“Just Say No” didn’t work for drugs and it won’t work for sex. Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs deny our right to honest sex education. These programs censor information about contraception and condoms; make moral judgments students may not share; stigmatize and shame students who have already had sex; and discriminate against GLBTQ students by at best ignoring us and at worst promoting homophobia.
What’s more, abstinence-only programs don’t work – studies have shown that students who receive them don’t have lower pregnancy, HIV, or STI rates. And worse, students who receive abstinence-only programs are less likely to use contraception and condoms when they do have sex.
How do state and federal governments support these programs?
Within the United States, abstinence-only programs are the only kind of “sex education” which receives any dedicated funding from the federal government (so far, over $1.5 billion dollars in federal and state funds have been spent on these programs). There are two main sources of abstinence-only funding.
- Title V is the part of the Social Security and Welfare Act which deals with abstinence-only funding. Title V Section 510 provides money directly to states for sex to use for abstinence only programs in schools. States can reject the money - and almost half have rejected it, many on the grounds that the funds interfere with their goal of providing young people with honest and accurate sex education. (See if your state has rejected Title V [links to Title V grade])
- Community Based Abstinence Education Funding (CBAE) is another federal funding source. This money goes directly to community/church-based organizations. There is no state approval process for CBAE funding – a state has no control over what organizations receive money, how much they receive, or what they are teaching the youth of the state. (See your state’s CBAE funding grade [links to CBAE grade page])
To receive funding, the “exclusive purpose” of these programs must be to promote abstinence – meaning they truly are abstinence-ONLY programs. And in a number of states, these moralistic, incomplete, inaccurate programs are the only “sex education” students may legally receive. (Learn about your state’s sex education policy)
Federally-funded abstinence-only programs must meet an 8-point definition to meet federal regulations.
Abstinence-only Beyond the United States
Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Bush Administration cuts funds for organizations which provide information about and access to contraception for young people. Read more about abstinence-only programs and international issues.
A Violation of Our Rights and a Danger to Our Health
Why do so many conservative politicians feel that without our consent or input, young people should be subjected to moral judgments, inaccurate information, and censorship? With the danger of HIV and rising STI and birth rates, we have the right to know about all the ways we can protect ourselves. We have the right to comprehensive sex education which teaches about abstinence, contraception, condoms, and safer sex options for ALL young people.
Blog it!
What do you think about abstinence-only-until-marriage programs? Did you have abstinence-only sex education in school? What was taught? Write a blog about abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
Report Card
How did your state do on its Report Card? Check out your state’s grades for sexual health, sex education, Title V Abstinence-Only Funding, CBAE Community-Based Abstinence Education funding, and school safety for GLBTQ youth.
Health Facts: Choosing Not to Have Sex
Learn about choosing not to have sex as one option for young people.
Interested in this issue? Keep Reading!
Read about related issues on Amplify
Choosing Not to Have Sex
Comprehensive Sex Education
Condoms
Contraceptive Access
Other Resources
Need current, reliable information on this topic? Check out the links below for the latest research.
The History of Federal Abstinence—Only Funding
Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs: Ineffective, Unethical, and Poor Public Health
