States Rejecting "Abstinence-Only" Funding
Federal Government Has Spent Millions On Sex-Ed Approach, Now 15 States Not Interested
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Saying No To 'Abstinence Only'
Congress and the Bush administration have pushed "abstinence only" sex education in schools. But many states have refused federal funds for a program, they say, doesn't work. Sharyl Attkisson reports.
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In this image released by Fox Seachlight pictures, actresses Ellen Page, second left, Olivia Thirlby, second right, and Allison Janney, right, are shown in a scene from the film, "Juno". In the new hit movie a 16-year-old girl must decide how to deal with pregnancy. (AP Photo/Fox Searchlight Pictures)
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"It's difficult to really be abstinent until marriage because it's a lot of different things pulling at you when you're a teenager," 16-year-old Kristen Brown explains.
CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports the forces pulling at America's teens include the tribulations of idols and icons from pop-culture; like the recent news that Britney Spears' 16-year old sister is pregnant.
All those influences have driven Congress and the Bush administration to push "abstinence-only" education. The government has provided states a billion dollars during the past decade for abstinence-only programs.
But many say it just doesn't work, and they point to the teen birth rate's first rise in 15 years as proof.
A growing number of states are taking a stand and actually rejecting federal abstinence-only funds, reports Attkisson. New Mexico just became the 15th.
"The governors are saying; 'Even if this administration is going to continue to push abstinence-only, we in the states are going to do the right thing by teens and actually give them the information they need to actually prevent an unintended pregnancy,'" said Cecile Richards, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
No state requires abstinence-only education in school. The federal money they're giving up is for outside groups to promote abstinence. Giving up the funds is more of a symbolic gesture by governors who believe kids need to know about birth control too.
Attkisson says the states are split as to exactly what they want taught in schools; Fourteen require both abstinence and contraception be taught in sex ed. Nineteen states only require abstinence, but contraception may be taught. Seventeen states don't tell their local school boards what to do.
Those who want teens to wait to have sex are upset that so many states are rejecting the federal abstinence funds.
"I think they're the victims of a huge lobbying effort on behalf of the contraception education proponents, who truly do not want abstinence education to exist," says Elayne Bennett, of the Best Friends Foundation.
But as the adults passionately debate their kids' private lives, the teens themselves are left to wrestle with the pressures and problems of young life.
"So many people have had sex and had sexual experiences, so you sort of feel left out," says Kristen.
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See all 159 CommentsThis lady is a fool, reality check time, it is a part of life, not only one of life''s most powerful instincts, but exploited without letup by commercial interests, it becomes a commodity that can be traded for advancement, paying better than Mcjobs, and it doesn''t require a Masters'' degree.
Anyone who thinks that everyone can simply abstain is delusional, trying to create a state of social structure that not only has never existed, but would be impossible to force into existence.
To deny knowledge that actually can help prevent unwanted pregnancy, STDs, and other adverse consequences of s*xual activity, and advocate impossible scenarios such as abstinance as the only way to prevent such is the mark of extreme delusion.
Maybe Ms. Bennett never got any, so in her twisted version of life no one else should be able to...
If they would support the effective teaching of abstinence PREFERENCE with contraception information then most Americans would support it. However, their real agenda is to force their puritan religious ideology on America. Americans have had enough of these freaks as we now see. Of course they will continue to try to force the rest of us to submit to their radical intolerant Christian Taliban rules to the detriment of America. f''em.
Ever since Reagan won in 1980 I''ve been counting the seconds when the American people would wake up from this dream, this nightmare rather, where "Just Say No" is the only thing the government is willing to offer to help solve our problems.
Even Clinton couldn''t pull anything better than "Don''t Ask, Don''t Tell". Here we are in the middle of a war and we can''t get rid of soldiers any faster just because they''re gay.
Over 10,000 Americans service men and women have suffered because of this bizarre policy.
But, finally, Americans are beginning to relax. To take a step back and actually think about what they''re doing, and what the Puritans want them to do, instead of getting all emotional about issues.
