$176 million spent on abstinence-only programs in 2008. Seriously? Guess what America, it's not working. Let's get with the program and have real conversations with our teens about sex. President Obama is working on it! Can I get an amen?
Proposed Budget Requires Evidence Based Sexual Education
Feminist Daily News Wire May 8, 2009
President Obama released a proposed fiscal year 2010 budget yesterday that includes provisions that would greatly reduce funding for abstinence only programs and would provide funding for comprehensive sexual education programs.
According to the proposed budget (see PDF), "The 2010 Budget proposes a new Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative to support community-based and faith-based efforts to reduce teen pregnancy using evidence-based and promising models.…This Budget eliminates funding for Community-Based Abstinence Education, the mandatory Title V Abstinence Education program, the Compassion Capital Fund, and Rural Community Facilities." Programs funded by 75% of this line item would have to demonstrate that they are comprehensive and evidence based. The remaining 25% is reserved for innovative programs that must be willing to submit themselves to evaluation.
A state-by-state analysis of federal abstinence-only program funding for fiscal year 2008 was released last month by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). The report examined the distribution of $176 million for abstinence-only programs through three major federal funding streams: the Adolescent Family Life Act, Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding, and Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) programs.
Media Resources:White House Budget 5/7/09; Feminist Daily Newswire 4/16/09
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