Help Put Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Out of Our Misery

Many people have an interest in seeing that the youths in their lives get comprehensive sex ed and that youth in general not continue to be abandoned to the teaching of inaccurate, even dangerous behaviors with regard to protecting their sexual health. Some, like myself, also object to the ongoing waste of taxpayer dollars via the proposed Senate funding extension discussed below, since abstinence-only sex ed has been repeatedly proven not to work. (See the data in the e-mail you will generate if you are willing to take a couple of minutes and and tell your Senators where you stand on this issue - more on that below.)

If the Bill referenced below passes, we'll continue to live with and pay for the Bush Administration's foolhardy abstinence-only sex ed agenda through 2009, when W will be long gone from the White House. The Senate is accountable as well, since continuing to provide funding for these ethically bankrupt programs is no doubt an example of backroom dealing on which it must now follow through, barring an uprising of the voters against it. That's where we come in.

The following includes a live link to Advocates for Youth's web page where you can enter your zip code and have already written and customizable email letters sent to your senators letting them know where you stand on this issue. It only takes a couple of minutes.

Thanks! - Anita


June 2008

With Friends Like These!

Illustration by Victor Juhasz, from "The Senate Caves" in Rolling Stone

When it comes to sex education, it's hard to put a lot of faith in the U.S. Senate right now. After all, this is the group of "leaders" who have failed to pass the REAL Act and failed to end Title V abstinence-only programs when they had the opportunity.

Apparently, they're at it again.

Now they've reached a new low. On Thursday, June 12 the Senate will vote on an 18-month extension of Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding in its new Medicare funding package. In a bill that has nothing to do with sex education Senate Democrats decided to authorize abstinence-only-until-marriage funding through the end of 2009.

TAKE ACTION NOW: No back-door extensions for abstinence-only programs! Tell the Senate to remove the Title V extension from the Medicare package.

We've been told that they're trying to save the next president from the "controversy" of sex education.

Let's save future officials the trouble and just end all funding for these failed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs!

Tell your Senator it's time to stand up to the abstinence-only lobby! No Title V extension!

After all, legislators know that 80% of parents support comprehensive sexuality education. They know that young people need information to protect themselves in the era of AIDS. And they know that abstinence-only programs simply don't work.

What they don't know, apparently, is that they have a responsibility to help protect America's youth.

It's up to us to remind them.

Donald Hitchcock
Director of Public Policy
Advocates for Youth

PS – Together, we can hold our leaders accountable. Contact your Senators today and tell them that you oppose including a Title V extension in the Medicare package.

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