Bush Advocates Abstinence-Only Education

MyWay News ^ | Feb. 13, 2004 | Mark Sherman

[Cathryn Crawford]

Bush Advocates Abstinence-Only Education

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration is proposing to double spending on sexual abstinence programs that bar any discussion of birth control or condoms to prevent pregnancy or AIDS despite a lack of evidence that such programs work.

A study by researchers at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on declining birth and pregnancy rates among teenagers concludes that prevention programs should emphasize abstinence and contraception.

"Both are important," said Dr. John Santelli, the lead author of the study, which has not been published.

In Minnesota, a study found that sexual activity doubled among junior high school students taking part in an abstinence-only program. The independent study, commissioned by the state's health department, recommended broadening the program to include more information about contraception.

Independent researchers who are studying abstinence-only programs for the federal government said in their first report two years ago that no reliable evidence exists whether the programs work. They are expected to issue an update soon.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush said, "We will double federal funding for abstinence programs, so schools can teach this fact of life: Abstinence for young people is the only certain way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases."

Bush would spend $270 million on abstinence-only education, compared with $100 million annually when he took office.

The president also would move the programs into the same agency within the Health and Human Services Department that oversees religious-based programs and the president's proposal to promote marriage.

Advocates of comprehensive sex education said the shift, coupled with the additional money, is part of Bush's election-year appeal to conservatives.

They said the administration's proposal flies in the face of research that credits both abstinence and contraception with reducing the teenage birth rate by 30 percent in the past decade to historic lows.

"This is money, hundreds of millions of dollars that we could better spend on children and people who need the help," Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., told HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson at a hearing on the president's budget proposal.

James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, a group that promotes education about birth control and condom use, said abstinence-only programs deprive teenagers of information about the effectiveness of condoms in stopping the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. "These programs have really evolved into anti-condom programs," Wagoner said.

Yet supporters of the abstinence programs said teens should be hearing more about refraining from sex.

"Kids in society are saturated with information about contraception and messages about encouraging casual, permissive sex," said Robert Rector, who helped write the administration's abstinence education program.

Rector discounted the Minnesota study as unscientific and said the CDC research does not give enough credit to abstinence.

The comprehensive sex education promoted by Advocates for Youth and other groups focuses on safe sex, not abstinence, said Rector, a senior researcher at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative-leaning think tank. Wagoner rejected the assertion and pointed to his group's Web site, which praises abstinence.

"Abstinence is the only 100 percent effective method for avoiding unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV," the site says.

[Scenic Sounds]

Thanks so much for posting this article, Cathryn. Something must be done to abort the cultural suicide taking place. ;-)

[jtminton]

Abstinence works every time it's tried.

[antiRepublicrat]

Great, now all those kids without responsible parents will wallow in ignorance knowing only what the abstinence-only program taught them and when the program doesn't work (see studies in article), they'll be screwed.

Has anyone heard of a balanced education? Sex ed shouldn't be in school in the first place, but if it is it should give children a balanced view of the subject, not one driven by politics.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Sure abstinence works every time. And scoring a goal will always earn you a point. Just tell a team to always score goals and you're destined to win. It's that simple.

Wake up. The issue isn't pretending reality doesn't exist; it's dealing with reality. What can possibly be wrong with teaching kids the dangers of sex and arming them with tools against those dangers?

I think you were talking to jtminton, Adrenochrome. I've pinged him to your comment now so he can respond.

[The_Eaglet]

Bush would spend $270 million on abstinence-only education, compared with $100 million annually when he took office.

I support abstinence-only education, but more federal involvement is not the answer. It is unconstitutional and should be addressed by state and local educators as they see fit.

Bush would better serve taxpayers by cutting $100 million from the education budget or eliminating the federal department of education altogether. That would be the constituitonal thing to do.

This is not the time to add new spending projects, especially those that are not authorized by the Constitution.

