Proponents of sex education classes that focus on encouraging teenagers to remain virgins until marriage are hoping that the rescue plan for the nation's health-care system will also save their programs, which are facing extinction because of a cutoff of federal funding.
The health-care reform legislation pending in the Senate includes $50 million for programs that states could use to try to reduce pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease among adolescents by teaching to them to delay when they start having sex.
Under the federal budget signed by President Obama, such programs would no longer have funds targeted for them.
As part of Obama's first budget, Congress approved a request for more than $110 million for a new "teenage pregnancy prevention" initiative that would only fund programs that have been "proven effective through rigorous evaluation," which would effectively eliminate abstinence programs. The program would be run by a new Office of Adolescent Health in the Health and Human Services Department.
"This not only marks the return of science and evidence back to health policy but also provides a critical infusion of funding to implement comprehensive sex education and teen-pregnancy-prevention programs," Wagoner said.
The initiative does include $25 million for new, innovative programs that could potentially embrace those encouraging abstinence. But the program does not earmark funding for programs focused on maintaining virginity. Some said the move was aimed at mollifying conservative critics, but Huber and others remained skeptical.
"There is absolutely no priority given to risk avoidance," Huber said. "So there is no certainty that even one dollar would go to this approach."
Well Hallelujah! Let us all rejoice at the return to science and intelligence to our children's education.
How can sex education be effective if it only contains one word? "Don't"!
That is not education, that is the kind of direction you give your two year old or your dog.
"Don't eat that!"
"Don't touch that!"
"Don't enjoy that!"
The implementation of the religious conservative agenda into our public school system is completely illegal and should never have been allowed to take root in the first place.
They do not want teens to know how their bodies work. They do not want them to know how evolution works. And they do not want them to think about anything except how to invent new electronics to make money for America and how to create new weapons to defeat America's enemies. They want to keep them stupid and easy to manipulate.
Thankfully now that an intelligent President like Barack Obama is in office we can allow our teenager's to learn that education is power and ignorance makes you a Sarah Palin supporter.
High five! Kudos to President Obama!
ReplyDeleteI am seeing a trend towards the better of using research and scientific evaluation being used to fund programs and to make decisions.
ReplyDeleteUnder bush, science and research were thrown aside and friends of friends were running programs and departments. Religious programs were given preference just because they were religious.
Thank God the adults are back in charge!
What a freakin' waste of money! Thank God there's an intelligent person in the White House.
ReplyDeleteI think it was Will Rogers who said, "Everybody has the right to be stupid. But there are some people who abuse the privilege."
Let's all remember that Obama and Michelle have the perfect traditional family unlike his opponent in 2008.
ReplyDeleteFamily values voters still voted for McCain.
Good, abstinence only education does as much good as NO education, so I am glad we are no longer having to pay for it. As a mom and grandma I still do not understand the arguement of against sex education. Thank goodness I was raised in a progressive "blue" state and so were my children where we got sex ed at home AND at school. The ridiculousness against sex ed is just so pitiful when you think of any of us raised on farms are well aware of the fact that sex produces young long before school age. It boggles my mind how the extremewingnuts are so against people learning about basic biology of the human body.
ReplyDeleteKudos to the President for cutting out this useless spending.
Palin isn't going to like this one bit! She'll spew a Twitter that this is a political attack on her.
ReplyDeleteif we talk about education-its not problem of obama its world -wide problem-the system of school that we know today is totally old and does not answer to modern needs.
ReplyDeleteKelly B is absolutely correct. Not only will Palin cry foul, but so will the religious fundamentalists, who are convinced that "liberals" are infidels, who deserve public hangnings.
ReplyDeleteI know this isn't probably big news to anyone, but I have had the experience of seeing both forms (comprehensive and abstinence) sex ed in action with my kids in HS. Their first HS was in an affluent town and sex ed was comprehensive to the point that the school nurse could prescribe the pill on request by the student. Free, no questions asked. There has been one, seriously ONE, girl that has gone to that HS in the past ten years who had a baby. She had to switch schools to another district where they had abstinence ed and, therefore a daycare.