I''ve been predicting for the longest time that the MTV generation will eventually get a hold of this country and help it balance it so we don''t end up being the Saudi Arabia of the industrialized world.
Or more like Iran, really.
By the way, has anyone seen JUNO? It''s about teenage pregnancy. I haven''t felt this good about a movie in a long time. Great flick, check it out ya''ll!
If that means buying condoms or getting on birth control, then that''s what it means!
Schools...call your families and find out whats working at school and not and make some frickn changes based off of that...Not some administration that has proven to be un-effective.
Lets take our families back and get our country back to what America was based off of.. Strong christian values..Look at the averages in those times and what values our country has gotten away from.
mgum1215
mgum1215
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Posted by mgum1215 at 06:23 AM : Jan 07, 2008
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Hey Swastika Breath! What are you babbling about? What point in time would you like us to return too? Give us a date certain when the *** Education proposed by the Religious Reich ACTUALLY Worked. I have a very good memory folks and I''m not aware of ANY time in our past that we were a MORE moral country. If any of you Religious Fundies have a date certain to discuss, lets hear it. Sieg Heil and Amen
This appears to me to be blatant editorializing here on the part of CBS.
First, CBS fails to mention that it was the Repub-controlled Congress that jumped in this canoe with dubya, not the present Congress.
And secondly, the driver for this program is dogma, not social influences.
There are many pragmatic approaches to employ to try to counteract the "influences" as they put it. Abstinance only is a dogma-based approach and should be labeled as such.
I am glad to see that so many states are rejecting this dogma-based program in favor of common sense multi-faceted approaches.
Anything else should be eliminated.
Posted by tuckerndfw at 07:00 AM : Jan 07, 2008
Aren''t you the person who posted that sexxxx between 13 and 14 yr olds and adults should not be prosecuted by the police and society ought to stay out of it? Hardly a voice of reason, morality or sanity when it comes to what is right for children.....
Preaching abstinence alone is ridiculous and no doubt is just a way to shovel funds and favors to Bush cronies, but abstinence should be taught as a viable and possible alternative to having sexxxx at an early age. If taught in the home it can work--but hand in hand with abstinence must come a profound personal respect for one''s body and a grounding in morality.
Taken together, they are a potent innoculate to early sexual activity.
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Posted by jerryomara at 07:21 AM : Jan 07, 2008
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Well said. NO Christian Conservative has EVER done anything that does NOT involve selling their religion. That''s what this is all about, getting them back into schools through the back door.
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Posted by andrew_693 at 07:50 AM : Jan 07, 2008
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You make very good points there. I have often asked these folks who want to "return" to a more moral time, when that would be. They never give an answer. As a Child our school was visited every friday by these "Christian''s", sometimes they''d bring along a couple of their hooded friends just to drive home the point.
Get out to the fantasy worl dubya and look at actuality.
OMG - Is this CBSNews'' definitive expert on this subject?
God help us.
13 and 14 year olds ARE having sexual relations daily and the police aren''''t involved. .
Posted by tuckerndfw at 08:05 AM : Jan 07, 2008
You''re right Tucker, it''s really bad news...even sad. Are you condoning *** for children that age? If so...that''s even sadder.
Peace be with you.
Posted by tuckerndfw at 08:05 AM : Jan 07, 2008
***********
Pssst: OH YOU SAID that and more alright--news for you--some posts are too abhorrent to not preserve. Here are some of yours:
LL laws related to sexual crimes should be eliminated. Then there would be no need to have useless laws about "statutory rape" on the books or concern ourselves with kids porking other kids.
We wouldn''''t need to clutter up the court system with useless cases revolving around how mature a kid might be.
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Posted by tuckerndfw at 05:55 PM : Nov 02, 2007
Being beaten half to death (having your face punched in) is far more traumatic and painful than most rapes.
