We hope you'll share this widely.

As the email from Advocates for Youth' President James Wagoner indicates, there's a brand-new comprehensive sex ed program in town. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), which allows states to apply for comprehensive, age-appropriate, and medically-accurate sex education. This year, $55 million in PREP funding is available to states.

However, at the same time, HHS is also allowing states to apply for $50 million in abstinence-only-until-marriage programs -- that's on top of the $1.5 billion that our country has already wasted on these discredited programs.

One might shrug their shoulders and say, "such is the wackiness of government," but I think we should take a step back and consider the absurdity of this current political landscape. What kind of system allows states to choose between a science-backed education option and a worthless, crackpot option?

We'll leave that for your own pondering for now...ultimately, we've published this post in the hope that you'll help us take action. Will you take one minute to tell your public officials to support PREP and reject ab-only programs?

Thanks! And here's some more info from James:

August 6, 2010

Dear Advocate,

As a direct result of your hard work — and the work of thousands of like-minded young people, parents, health professionals, and community leaders around the country — the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has officially launched the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), allowing states to apply for $55 million this year in first-of-its-kind federal funding for comprehensive sex education.

On behalf of everyone here at Advocates for Youth, I cannot thank you enough for your tireless letters and phone calls to your representatives in Congress. Without your hard work over the past months and years, the PREP program would not have been created.

Urge your Governor to apply for PREP funding to bring comprehensive sex education to your community! Take action now!

Sadly, the news isn't all good.

HHS also opened applications for states to apply for $50 million in funding to support Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage programs — programs which extensive research has proven to be ineffective.

Both PREP and Title V were authorized and funded as a part of the recent health care reform package, and states have until August 30th to indicate their interest in applying for either program.

By the end of August, every governor will have to indicate to HHS whether they intend to apply for Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding and subject students in their state to these discredited and ineffective programs. The U.S. has already wasted more than $1.5 billion on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, and it's disheartening to see that Congress is willing to throw away $250 million more.

Even worse, Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding requires states to spend $3 on these programs for every $4 they receive in federal funding. With many states facing budget cuts, saying "yes" to Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage programs will reduce available funding for other more-critical state programs.

Help stop wasteful spending on programs that don't work! Tell your Governor NOT to apply for Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding.

PREP programs also teach students information about abstinence — along with information about preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. And, they require no matching funds from state budgets!

Together, we can help convince governors throughout the country to do the right thing for America's youth: reject costly and dangerous Title V abstinence-only-until marriage programs — and instead apply for PREP funding to support evidence-based, age-appropriate comprehensive sex education.

The choice is clear. Let's get to work.

Sincerely,
James Wagoner
President Advocates for Youth