ACLU Launches Nationwide Campaign Urging States To Reject 'Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage' Sex Education Curricula

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 24 Sep 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday launched a nationwide campaign urging officials in 18 states to reject teaching "abstinence-only-until-marriage" sex education curricula in their schools, the Washington Times reports (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 9/22). The "Not In My State" national campaign uses the ACLU affiliates from the 18 targeted states -- Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Wyoming -- to send letters to local officials urging them to scrutinize abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education curricula, saying that many of them used by federally funded programs contain false and inaccurate information. The letter calls on officials to choose health education curricula that present medically accurate, unbiased and age-appropriate information about sex and sexuality (ACLU release, 9/21). Citing a report prepared for Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the ACLU said that many abstinence-only-until-marriage programs downplay the effectiveness of condoms in protecting against sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies (Hammer, Associated Press, 9/21). Earlier this week, Maine became the third state in the country after Pennsylvania and California to refuse federal money for abstinence-only education (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 9/21). President Bush in his fiscal year 2006 budget proposal requested $206 million for abstinence-only sex education programs, a $38 million increase over FY 2005 levels. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) in February introduced the Responsible Education About Life, or REAL, Act, which would authorize $206 million for comprehensive sex education programs that provide medically accurate information about the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/11).

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