abstinence only

Newsweek is reporting this morning that the Senate's version of the Health Insurance Reform bill will feature a restoration of funding for abstinence education.

"Their provision would restore a program called Title V, which, since the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, has allocated a yearly $50 million in grants to abstinence-only education programs. Obama let the program lapse in June, leaving some abstinence-only groups in dire straits. So in September, Sen. Orrin Hatch offered an amendment to restore Title V via heath-care reform, which (much to the outrage of liberal groups) just squeaked through the Senate Finance Committee with a 12–11 vote. A similar amendment, offered in the House by Rep. Terry Lee from Nebraska, died in committee.

The American Medical Association reported this summer that Abstinence Only Education programs not only don't work, but they could also be the cause of the spike in teen birth rates in 2006.

"This report stated that these abstinence programs resulted in "no delay of initiating sexual activity, no reduction in the number of sexual partners and no increase in abstinence," according to Stuart Gitlow, MD. . .

"The AMA believes that federal funding should support sex education programs, which include condom use, abstinence and other methods of contraception."

Its quite simply nonsense for federal funds to be given to programs we have proven don't work and can result in the increase in sexually transmitted diseases to our nation's youth. Last year, ABC News reported that 1 in 4 teen girls now has an STD.

When will conservative US Senate members put right-wing ideology aside and allow young people to have the facts about protecting themselves and their own health?

In a statement from the League of Young Voters, the organization has continued its commitment to speaking for young people by standing up against the $50 million that has been put into the health care legislation.

"As the battle for health care reform heats up in Congress, The League of Young Voters is stepping up to make sure that young voters are being heard. On Wednesday, October 7th, The League of Young Voters is launching a virtual PSA called "The Marshmallow Test: Teenagers" that aims to educate viewers about the dangers of the abstinence-only provisions in the heath care bill. The video is a parody of the extremely hilarious video "The Marshmallow Test."

The abstinence-only provisions, a continuation of George Bush's bad sex ed policy, were recently added to the health care reform bill currently being debated in Congress. Sen. Orin Hatch (R-UT) introduced an amendment that passed on a 12-11 vote in the Senate Finance Committee that would provide $50 Million for these programs. The League of Young Voters believes that these provisions would continue to prevent young people from making informed and healthy decisions.

"While it's extremely important, the public option isn't the only thing that's at stake in health care reform debate," said the League of Young Voters' Charlotte Chinana. "These abstinence provisions will have a tremendously negative impact on young people. Research shows that programs like this don't help young people live healthier and safer lives."

According to the Center for Disease Control, the League's target constituency, non-college youth, especially need to be educated about the importance of safe sex. African American and Hispanic youth are disproportionately affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Although only 17 percent of the adolescent population in the United States is African American, these teens experienced 69 percent of new AIDS cases among teens in 2006. Latinos ages 20 – 24 experienced 23 percent of new AIDS cases in 2006 but represented only 18 percent of U.S. young adults.

The "The Marshmallow Test: Teenagers" was directed by the League's Sean Gardner and features acting from the organization's young staff and volunteers. You can watch the hilarious video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm-UeSzD3L8

To learn more about the League of Young Voters' efforts to engage young voters in the health care reform debate please contact: Charlotte Chinana at media@theleague.com or by calling (347) 464-VOTE (8683).
The League of Young Voters

As another way of showing my dedication to 1100 Torches, I wanted to report on an important blog post my friend Don sent me.

Advocates for Youth has been championing a great cause - that we zero out Abstinence Only programs and instead begin mandating comprehensive sex education be taught in public schools. The 2010 Budget Blueprint, AFY reports, only includes a section under Health and Human Services for preventing Teen Pregnancy.

"Prevents Teen Pregnancy. The Budget supports State, community-based, and faith-based efforts to reduce teen pregnancy using evidence based models. The program will fund models that stress the importance of abstinence while providing medically-accurate and age-appropriate information to youth who have already become sexually active."

We've had years of programming that simply isn't working - and further, in 2007 we found out that the Bush Administration's HHS Department was fudging data and requiring the use of

"misleading" and "scientifically inaccurate" information in three curricula used by programs that receive federal abstinence-only funding."

At this point 17 states including California opted out of Abstinence Only Education refusing federal funds that mandate it be the only way if funding is accepted. The AP went further by reporting that "participation in the program is down 40 percent over two years. . . Arizona and Iowa recently announced they will pull out at the start of the upcoming fiscal year."

This means of the 28 states that accept the funding only $21million of the full $50 million allotted to states was actually being used because states just didn't believe in the program.

AFY goes further raising questions about the 2010 Budget because it says it will provide

“medically-accurate and age-appropriate information to youth who have already become sexually active.” Does this mean that those who haven’t had sex yet don’t get this sex education? How will “sexually active youth” be identified? Or what assumptions will go into deciding who receives these lessons?

Are the “model” programs that “stress the importance of abstinence” also required to provide the “medically-accurate and age-appropriate” components? Or are those “model” programs stressing abstinence the same “faith based efforts” that the previous Administration funded?

Will we see a parallel stream of funding that allows those ineffective, harmful abstinence-only programs that are rooted in simply telling kids that it is dangerous and immoral to have sex before marriage, while ignoring or misleading youth on the effectiveness of contraception?

And perhaps most concerning, there is no reference to “comprehensive sex education" AFY Blog

The points are well argued and raise an important issue that is necessary for the next HHS (whoever that might be) to take on as soon as possible. We must stop these reckless programs which consistently mislead and outright lie to young people who deserve to have the proper information and education to better arm themselves against health threats.

I'm reminded by the great opening West Wing scene which I lovingly refer to as the Religious Smackdown where the good Pastor says "Show the average teenage man a condom and his mind will turn to thoughts of lust." And Toby says "Show the average teenage male a lug wrench and his mind will turn...."

Fictional Surgeon General or not - condoms reduce teen pregnancy and HIV and AIDS. (pdf)