Posted on 01/28/2008 2:16:16 PM PST by mngran2
Noting a series of studies that show a decade of abstinence-only education has failed to change teens' sexual behavior, the governor said she is rejecting $1 million in federal abstinence funding.
That frees up about $800,000 the state would have used to match the federal dollars, money Napolitano wants targeted at community college students.
After a decade of steady declines, Arizona's teen birth rate inched up last year, mostly due to an unprecedented increase in births to 18- and 19-year-olds.
"While we all support 'abstinence only' and don't believe particular teenagers ought to be engaging in sexual relations of that sort, the fact of the matter is, some do," the governor said Wednesday.
"They need to have complete information for their own health, for their own bodies."
But abstinence-only advocates say teens need a clear message to counter the hypersexuality of today's society.
Rep. Mark Anderson, R-Mesa, who championed the abstinence program since its inception, said the governor caved in to intensive lobbying from Planned Parenthood.
"I think it's ludicrous. I think it's a big mistake on the part of the governor," Anderson said. "I think it fuels Planned Parenthood's agenda. And I resent it."
Arizona would become the 16th state to reject the federal abstinence funding.
(Excerpt) Read more at eastvalleytribune.com ...
Fine by me.
Ummmmm.. 18 and 19 year olds are legally adults and no longer children. I just loooove the way the fascisti play with statistics. They say “teenagers” as if it’s 13-15 year olds but include the adults.
Like the gun death stats that incliude 19 year olds a ‘children’.
Lies, damm lies and statistics.
Great news. Now they should stop all the money on sex education, because NONE of it works!
After a decade of steady declines, Arizona's teen birth rate inched up last year
The rate declines for ten years and inches up one year, and that's deemed a failure. What a great yardstick to measure success.
Right Choice, wrong reason
and after a decade of steady declines but we look at one year and aha! it failed!
Call me Captain Obvious, but it’s the parents’ job, not the governments’, to teach sex and its consequences to our spawns.
Too much parental outsourcing goin’ on out there.
but this is for the public schools
If I’m reading this correctly, they want to spend money on sex ed for 18 and 19 year olds?! Is there an 18 or 19 year old on the PLANET that doesn’t understand what unprotected sex can result in?! Is this woman for real?!
>>an unprecedented increase in births to 18- and 19-year-olds.<<
Due to an unprecedented influx of illegals?
Abstinence-only education does not mean that educators that accept the funds can only teach abstinence to the exclusion of their preferred sex education. It means that their are to avenues taught - abstinence and no pregancy or go for it with precaution but if "the puck gets past the goalie" well you can just "erase the goal."
I don't know if this was actually named abstince-only by supporters but this is what has happened. The fact is abstinence doesn't need to be qualified by the "only" modifier - it is by definition the disengagement from sexual intercourse. Also you can have strayed from being abstinent but you can get back on the wagon again.
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