Amplify Issues - Abstinence-Only

Abstinence-only programs are NOT health care reform

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:28:00 -0500

Editor's Note: This post is from James Wagoner, President of Advocates for Youth

Last fall, conservatives in Congress managed to include funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in one of the health care reform bills. Currently abstinence-only funding remains in the Senate bill that will serve as the backbone of the final health care package. Without your assistance, these funds- $250 million over the next five years- will remain in the bill. We are continuing to work with colleagues on the Hill to remove this funding, but we need your help! It’s not too late for Congress to take action.

Last year, President Obama took the long-overdue step of eliminating federal funding for failed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. But, abstinence-only supporters in Congress are determined to find new ways to funnel federal dollars to these ineffective programs.

After more than a year of debate about health care reform – and more than a decade of research – three things are clear:

Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs simply do not work. In fact, they leave young people at risk by denying them information about contraceptives and condoms.
Abstinence-only programs are not health care reform. This amendment was nothing more than an ideological give-away.
It’s time for Congress to stop throwing good money at bad programs. The federal government has already wasted more than $1.5 billion on failed abstinence-only programs. We don’t need to waste $250 million more.

As health care reform nears its endgame, leaders in Congress are working together on one final set of changes. Through reconciliation, they hope to extend health care coverage for millions of people while lowering the overall cost of the bill – but reconciliation is limited to items that will impact the federal budget.

Well, here’s one way to save $250 million: Eliminate unnecessary spending on failed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs!

TAKE ACTION NOW: Tell Congress it's time to end federal funding for abstinence-only programs once and for all. Remove abstinence-only funding from health care reform!

{It Is In You} Performance Video-Amplify Exclusive

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:04:00 -0500

Hey! Last week I wrote about an amazing performance at my school by an activist and performer Marie Garlock. She explores the politics of development, HIV and the body, and sex education through dance and theater. It was an absolutely amazing performance, and I now have video!! This is an Amplify exclusive because I shot the video just for Amplify and edited together several of the highlights of the show. Check out my post from last week and then watch:

A Positive Experience with Sexual Education in High School

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:30:00 -0500

Most of the information and stories I hear about sex education are negative. Many schools in America teach abstinence-only, and too many young people leave high school with an incomplete knowledge of sexual health. Today, I am going to share a more positive story.

I go to Carolina Friends School, a private Quaker school that is very liberal and open about sex and sexual health. I took our required "Adolescent Health" class last year, and it was a positive experience for me. Working as an activist for sex education has made me appreciate the program I have at my school; I am lucky to have a comprehensive sex-ed program. The class is offered every semester both as a co-ed and a single sex class. Teachers who usually teach other subjects teach the class, but they have to have a complete knowledge of sexual health to be allowed to teach Adolescent Health.

We talk about basic anatomy, sexual identity, how to protect against pregnancy and STD’s, and talk about what constitutes a good relationship. We are told that abstinence is the best way to prevent pregnancy and STD’s because it is the only method that is 100% effective. We are also told that if we are going to have sex, there are many ways to stay safe and then we learn about all forms of birth control. We also read interesting news articles about relationship issues and gender issues, and discuss what it means to respect our partner. The most important thing I took away from the class was the point about discussing birth control and condom use BEFORE an intimate experience. It can be very hard to have a talk about using condoms right before sex is about to happen, it is better to establish ground rules before hand so when the time comes both partners are on the same page.

Our teachers are always completely open and honest, and if they do not know the answer to something they find out and discuss it next class. We also always take a trip to the local Planned Parenthood, where health educators and doctors talk about sexual health and ways to stay safe. Since Planned Parenthood staff work with these issues everyday, they are very helpful. The PP people also talk about what services Planned Parenthood offers.

We are also encouraged to be an active member of our community at my school, and I was allowed to organized a trip to the state legislature with my health class. We talked with elected officials and encouraged them to vote in favor of a comprehensive sex education law. The law passed last year, so now all schools in NC will be teaching comprehensive sex education!

I feel that it is extremely difficult to talk honestly with a partner about sex. It is much easier to enjoy the relationship, and to push the tough questions into the future and "deal with them later." In truth, too many young people do not ever face the tough questions because people do not feel comfortable talking about it. The sex "just happens" without proper thought going into protection. An open, honest discussion with peers and teachers at school helps with this immensely. I have practiced talking with people about condom use, so now it is much easier to face the issues in my relationships and talk BEFORE the fact about using protection. Condoms are also available at school, and we can go into a teacher’s office and take some at any time. This ensures that all of the students at my school are safe.

So far, things are working well. There have been almost no pregnancies ever at my high school. This program works well for parents, too. My parents are happy I am getting this information at school because they do not have to talk with me about it at home. And while I do respect my parents, I would MUCH rather hear about how to stay safe from a Planned Parenthood staff person than my mom. Lets face it…thinking about parents and sex at the same time is kind of awful.