ReplyDeleteThen we move to the benighted state of Texas, to a district that engaged in the farce of abstinence "education" which is obviously more mis-education. My daughter was shocked when the girls in class, started whipping out pictures of their babies and passing them around. Most of the girls who go to the HS she was in here have a kid by age 18. Somehow it hasn't occurred to the super-geniuses that run things that not giving kids information about sex is not a way to ensure they won't have sex. It's just a way to ensure they'll get knocked up.
This is great. Why waste $50 million dollars on programs that have been proven to NOT be effective and that do not work?
ReplyDeleteIn theory, abstinence is terrific. In hormone raged teens, it is a flipping joke.
This is not about RELIGION - this is about education. The two things are obviously NOT the same thing.
We need intellect and sanity put back into the mainstream.
Thank you, this is awesome, scientific and reseach-based, not necessarily biblical-based-or just the way some people think things should be run, it's about freakin' time...thank you OBAMA2012...as a health teacher in nys we know that Just Say No doesn't work in fact statistics show that the teen pregnancy rate among evangelicals is the highest of any teen group, hallelujah......
ReplyDeletebarracuda78 in NY
OBAMA2012
gryphen sez:
ReplyDelete"They want to keep them stupid and easy to manipulate."
that's true, gryphen, and that statement applies to adults as well. keep em stupid, and they do whatever you tell them. they'll support things like the patriot act, warrantless wiretapping, war & military worship - the list is endless. (oh yes, and brainless beauty queens masquerading as policy professionals) would the republicans have ever risen to power if people weren't so stupid? that's how they get away with it. keep the people content with their cheap shit from walmart and they have no reason or desire to try and think about complex issues.
good post gryphen. glad to hear that in atleast one area of policy we are going to stop putting the emphasis on "solutions" that don't work. now, if we could just do the same with national security and stop thinking that war is a solution, we might just get somewhere.
Palin is stoopid. Getting rid of abstinence only education was one of his campaign promises. Waaay before she entered the picture.
ReplyDeleteanon @ 6:32 AM sez:
ReplyDelete"Family values voters still voted for McCain."
yeah that's amazing, isn't it? freakin amazing.
it is clear that to the family values crowd, it doesn't matter what you do, it's what you SAY that is important. totally ass-backwards.
Since Bristol is an ambassador for abstinence, I think that we should hear her views on the subject-- oh, yeah, it doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteI know few will agree with me, but sex ed is My RESPONSIBLITY, and I do teach it at home. and yes, we do teach absetence before marriage. BUT, if the schools want to teach it, and the parents want it taught, no prob's with me. I have kept my kids out of classes, without putting up a snit. And we spend the day discussing what will be taught that day - from our view point. It's not a biggie in my book. But I also feel that had Bristol been allowed to know information - there might not be a tripp and trigg.
ReplyDeleteAs a parent..
ReplyDeleteIve always wondered why parents rant about not wanting the School to expose them to anything that is not inline with their personal views
yes, kids are at school a great deal of their lives but the HOME is where you instill values, morals, whatever
Short of teaching kids to be mini-Hitlers.. really anything they "teach" should hold no water compared to what is taught at home
PARENTS are the biggest influence
They should take "time" and see what the schools are teaching and take "time" to talk to their kids about it
Seems these parents on a rant fest want the school to do the parenting
Why aren't they worrying more about their influence on their own kids.. the purpose of being a parent
I think the kids don't pay them any mind because they are so whacked and closed minded.. and then get mad at the school for actually being able to reach their kid..
Congratulations to President Obama! Once again his administration has made the decision to use science and education rather than fundie religous dogma. And Gryphen correctly pointed out, not only does this keep the teens ignorant it does the same for their parents.
ReplyDeleteIt's about time!
ReplyDeleteWhy is teen pregnancy so awful?
