Friday, July 31, 2009
Editorial: The facts of life
Abstinence-only education simply does not work.
From the RoundTable blog
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For eight years, President Bush pushed abstinence-only education. States that wanted federal money for sex-ed, for instance, could get it only for programs that taught teens not to have sex and did not mention birth control or methods of avoiding sexually transmitted diseases.
Most studies have shown such an approach to be ineffective at best and counterproductive at worst.
America's experiment with abstinence-only appears to confirm those studies' results. Under Bush, a 14-year-decline in teen pregnancy was reversed, according to a recent report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Rates among teens for sexually transmitted diseases are also edging up after years of decline.
States such as Mississippi that have embraced abstinence-only education more fully show some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the nation.
In fact, according to the CDC report, traditionally conservative states in the South and Southwest had the highest rates in the nation.
During Bush's two-terms, the nation spent nearly $1.5 billion on abstinence-only programs. That money was wasted.
President Obama's proposed budget eliminates almost all federal funding for those programs. States that stick with such programs will have to foot the bill themselves.
Given this data, it would be foolish to sink any more money -- whatever the source -- into abstinence-only education.
