Incredible as it seems, there are organizations that are bitterly opposed to abstinence-centered education. They tirelessly work to censor the best health message from reaching teens who can most benefit from such skills. It’s sad to say, but the reality is that some organizations are more focused on their own agendas, than the health of America’s youth. The most notable opponents who spend millions on national campaigns against abstinence-centered education include Advocates for Youth, SIECUS, ACLU, and Planned Parenthood.

Programs to promote contraceptives and “safe sex” education among teens receive almost four times the funding for abstinence-centered education.

In December 2008, The US Department of Health and Human Services released a report1 detailing funding for “programs that address adolescent sexual activity,” giving the first authoritative analysis of funding available for:

• Abstinence education
• Pregnancy and/or STD/HIV prevention
• Family planning services

The report found that 78% of adolescent2 family planning, sex education and STD prevention funds are used for approaches other than abstinence-centered education. Although only 22% of these adolescent-targeted federal funds are specifically designated for abstinence-centered education, sexual activity rates have plummeted during this time and popularity for abstinence education has sky rocketed, with many abstinencecentered programs reporting that schools are on waiting lists because the demand exceeds available funding.

Conclusions:

In keeping with the primary prevention health model, abstinence-centered education provides skills to eliminate or prevent any risks associated with sexual experimentation. Other funding designated to address adolescent sexual activity merely reduces the risk of engaging in such behavior. Therefore, US adolescent health policy should assure continued separate funding for the approaches and increased funding for abstinence-centered education to assure parity and to send a clear message that avoiding risk is a public health priority for America’s youth.

House Oversight and Govt Reform Committee Hearing on Abstinence Education