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Posted by tuckerndfw at 05:07 PM : Nov 02, 2007
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Posted by tuckerndfw at 06:18 PM : Nov 03, 2007
We disagree that a 25 year old having sexual relations with a 13 year old is harmful to either of them (other than the harm budybodies inflict by making such relationships illegal).
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Posted by tuckerndfw at 07:24 PM : Nov 03, 2007
At least she''''s a human pig. . .
I do not support what I consider stupid, ineffective laws that serve no useful purpose. Making slimy lawyers rich is not a useful purpose. Nor is it a useful purpose providing busybodies with a public platform to spew their hatred for young people, or, anything that might be remotely related to sensual pleasure. If I told you my secrets, they would no longer be secrets, now would they? Posted by tuckerndfw at 06:22 PM : Nov 02, 2007
Well..Tucker--are we having a "I never said to stay the course moment?" LOL
That was in 1967. And they went to church every Sunday, didn''''t smoke, drink or fiddledy dink. Good Christian family, they were.
That was long before God was taken out of schools (???) or sex_ education was being taught. As far as I know, sex_ ed isn''''t being taught to 11 year olds (5th grade?) today.
Teaching abstinence is a total waste to time and money. Schools need to eject all outside groups and get back to the business of teaching the basics.
Christians are such morons. . .
Posted by tuckerndfw at 08:48 AM : Jan 07, 2008
What happened to the usual story you trot out about YOUR sister and her getting married as a teen to a man and living happily ever after? Took too much flak for having a skewed opinion about teen *** and pedophilia due to your own family history? surprising you now use a "girl you know story" LOL
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Posted by tuckerndfw at 07:24 PM : Nov 03, 2007
We disagree that a 25 year old having sexual relations with a 13 year old is harmful to either of them (other than the harm budybodies inflict by making such relationships illegal).
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Posted by tuckerndfw at 07:24 PM : Nov 03, 2007
Yep...teaching abstinence would certainly keep adults from ready access to those 13 yr olds. Best to just get them contraceptives and leave them to the "tender mercies" of the tuckers of this world....NOT
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Posted by b-easy63 at 08:56 AM : Jan 07, 2008
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Do you honestly think, given what we have seen, this kind of attack helps your case. Why not address the FAILURE of these programs and let the personal attacks alone?
God help us.
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Posted by soldat44 at 08:07 AM : Jan 07, 2008
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No I think IF you can read the statement it''s the OPINION of a 16 year old person. I take it YOU do not like the people knowing the opinion of this person?
Posted by skyk at 09:00 AM : Jan 07, 2008
Because when I see pedophiles blogging and promoting free sexxx with kids--it IS personal and the message will be told over and over again. THAT is the message. That we will note the behavior and posts and will broadcast it loud and sundry as for abstinence, it is only one of many methods that should be pursued--but we should not teach sexxxx at all costs and here''s a condom without letting kids realize that saying no and waiting is also a viable choice.As for what I post--I AM making my point about this particular person. If you don''t like it--defend him--and if you write that sexxx with kids is okay too, I''ll save your posts and ramm it back up your virutal azz the same as I am doing to this person. Have a nice day.
Peace be with you.
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Posted by soldat44 at 08:10 AM : Jan 07, 2008
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He is making a statement of FACT as he knows it!! Let''s address the failure here, after all we HAVE seen a marked increase in Teen Pregencies since we went to this 1950''s type of Sexxx Ed. That''s what needs to be discussed here!!
Posted by b-easy63 at 09:04 AM : Jan 07, 2008
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You are a very angry person there Sparky! You are obviously unhappy because the programs we have are not working but then you spin off into an totally different direction... Let''s take the issue, these FAILED Programs and talk about how we can improve on them to give Teens the protection they must have. Take your "I''m Moral and you''re not" attitude to some Religious Reich Site.