[aruanan]

Bush Advocates Abstinence-Only Education

You heard about what happened to the rate of HIV infection in Uganda? Over the past few years it's gone from about 21% in the early 1990's to about 4% at present. The original program was called ABC for Abstinence, Be Faithful, and, if necessary, use a Condom. However, the wife of the Ugandan president spoke to 400 members of the U.S. Congress not too long ago and said that a country that bases it's future health on a piece of rubber is doomed. She said that the most effective ABC message was Abstinence, Be Faithful, and Commitment to Christ.

"Condoms have a role, but cannot become the main means to stem the disease," said Dr. Ted Green, a research scientist at Harvard University. He said the evidence in Uganda reveals that abstinence and fidelity messages—what churches want to convey—are actually the most effective.

[antiRepublicrat]

I support abstinence-only education, but more federal involvement is not the answer. It is unconstitutional and should be addressed by state and local educators as they see fit.

I don't agree on abstinence-only, since ignorance only does a disservice to the kids. But your constitutional question is great. The feds give loads of money to states on the condition the classes are abstinence-only, yet again using the greed of the states to unconstitutionally micro-manage them.

[FRgal4u]

You got that right - the 270 Million vs 100 Million -

Bush maybe a Republican but when it comes to spendings, he is reckless - 1 billion dollars to promote marriage, 270 Million dollars on abstinence and lord knows what else social-enginering crap he has in the budgets. I don't like the left to spend my dollars on social-enginering stuff and I sure don't like the right to do the same.

Another sign why Bush is behind the polls, voters don't care about the speeches he gives on abstinence or AIDS, voters want him to address daily problems (not AIDS and teen ager sex/steroids) and I sure want him to counter punch all the dems attacks now.

If Bush can ever give a speech like the one David Brooks' column had on Monday (immediately after the MTP event), people will rally behind this President. But for everyday he losses on "disconnected" speeches, answering his NG service stuff and not counter punch the critics on WMD/Iraq, the worse he will score in the credibility issue. and if we can't trust him, whatever he says on the campaign trail will fall onto deaf ears. It is time for the President to get serious and have his laser onto the most damaging issues for his reelection campaign, curbing teenager sex by more govn spendings will NOT be the issue that will decide his fate in Nov 2004.

[EdReform]

BTTT - read later...

[The_Eaglet]

Rep. Blunt Seeks Repeal of McCain-Feingold-Campaign Finance Reform Thread - Day 63

[The_Eaglet]

Bush maybe a Republican but when it comes to spendings, he is reckless - 1 billion dollars to promote marriage, 270 Million dollars on abstinence and lord knows what else social-enginering crap he has in the budgets. I don't like the left to spend my dollars on social-enginering stuff and I sure don't like the right to do the same.

I agree. The left is upset with Bush about this because they see it as being "narrow-minded." The conservatives who are concerned about excessive and/or unconstitutional spending because it expands the federal government and the burden on American taxpayers. As long as deficit spending continues, programs like this also add to the burden on future American taxpayers.

[tkathy]

Reality happens, unfortunately.

[FRgal4u]

The government has not business to set up programs to promote marriage, let alone spending 1 billion dollars on it. Bush is a great on the war on terrorism stuff, but on domestic policies, especially on spendings, he is reckless. We don't need a nanny state from the government - I don't care about social-enginerring from the left and I sure don't care social-engineering from the right. I wish Bush has the same steel in cutting big government programs like Reagan, but his record on that is extremely poor. Sometimes I wonder if he is paying attention to what he is doing or he just sign off the social-engineering crap from his staff (thinking this could buy votes in 2004). A billion here, a billion there, billions everywhere. Who's counting anyway.

[what's up]

This is like saying AA should say "don't drink" but provide advice about how to mix a margarita.

Dumb. Of course it will work. Just tell kids "don't do it". That's what kids are hungering for anyway.

[truthandlife]

Bush is throwing out red meat for conservatives. Expect more conservative actions to take place until November.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Bush is throwing out red meat for conservatives. Expect more conservative actions to take place until November.

You're right; he's dragging voters back into the fold.