ReplyDeleteYes I know.. I KNOW!
but it is treated like the girl will forever be doomed and the child will end up dysfunctional
Sometimes.. it can be a good thing
A wake up call
I don't want to see any children abused (and can happen when a parent is stressed which teen pregnancy carries a lot of) .. but I had my son at 22.. NOT a teen but my brain might as well of been a teen's
I had no real job, wasn't married or wanting to marry his dad, living in my mom's dining room.. yet 15 years later I wouldn't change a thing. My son helped my brain form! He was an incredible filter as his needs always came first.. I wasn't just making rash, feel good for the moment, all about me decisions
He is actually quite brilliant (no lie.. that kid makes A's and B's with little effort) .. is totally cool and popular (everything I wasn't) .. very chill and a really good person
I KNOW if I didn't have him.. I would of ended up in some bad relationship, probably married and spitting out too many kids.. then divorced blah blah
He was a wake up call
Just saying it shouldn't be commended! and should be prevented!
Just mentioning this side of things
I think focus needs to be on WHY kids are having sex so young. I KNOW hormones!! But a lot of times it is for other reasons that can be resolved by having healthier alternatives.
Back when I was growing up we had 3 TV stations that came in clear, no online world, ect..
We had a lot of time on our hands.
So we just hung out with our friends... with nothing to do ...
Just there are a lot of things for kids to do these days other than just get into a relationship for the sake of being in a relationship...
In teaching prevention.. I think they also need to teach finding ways to occupy yourself, find yourself, be yourself.. without needing another person. If that makes sense
Sorry I'm incredibly long winded
If only it would stay this way - intelligent, thoughtful leadership placing emphasis on real education.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible for America to refrain from regressing into fear and suppression?
After the "terrorist" incident on the plane, it seems as if every Republican fear-mongering, freedom-suppressing troll has popped up on the political talk shows decrying how unsafe President Obama and the Democrats have made us and calling for Cheney to lead us out of the wilderness.
Gees, just as we get a glimmer of hope such as this on sex education, we get reminded how truly power-crazed the far right is. As long as they can generate fear --- about sex, terrorists, or whatever, they will.
We all have to remain vigilant and active to keep America on the path to intelligent governance.
Good post, Gryphen. Your blog helps ensure we all keep believing, thinking and acting to keep the wingnuts on the fringes.
It's great to finally have an intelligent adult in the White House!
ReplyDeleteAnd I can only imagine how the Quitter will respond. It's not going to be pretty!
I, like anon at 7:46AM, have had direct experience with this stupid abstinence only garbage as well. My daughter, age 20, had very good sex ed in 7th grade (as well as knowing more than her teachers due to mom and dad being honest and educating her ALL about sex at home) and maybe one or two girls at the HS got pregnant.
ReplyDeleteFlash forward to the Bush admin and the sex ed goes out the window and the pregnancy rate at BOTH the middle school (6th to 8th grades) and HS skyrockets. Ten girls got knocked up the very first year that stupid trash was spewed from the "pulpits" of the classroom and it has yet to go down. Who knows how many girls will never go to college or have their own careers because of the absolute idiocy that was the Bush admin?
But of course, that's just how the religious right wing nut fundies want the womenfolk:L barefoot, dependent on males, and stupid.
If the McCain ticket won, I would not be able to sleep at night. I'm glad Sarah's "God" knew that she would be the wrong leader (understatement) of the free world. Right Sarah?
ReplyDeleteIt's not just teens.
ReplyDeleteReligious conservatives want their agenda followed by everyone.
The Don't do that agenda is also for GLBTs. And anyone that isn't legally married according to their definition of married.
And don't forget race. They'd like nothing better than Don't applied to race. Don't marry anyone that isn't the same race as you. Don't have sex with them. Don't have children with them.
Religious conservatives are all about Don't.
Don't have an abortion for any reason. Rape, incent, medical. Don't don't don't.
Glad to see our Government will be cutting ineffective federal programs that DO NOT WORK.