Posted by skyk at 09:05 AM : Jan 07, 2008
Are you sure that is what tucker is doing? He has stated on other blogs that sexxxx between children and adults is no one''s business except the kid and the person boinking them. Now if you are for that (and since that is his outlook it colors all other premises he has on children and sexxxx) then keep defending him--but I posted his old comments to put his present ones into context. Because I believe based on other things tucker has written, that his concern and comments lie only in promotion of his own *** and not with the welfare of anyone''s child. Now if you think differently--by all means--have at it--it is nice when those who "love" children like that--out themselves.
Posted by skyk at 09:08 AM : Jan 07, 2008
Skyk--is your name tucker also? We do note that now that you are posting, tucker is strangely silent. LOL
As for me, dipshittt--I am prochoice and believe in sexxx education. But I also believe abstinence can be taught as a viable alternative and that sexxxx between adults and children is wrong. When someone advocates that--their opinions on what is best for children involving sexxx is suspect and anyone who dialogues with them should be allowed to know from what vantage such a person pontificates. if you can''t handle that, change your name back to tucker and let ''er rip.
"Just say no" was the approach Nancy Reagan suggested for drugs.
It isn"t effective in curtailing the s*ex drive, as Mrs. Reagan herself could testify -- she was several months pregnant the day she married Ronnie.
From WebMD.com:
"Aug. 2, 2007 -- Programs that stress s*exual abstinence have had no impact on HIV infection rates in the U.S., according to a new research review... Investigators analyzed findings from 13 studies comparing abstinence-only education to other forms of sexual education or no sexual education at all. Some 16,000 preteens and teens in the U.S. participated in the self-reported studies. "We found no evidence at all that these abstinence-only programs resulted in lower HIV infection rates for any targeted subgroup," researcher Paul Montgomery, DPhil, of the University of Oxford''s Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, tells WebMD. There was also little evidence indicating a positive impact on risky sexual behaviors, pregnancy rates, or the transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), Montgomery says.
The researchers concluded that the tax dollars now being used to fund abstinence-only programs could be better spent on *** education programs that include both the abstinence message and promotion of condom use and other safe-*** practices."
Source:
http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/news/20070802/abstinence-programs-dont-cut-hiv-risk
In order for it to work, we need to keep our kids from being influenced by all the negative stuff out there. That is nearly impossible.
In my town the public library has a great chess program for the young people. They get together on weekend mornings and compete in chess tournaments and casual games.
That"s what the schools should do. Abstinence is just negative. Give the kids something positive to do instead of s*ex, like that chess program.
Chess takes great concentration. It"s impossible to mate your opponent and have s*ex at the same time. It can"t be done.
You''d think that the holier-than-thou types who are pushing this failure could understand this point: God made us with an overwhelming desire to reproduce. Telling kids "wait until you''re married" isn''t going to stop it. Blaming society, or TV, or celebrities isn''t going to help. They aren''t what makes kids want to "do it"!
People have been having s.e.x throughout history. There never was a time when "kids" didn''t "do it". Go back a few generations, and you''ll find that nearly ALL of your ancestors were "just kids".
We have the knowledge and the tools to prevent unwanted pregnancies (and illness and death). To deprive our children of this life-saving information is visciously evil cruelty.
Posted by Iceman_1960 at 09:56 AM : Jan 07, 2008
Iceman, Do you know how funny that statement is?
ROTFLMAO!!!!
Which would prevent it from engaging in a rational debate or discussion.
Not only did b-nuts save my comments from over two months ago, the lunatic remembered them.
That''''s INSANITY in action.
B-nuts needs a psychiatrist in the worst sort of way. Probably needs a secure psyche ward.
