On Wednesday, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform took up the issue of continued federal funding for abstinence-only sex education.
While all 11 witnesses who appeared before the panel agreed that abstinence should be the core of any sex education curriculum, most advocated for comprehensive programs that include information on preventing STDs and pregnancy. Proponents of abstinence education said high standards for teenage sexual behavior are needed, and they called for programs that highlight the emotional, physical, and societal consequences of sex outside of marriage.
"I see an ideological discussion versus a reality discussion," said Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.). "We deal with the realities of our diversified communities."
Several speakers noted that despite the more than $1.3 billion spent on abstinence education over 11 years, teens are still having sex and getting infected with STDs. A CDC study released in December showed a rise in the teen pregnancy rate in 2006, the first such increase in 15 years. From 1991 to 2005, the rate dropped 34 percent.
Witnesses also provided differing statistics about condom use and the number of sexual partners of teens who have completed abstinence-only programs.
A 2006 Government Accountability Office report found errors in the accuracy of information in some abstinence programs, though it did not reach any conclusions about their effectiveness.
4/24/08
US Funding of Abstinence-Only Programs Debated
Source: Los Angeles Times:: Sarah D. Wire; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention