June 4, 2008

New Abstinence-Education Campaign

The National Abstinence Education Association is launching a new nationwide campaign hoping to enlist 1 million parents to support abstinence education in U.S. schools, the Washington Post reports (washingtonpost.com, 6/1).

The Washington, DC-based group is sending e-mails to supporters and parents, the Post reports, in an attempt to get them to join the campaign and lobby school officials to adopt abstinence-based sex-education programs and reject more comprehensive programs.

“Parents are being misled,” said the group’s executive director, Valerie Huber. “They are told the content of the curricula in their children’s classrooms stress abstinence and just have information to make decisions in case they become sexually active. , But most of these programs provide explicit how-to information that give teens a green light for activities that put them at risk.”

Comprehensive sex education supporters say the abstinence campaign is misleading, noting that programs that teach both safe sexual practices and abstinence have been shown to reduce the spread of HIV.

Search: comprehensive sex education, abstinence-only

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Previous Comments:

Jack (aka photojack), San Diego, 2008-06-08 17:19:37
Every scientific and sociological study shows the ineffectiveness of abstinence only policies. Comprehensiveness is what is needed now more than ever. This is a prime example of Bush NOT being able to separate church and state, for which he should be impeached! On this issue, stem cell research, the environment and others, he has consistently bucked science, reasoning and common sense, solely because of his restrictive religious views. Get this jerk out of the White House before he ruins us.

10 years & counting, , 2008-06-05 16:57:07
I encourage folks not familiar with the NAEA to visit their website. The NAEA spends more time and effort on bashing realistic, effective sex ed than they do actually supporting their own mission. Good sex ed has never been given the financial means to work in public schools to any extent. And ALL research supports the effectiveness of comp sex ed and the INeffectiveness of ab-only. I say "Give the NAEA the red light." Want to know the truth? Follow the money.

Dave Martin, Austin, TX, 2008-06-05 12:55:02
If it weren't for the fact that it's the children who will pay for their parent's ignorance, I'd say let them find out the hard way - when their child tells them "I'm HIV positive. Thanks for not letting me learn about condoms until it was too late."

Gina, New Orleans, 2008-06-05 12:39:50
What program is she talking about? As an HIV positive parent I want my child to have ALL the tools she needs to make informed decisions in life. HIV is a potentially deadly virus and I don't want my daughter to become infected. Learning about sex DOES NOT make kids have sex, it's not knowing and the mystery that surrounds sex that drive kids to have sex. Valerie should read AIDS-Alliance's In a Position to Know, this booklet tells it like it is!