Overall, I strongly encourage all schools to embrace an open, complete, accurate comprehensive sex education program. This comprehensive approach helps teens make healthy decisions and opens up conversations among youth about using protection. I am lucky to go to a school that has this, but the sad truth is that many other people do not.

What does your school teach? Do you think you know all the facts about sexual health and are you comfortable talking with a partner about protection? If you did not learn about sexual health in school, where did you get your information?

Video Blog: Abstinence comes to Albuquerque Screening

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:23:00 -0500

Hey everyone :]

Recently the Texas Freedom Network held an event in Houston, Texas at a local restaurant where we screened the documentary "Abstinence comes to Albuquerque" and then had a discussion about our beliefs and experiences regarding sex education.

Here's a short video for all of you who might have missed it :]

The Divorce Analogy

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:00 -0500

I was thinking about marriage the other day, and I realized something- I am pro-divorce. Being pro-divorce does not mean I am anti-marriage. I am in fact pro-marriage. But, if the marriage becomes abusive or otherwise intolerable, I would want a divorce. A safe and legal divorce. (Get where I’m going with this?)

I of course wouldn’t want my life circumstances to lead to me deciding to get a divorce, but if they do, I want to be able to get one. If I feel I need to divorce my husband, I don’t want anyone else to make that decision for me, or to assume that I am incapable of making the decision or that I don’t really realize what a divorce will mean for me. And so, I am pro-divorce because I believe that it can be the right choice. And, even if I was morally or religiously opposed to divorce, I wouldn’t assume that 1) all women felt that way, or 2) that I had any right to make that decision for another woman, or 3) that even though I personally was opposed to it, that there was no possible reason that the decision would be justifiable or beneficial for another woman.

In our current society, making divorce illegal is unthinkable. It must be an option. People (not just women) must be able to decide to leave a relationship, and they must be allowed to do so safely and legally. Think about what it would mean if divorce was illegal. Really, take a minute or two to image what that would be like. There was a time, not too long ago, that divorce was illegal. Do we really even want to consider going back to that time?

Now, replace the word “divorce” with the word “abortion.” See what I mean? I wish that more people understood the significance and necessity of legal abortion. I wish that more people understood that legalizing abortion is as important as legalizing divorce. It’s about freedom and choice, and trusting women to be able to make those choices for themselves.
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mmmmmm, sex-ed for breakfast

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:27:00 -0500

Well winter is finally here in central Illinois which means that now I spend most of my time working or shivering like a Chihuahua and what does Ryan think about while shivering…. I think about comprehensive sex-ed and why it is so important for today’s youth…. Ok fine sometimes I think about cornflakes, but lately I have been thinking about relationships and how comp. sex-ed is such an obvious choice. I mean its like the totally cool thing to do…duh. >

It used to be that sex was something of a taboo, to only be done on slightly romantic scenic overlooks and in bed between newlyweds in order to consummate their marriage. But today with this now found idea of “progressive open-minded-ness” (I made that word up, I know, I’m fabulous) sex has become a normal part of youth relationships. Which I find great, sex is a beautiful part of life and should be experienced and enjoyed. However sex is like a gum, it can be fun, but dangerous if you don’t know how to handle it. The undeniable fact is that today youth are sexually active and that abstinence only education as it stands doesn’t have a place in our society. I only hope that the hair of millions does not have to be sacrificed because of extreme right lobbyist and there no “gum chewing” policies.

Well that is what Ryan thinks about while shivering like a Chihuahua…..ooh and cornflakes! ;-)

Washington Post: "Abstinence-Only Suddenly Works?" Reality: Absolutely Not

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:45:00 -0500

Editors Note: This was written by James Wagoner, President of Advocates for Youth.

It seems that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs have been all over progressive blogs in the past few days - from Angry Mouse's in-depth and much-needed analysis of Bristol Palin's somewhat surreal role as a teen mom abstinence spokesmodel to Tristero's rebuttle of Russ Douthat's inane column in Sunday's NYT in which he defends Alabama's right to teach that masturbation is unhealthy.

All this discussion seems remarkably prescient given this morning's Washington Post article trumpeting "Abstinence-only programs might work, study says." But as usual, the reality is much more complicated than newspaper headlines or the abstinence-only industry would have us believe.

Let's take a look at the details of this particular study - and how it may or may not connect (Spoiler Alert: No connection whatsoever!) to the ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that received more than $1 billion in funding under the Bush administration.
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Sex Education Training in NC is a Success!

