Abstinence Funding Increase Gives Victory to Next Generation

Montgomery County School Board Votes to Revise Sex-Ed Program After Judge Orders the Program Suspended

New Studies Prove Abstinence Education Works

Abstinence Club Holds Banquet...

ABSTINENCE INCREASE GIVES VICTORY TO NEXT GENERATION  – “This is a victory for America’s children!” stated Leslee Unruh, president of the Abstinence Clearinghouse, upon hearing word that abstinence education programs will be increased by nearly $11 million in fiscal year 2006.

The mark-up was made to the appropriations bill today by the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. Abstinence educators across the nation are celebrating this increase in the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) grant program.

“The pro-promiscuity lobby was pushing hard for more of the same, failed contraceptive sex education programs,” continued Unruh, “but the members of the subcommittee saw through the smoke. Instead of funding poor programs, the members wisely chose to increase funding for abstinence education programs.”

Earlier this year, President Bush requested an increase of $39 million for abstinence education in his proposed budget. “With the President’s request, we could have moved toward our goal of reaching every youth in America with the life-saving message of abstinence until marriage. However, in this year of fiscal restraint, we are grateful for the increase appropriated so far.”

Unruh pointed to ten separate reports published in 2004 and 2005 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The National Institutes for Health, and the Food and Drug Administration, which show that premarital sex is just not healthy."

Abstinence education programs were increased by nearly $11 million for fiscal year 2006 to $110 million. The funding is found in the appropriations bill marked-up today by the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.

Although the President requested a $39 million increase, the Abstinence Clearinghouse sees this as a victory for the abstinence movement, as so many programs were cut or flat-funded ($0 increase) this year.

In fact, only 21 programs under HHS received a greater monetary increase than the Community-Based Abstinence Education grant program. The total HHS budget under this mark is $473,916,684,000. This is not the final budget, it is just the first of many steps.
[Press Release 6/9/05, and Legislative Update 9June05, Abstinence Clearinghouse]

MONTGOMERY COUNTY (MD) SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TO REVISE DISTURBING SEX-ED PROGRAM – 23May05, the Montgomery County school board voted, in light of a pending lawsuit by the Citizens for Responsible Curriculum (CRC) and a judge ordered suspension of the program, to revise their recently instated sex-ed program.

This decision brings the county one step further towards the implementation of a balanced sex-ed program with a greater focus on abstinence and moral sexuality.

The current curriculum, which was met with cries of outrage from concerned parents, attempted to desensitize children to homosexuality by presenting it as normative and healthy.

United States District Court Judge Williams suspended the strictly one-sided curriculum, citing speech rights concerns. Included in the sex-ed program was an eight minute video, entitled “Protect Yourself”, which depicted a woman demonstrating the use of a condom on a cucumber.

The School Board resolution states that the curriculum pilot program is to be suspended for the year, in addition to “Protect Yourself”, until suitable replacements can be found. It also excludes from the list of teacher resources several previously approved pro-gay documents including “Lesbian, Gay, and bisexual Youth Q & A” and “Sexual Orientation Myths” by Planned Parenthood, among others.
Montgomery School Board Resolution:
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/info/pdf/Rescission-HealthEdRevisions.pdf
Maryland Judge Halts Sex-Ed Curriculum:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/may/05050603.html  [Montgomery County, MD, 27May05 LifeSiteNews.com, 27May05]

NEW STUDIES PROVE ABSTINENCE EDUCATION WORKS - According to researchers from the Institute for Research and Evaluation (Salt Lake City, UT), the Robinson Institute (Charlotte, NC), and Baylor University (Waco, TX) abstinence education works.

The results of abstinence programs Choosing the Best, Teen STAR, Worth the Wait, the Choice Game Curriculum, and Peers Educating Peers about Positive Values were studied and found to be effective.

Teens participating in these programs were more likely to remain abstinent or to practice secondary virginity than their peers who did not receive abstinence education.

[The Washington Times, 05/28/05; Abstinence Clearinghouse E-Mail Update, posted 28May05, 06/01/05]

ABSTINENCE CLUB HOLDS BANQUET - Dozens of Savannah kids and their families celebrated their pledge to stay away from sex before marriage. The Abstinence Club has been meeting all year with funding from the Children and Youth Coordinating Council.

Students from four different public housing neighborhoods met weekly to talk about the dangers of premarital sex and even got some close contact with people who've had problems with it. [WTOC, 05/25/05;  Abstinence Clearinghouse E-Mail Update, posted 28May05, 06/01/05]

RESPONSIBLE EDUCATION ABOUT LIFE ACT (S.368/H.R. 768) sounds so good! However, this bill is designed to reduce funding for abstinence education and increase funding to contraceptive-based sex education programs. Currently, contraception education programs receive $1.2 billion annually. Abstinence education presently receives about $135 million/yr. For every $12 spent on contraceptive-based sex education only $1 is spent on authentic abstinence education. No contraceptive-based sex education program has ever been proven to reduce the rate of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy among unmarried youth. It is estimated that half of today’s youth will contract at least one STD by age 25. Recent reports by the CDC state that some STDs are linked to infertility and cancer and may increase a person’s susceptibility to HIV/AIDS. Clearly, abstinence until marriage is the healthiest choice to give to teens. A letter will be distributed to members of Congress by Abstinence Clearinghouse to provide facts on this dangerous piece of legislation.  [Abstinence Clearinghouse 2Jun05]