of abstinence until marriage. They have launched a well-orchestrated nationwide campaign to hijack the abstinence money and violate the intent of Congress. After all, teen sex is big business. No one makes any money from abstinence.

The sex information council has lobbied the governors in all 50 states to reject the abstinence funding, asserting that abstinence education is “fear and shame based.” It continues to perpetuate distortions and outright lies through the media about abstinence education and the provisions of this new law.

Fortunately for American teens, states are accepting the funds. The cartel’s tired rhetoric and failed ideas cannot stop the common sense approach that the welfare reform law mandates. When combined with state matching funds, this financial pledge in support of abstinence amounts to more than $450 million over the next five years.

Requirements of the law are very specific. Four of the eight criteria state that the grants are to be spent on abstinence education that:

* “has as its exclusive purpose, teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity”;

* “teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school age children”;

* “teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and other associated health problems”;

* “teaches that a mutually monogamous relationship in context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity.”

Who could disagree that this is the right message for today’s teens? The safe-sex cartel sure does.

The Department of Health and Human Services has told states to make up their own definition of abstinence, contrary to the federal law. The agency has also attempted to keep governors from controlling the funds, favoring liberal state maternal and child health agencies.

Abstinence educators are engaged in fierce battles over this funding in state after state, to maintain the intent of Congress. Governors who understand the importance of teaching abstinence are getting involved because they believe in this program. Unfortunately, in most states the health bureaucrats are excluding abstinence organizations from the decision-making process of how the money will be spent. State committees are being stacked 10 to 1 against abstinence advocates.

Some states are diverting the sex education funds to setting up soccer leagues and after-school programs in order to thwart the teaching of abstinence in the classroom. Programs are being limited to children 10 to 14, leaving teens 15 to 18 to the condom crowd.

What’s wrong with allowing $250 million to go to abstinence when the safe-sex lobby has received more than $3 billion of federal tax money since 1970?

And what does the cartel have to show for all its spending? A huge increase in out-of-wedlock births to teens, welfare dependency, fatherless children, sexually transmitted disease and emotional hurt.

American teens--who find virtually no support for choosing abstinence in a culture that glamorizes promiscuous, premarital sex--need the straight talk this law requires. If the legislative intent continues to be subverted throughout this country, Congress should conduct a full and thorough investigation on how taxpayer funds are being misspent.

To comply with the law, our tax dollars must go to those organizations that believe in abstinence until marriage and will teach it to teens in ways that build character and protect their lives.