ReplyDeleteLet us hope this is the first of many federal programs that bite the dust due to "failure to meet minimum standards"
This is good news, indeed. What a change to have a President who actually believes in science ! Can anyone help me find the quote in which Sarah was asked what her reaction was when Bristol told her she was pregnant? Her answer was something like ' Good grief, Bristol, you know how to prevent that " . It was in one of the book tour interviews - maybe Oprah or Barbara Walters. I thought it was an interesting that someone who believed in abstinence would have a first reaction like " you promised you would wait until you were married". Did anyone else think the same thing ?
ReplyDeleteYup, it would be the dumbest thing imaginable for Palin to twitter a response to this intelligent decision by Obama. And of course that means that Palin is busily workin' her flying fingers tryin' to explain what a wonderful thing abstinence is. Idiot.
ReplyDeleteGetting better schools starts with who is elected to the local school board. Most folks pay no attention and fundies get elected far to often.
ReplyDeleteFundies have been to successful at the local level. It's time to fight back and get involved.
So many expected Obama to change everything once elected but he can't do this alone. It is up to all of us to take the country back.
ANON at 11:27 But that wasn't her reaction because she was well aware that Bristol and Levi were having sex right under her roof. Remember now, Sarah's theory in life was to get knocked up to get someone( even if they weren't the babies father) to marry her. It probably still bothers Sarah that the person she tried to trap since jr high, laughed her off.
ReplyDeletemight be a silly question on my part, but why does it cost $50 million to teach abstinence? How much actual physical material is needed to say "keep it in yer pants"?
ReplyDeleteHow much of the $50 million is going to religious "administrative" costs?
Just asking...
This whole abstinance education movement was bolstered by Bush2. He scrubbed the white house website of any reference to sex education and stds, including aids, and gave it to the "faith based initiative" programs. WTF?
ReplyDeleteNo sex ed, no birth control education, no planned parenthood, no mention of std's and aids prevention.
We had a program under the Clinton administration, aimed at teenage males so they could learn about personal responsibility and fatherhood. We needed consent forms from both parents, and we were not allowed to distribute condoms on school grounds. These programs were severely underfunded although they showed a significant decline in teenage pregnancies under the Bush administration.
The girls got a 15 minute film about ovulation and menstruation. And a pamphlet on how conception happens.
I'm so glad President Obama is doing this, if it helps one teenager, it's worth it.
Well, that's an important step taken by PO. Now let's hope he follows through and eliminates the Office of Faith Based Initiatives altogether, and kicks the fundies to the curb who are using Our aids prevention and treatment $$ to proselytize their religion all over Africa while withholding condoms from those whose lives could be saved by them. In 2007, there were 3 mil new cases of AIDS in Africa, and 2.5 mil deaths from AIDS. There was not one death from condoms, but fundamentalist radicals possibly are responsible for killing as many as hundreds of thousands w/ their self-righteous abstinence programs and rigid ideology - denying completely that anyone has a right to a set of values that differs from the one they hypocritically claim to adhere to.
ReplyDeleteThe headline I look for each day:
"Gay Scientists Isolate Christian Gene: Vaccine Coming Soon"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPKH_XjY5aI
What a lifesaving breakthrough that would be.
After reading your post and going through other news sources, I came across this post and thought the title "Sarah Palin and Abstinence Only programs deserve extinction" correlates nicely with yours.
ReplyDelete"This article will certainly alienate fans of this "conservative" column, but it needs to be said: Abstinence Only programs don't work. Just ask our first lady of morality, Sarah Palin!"
Full post here: http://www.examiner.com/x-30616-LA-African-American-Conservative-Examiner~y2009m12d27-Sarah-Palin-and-Abstinence-Only-programs-deserve-extinction
If people would do an honest study they will find out that the conversatives have just any many babies, abortions and definitely adoptions than those who were taught how to prevent such a circumstance from occurring. Howvever, you will never see this data.
ReplyDelete