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:20:00 -0500

A year or two ago, the thought of going into NC public schools and training teachers how to teach comprehensive sex education would have seemed crazy. Schools were required to adhere to a strict abstinence-only policy, unless they went through a long, complicated, messy public hearing process

Last June, youth activists in North Carolina helped pass a law that mandates schools to teach "all FDA-approved methods of contraception." The law also requires schools to teach about STD's and sexual assault, and requires that schools provide opportunities for students and parents to have a dialogue about sexual health. This is a GREAT opportunity for all schools in North Carolina to step up their sex education, and start teaching students the skills and information we need to stay safe.

The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina (APPCNC) is hosting trainings in public schools all around the state aimed at helping teachers and administrators implement a new curriculum or comprehensive sex education. I was able to help out at one of these trainings, and I was so impressed! About 30 teachers and administrators showed up, and all were committed to helping teens learn about sexuality and sexual health. We went over in detail what schools need to teach in the next school year in sex education, programs that are proven to work, funds that are available, and shared strategies for creating a safe space to talk about sex and sexual health.

In the past, teachers were not allowed to talk honestly about sexual health. One teacher said that she constantly heard rumors froms students about ways to stay "safe", such as washing or exercising after unprotected sex. She could only talk about abstinence in the classroom, and could not encourage students who were sexually active to use protection. Now, this is all changing, and it is really great news for NC's young people.

I talked about why youth deserve accurate information and why youth should be involved in creating curriculum for sex education. Young people both want and need this information in order to be safe. It is really important that we get accurate information from informed adults, because if we don’t, we will only get misinformation from the media, the internet, and our peers. Unlike history or math, which are relatively uncontrovertail topics, sex education involes our values, our social lives, and our personal health. These can be difficult topics to talk about, but there it is so important that we do.

I was so happy to see 30 adults come together to learn about these issues, it is clear that they are committed to young peoples sexual reproductive health. All schools in North Carolina have an unprecedented opportunity to overhaul sex education. First, they are now required to by law to include more information. Second, groups like the APPCNC are providing FREE trainings to schools and teachers so that everyone can learn how to better teach sex ed. Third, the federal government is now funding comprehensive sex education under the new budget, and a lot of that money goes directly to local school boards.

Youth and adults have worked side by side to help solve the problems of teen pregnancy and soaring STD rates, and we are making great progress. I am confident that all NC public schools will put in place better, comprehensive sex ed programs and that we will see a decrease in teen pregnancy as teens learn valuable information about sexual health.

blogging

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:46:00 -0500

my name is chris and i'm bloggin

Why Men Rule the World: A Serious Look At Why Feminism Still Matters

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:47:00 -0500

As much as it pains my feminist heart to say this, I do not believe that women rule the world. Let me say that, as a feminist, I do not want women to rule the world- that’s not what feminism is about. Feminism, most basically, is about equality between the sexes. So really, I don’t want either sex to “rule the world.” Yet, again, I am disappointed. As much as I don’t want it to be true, as I see it now, men rule the world. And I hate that. Not because I’m an “angry feminist”…or wait…maybe that’s exactly what I am. And maybe that’s exactly what I should be.

As much as I want to believe that equality between the sexes really does exist, I have come to realize that, in the most important ways, it does not. And until it does, I will continue to be an angry feminist because I cannot and will not accept being seen as less than just because I am a woman. Inequality will never be okay with me. So, until people realize that one sex does not rule the world (or, in other words, until people realize that one sex does not rule over the other) I will continue to be angry.

I think that we have two big problems in the United States when it comes to combating this issue. The first, simply, is that because of our successes in certain areas of this struggle, we forget that there are huge, though possibly less visible, issues that still need significant attention. Our second problem is our difficulty in seeing and comprehending the world outside our borders. We think that the whole world is like us, and if they’re not, they don’t matter anyway. I believe it is this kind of thinking that has allowed the worst inequalities against women to continue.
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Why is abstinence-only sex ed in the HCR bill?

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:16:00 -0500

The Health Care debate is getting pretty messed up. Want proof?

Majority Leader Reid is using the health-care bill to restore funding for abstinence-only sex education programs that liberals (such as Mr. Reid himself) have spent the past three years trying to zero out. (via WJS)

What! Senator Ried, WHY! This is bad news.

Senator Harry Ried fought ab-only education for years during the Bush administration, and introduced the Prevention First Act to redirect money from ab-only programs to comprehensive sex ed.

My question is why is ab-only back in the health care bill!?

The answer is that Harry Ried wants the bill to pass, no matter what, even if it sacrifices the public option and restores abstinence-only sex education. He put back ab-only because he wants to get Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln and North Dakota's Kent Conrad to vote for the trillion dollar Health Care Reform overhaul. In a political move, Harry Ried traded $50 million dollars in abstinence-only funding for the hope of Senator Lincoln and Conrad voting for HCR overhaul. This is not the way I want my government to work.

