Abstinence Programs Are Facing Rejection: Questioning effectiveness, states refuse federal money

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: Washington Post, Page One

By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, December 16, 2007; Page A01

The number of states refusing federal money for "abstinence-only" sex education programs jumped sharply in the past year as evidence mounted that the approach is ineffective. At least 14 states have either notified the federal government that they will no longer be requesting the funds or are not expected to apply, forgoing more than $15 million of the $50 million available, officials said. Virginia was the most recent state to opt out.

Two other states -- Ohio and Washington -- have applied but stipulated they would use the money for comprehensive sex education, effectively making themselves ineligible, federal officials said. While Maryland and the District are planning to continue applying for the money, other states are considering withdrawing as well. Until this year, only four states had passed up the funding. "We're concerned about this," said Stan Koutstaal of the Department of Health and Human Services, which runs the program. "My greatest concern about states dropping out is that these are valuable services and programs. It's the youths in these states who are missing out."

The number of states spurning the money has grown even as Congress considers boosting overall funding for abstinence-only education to $204 million, with most of it going directly to community organizations. The trend has triggered intense lobbying of state legislators and governors around the country. Supporters of the programs are scrambling to reverse the decisions, while opponents are pressuring more states to join the trend....

***

Congress is considering boosting the $176 million in annual funding for abstinence programs by $28 million. State governments can apply for portions of a $50 million fund, which they use for a variety of purposes, including school classes, community groups, state and local health departments and media campaigns. But the money is restricted to efforts focused on promoting abstinence.

The jump in states opting out follows a series of reports questioning the effectiveness of the approach, including one commissioned by Congress that was released earlier this year. In addition, federal health officials reported last week that a 14-year drop in teenage pregnancy rates appeared to have reversed....

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/15/AR2007121500773.html?nav=hcmodule

[ninkasi]

1. Abstinance only

didn't work 50 years ago when I was a teen-ager, and it won't work now. It's absurd to preach abstinence only to a bunch of kids with raging hormones, and kept ignorant about safe sex practices.

[Hekate]

5. Back in the day there wasnever a shortage of adoptable white babies.They must've come from the stork

....because we all know that before 1968 all those high school girls and boys were as pure as the driven snow because there was no sex ed in school, condoms were kept behind the counter at the drugstore, and a girl had to be 21 to get a prescription for The Pill.

Hekate

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

7. in quite simply the most uncomfortable family discussion ever...

my grandmother aknowledged having been sexually active starting the summer she turned 16 and that was 1921. And while a 93 yearold woman hinting at her youthful sexual exploits was very, very uncomfortable, she didn't marry until she was almost 30 and never had a pregnancy until my aunt was born.

This would seem to suggest she had some knowledge of human reproduction as a young woman beyond "YOU SINNING HARLOT!"

While fundies might like to believe girls legs didn't spring open until they heard rock and roll, kids have been screwing around since man swung down from the trees. It is a fairly basic biological function and like most biological functions fairly difficult to supress.

[napi21]

2. It took them long enough to recognizer the facts huh?

This is just another example of Shrub and the Pubs wanting to take the world back in history to the way it was a LONG LONG TIME AGO!

[Xipe Totec]

3. Abstinence makes the tart grow fonder

Or was that absinthe?

[bluestateguy]

4. No sex until the wedding night!

And ONLY for the purposes of procreation, in the missionary position and with the lights out.

[HuffleClaw]

6. hahahahhahahaa

'these are valuable services' ??!!

'valuable' as in they profit the bush cronies who run them i guess

[fujiyama]

8. Congress is considering boosting the $176 million in annual funding for abstinence programs by $28

million"

This is NOT what we should be getting from a democratic led congress.

WTF are they doing?

Cut funds for stupid shit like this! Cut it off NOW! As well as the war. This is inexcusable and I'm getting sick and fucking tired of capitulating to Bush. And fuck Obey. I heard he was behind the increase.