Posted by tuckerndfw at 10:07 AM : Jan 07, 2008
LOL. I''d take my "insanity" over advocating fvcking children any day. But we digress--why is it okay to fvck children tucker (your words) and why is advocating abstinence threatening your position on that issue? Like we can''t see your agenda on that one. LMAO
There is no program anywhere in this country that says "Here''s a condom. Now go for it!" The "Christians" who want to censor all speech and action that they can''t control (and /s.e.x. is one of those things they simply can''t control) often misrepresent /s.e.x. education classes in just this way. But nobody is telling kids "go forth and f##k like bunnies"! Schools that teach /s.e.x. education to teens always advise them to wait "until you''re older" (or even "until you''re married") and they tell them that the ONLY way to guarantee they don''t get a /s.e.x.ually transmitted disease is to avoid all /s.e.x.ual contact. But that sounds so reasonable that they have a hard time getting people to object, so they twist the truth, and the ignorant parents run down to the school board (which is conveniently stacked with "born-agains") and say "OMG! They''re teaching little Suzie to have /S.E.X.! We''ve got to put and end to /s.e.x. education!" And the ig.norant school boards comply, and the repugs join in the hypocrisy and give them money, and the ig.norant fo.ols all feel so proud of themselves while our kids get AIDS and die!
We disagree that a 25 year old having sexual relations with a 13 year old is harmful to either of them (other than the harm budybodies inflict by making such relationships illegal).
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--Posted by tuckerndfw at 07:24 PM : Nov 03, 2007
yes...All who read it can see how it makes me look like a pedohile and you, a paragon of virtue--NOT. Hey..where''s skyk? You come, she/he goes? LOL. And I am a mother of 5 kids--and not afraid to confront those who try to advocate sexxx with kids under the guise of tolerance. You have posted far more than this and we both know it tucker--but like you said--you have your secrets--such as they are. I think we can discern the remarks of a pedophile--pushing his agenda behind the anonymous post. Now spin that and address your 25 having sexx with a 13 yr old remarks--if you can. LOL
Posted by Iceman_1960 at 09:56 AM : Jan 07, 2008
That depends, Ice. On whether one is solely playing the game with the little plastic pieces or a sort of mental chessgame is also being played. In that instance, the challenge is not only playing the visible game, but fooling the opponent and any observers to think that is the only game being played. In such an instance, at the point of insertion, the "player" can whisper softly in the other''s ear: "checkmate" Chess is not simply a matter of a board and some pieces--it is life and the strategies and opportunities to make moves--endless.
If that''s a problem, it''s only a TINY INSIGNIFICANT part of the problem. The problem is: teens want to have /s.e.x! They want it even before they know what it is. They want it whether or not they see it on TV, or in ads, etc. You can''t stop the water once the *** has broke!
It''s utterly stu.pid to think that "just say no" will help them at all. But it could save their lives to know about proper contraception.
And furthermore, it''s UP TO THE PARENTS to teach the kids whatever "moral" values they want to try to instill in their kids. It is NOT the job of the schools. If parents haven''t already told their kids what they want them to know about /s.e.x. before the schools get around to it, then those parents are irresponsible fo.ols and their kids are already doomed anyway because their parents have completely failed them.
"You can''t stop the water once the d.a.m. has broke!"
Posted by MyIDonCBS at 10:02 AM : Jan 07, 2008
While I can agree that waiting until marriage is not reasonable and that many do have sexxx at a young age, not all do. I and my sisters waited until we were at least 18 to have sexxxx. The rationale as accepted by us and taught by our parents, was to respect our bodies, our genetic content and to reserve sharing either until such time as we, our potential partner and the circumstances was mature enough and valid enough to handle it. We never approached sexxx with the idea that it was just something to do or that everyone does it. In fact, the idea that the herd went that way was enough to give us pause. Of my own kids, only one had sed sexxx before 18, and he was the one I did not raise. The others not only waited, I had to play devil''s advocate later, to get them to consider sexxxx before marriage. I had never promoted that aspect anyway. It was about self respect, understanding the ramifications and not diminishing themselves by spreading genetic material or their legs indiscriminately. And it worked. In our family, paramount to all other traits are mental acuity and self control. To that end, humans can manage instinct and not simply be victims of it--when one has control, urges become thought out choices. Abstinence is a viable choice and waiting is NOT taught in every school district or even mentioned.
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