Ab-only is (almost always) a republicans issue, and Marcela Howell of Advocates For Youth said:

If Republicans aren't going to vote for this bill, I can't see why it should include their provision (WJS)

I agree completely. I hope that our elected officials get their act together and pass meaningful HCR that DOES NOT sacrifice comprehensive sex education, but it seems like that will not happen. Please, Call Speaker Pelosi's and Majority Leader Rieds office today to ask for abstinence-only funding to be removed from the health care bill. The capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. Call. We all need to make our voices heard.

Obama has taken a step, but is it far enough?

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:48:00 -0500

With the Health care reform in the center of the media spot light, sexual education has taken a step to the side of the stage. The 2010 Appropriations Bill for the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Realted Agencies is a 146-page bill that does not necessarily hit funding for sexuality education on the head. But it does do better than the money spent during the Bush administration- $1.8 million dollars for abstinence-only education. This is what Obama has proposed:

$100,000,000 shall be for making contracts and competitive grants to public and private entities to fund medically accurate and age-appropriate programs that reduce teen pregnancy; and for the federal costs associated with administering and evaluating such contracts and grants, of which not less than $75,000,000 shall be for replicating programs that have been proven through rigorous evaluation to delay sexual activity, increase contraceptive use (without increasing sexual activity), reduce the transmission of sexuallytransmitted infections or reduce teenage pregnancy; and of which not less than $25,000,000 shall be available for research and demonstration grants to develop, replicate, refine, and test additional models and innovative strategies for preventing teen pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections.

What does this say? Well it does not say specifically that it will provide funding for comprehensive sexual education programs. It says that it will provide funding for any program that can provide that it is effective. You either teach youth people about contraceptives or not at all. And the striking fact is that abstinence or contraceptives is the only way of protecting against an unplanned pregnancy AND contracting an STD/STI. The other thing it says is that there will be no further funding for research for programs that have already been deemed uneffective. This too is a step up.

But still, I wish that Mr.Obama would just come out specify that the country needs scientifically accurate, proven-to-work, better COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION!!!!!!!

Money for Abstinencee, but You Rank 9th

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:42:00 -0500

Georgia accepts money for abstinence only programs yet has the 9th highest teen pregnancy rate. Clearly something is not working and they are not using the money properly. http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/main.cfm?s=amplify&actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpState&htmlKey=stateGeorgia

Main Attraction: Abstinence comes to Albuquerque...and Austin

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:24:00 -0500

Recently, students at the University of Texas in Austin hosted a free screening of the film Abstinence Comes to Albuquerque. The film event was a means by which the students raised awarness about the abstinence-only policies being implemented in Texas and offered students a chance to get educated on how to do something about it. The students who ran the event were members of the Advocates for Youth Texas Youth Leadership Council and members of the Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter.

The film is great for campus organizing because it s a relatively short, informative documentary that fairly emphasizes the benefits of comprehensive sexuality education and explains the problems associated with abstinence-only policies. Consider showing the film on your campus. At UT, the students showed the movie in the on-campus movie theater but you could show it in any classroom and have a Q & A session afterword.

But why show a movie on campus? Because it is an effective way of getting information out about sex-ed policy and an opportunity to tell people how to stand up for comprehensive sex-ed. In Texas, the students encouraged the movie-goers to attend their local school district’s School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) meetings.

Every school district has a SHAC or similar group that makes suggestions to the school board on what sex-ed curriculum to adopt. Joining your local SHAC is a critical part of successfully advocating for comprehensive sexuality education. As students our strategy must be grassroots and top down. We should do everything we can to lobby our members of Congress in Washington DC, but we should also spend time making sure things are right in our own neck of the woods. That’s why it’s important to be active on your campus. Show movies and hold panel discussion events and also join your local school district’s School Health Advisory Council.

Young people have a right to medically-accurate comprehensive sexuality education. Young people deserve the respect to be trusted to make healthy decisions when they are provided with the right information. We have a responsibility to make sure this happens.

New Age Sin: Hugging

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:46:00 -0500

Not only has the Christian community deemed premarital sex immoral, but some youth groups are now banning front-hugging also known as normal hugs. The alternative that they offer is the Christian Side Hug, for short the CSH. This hug rids any "sin", especially of the horrific crotch brush, that could come from the awful front hugs that we have given and received since childhood. As a Christian, I find it completely absurd to think that hugging someone is any more or less of a hug. But contrary to my naive beliefs about the sinfulness of hugs, a certain group of young Christian teens have made a rap about the CSH hoping they will start a nationwide renouncement of immoral hugging. Be warned, they're raps are as tight as their hand on their Bibles.