White House Abstinence Funding May Be Provided After All

CNN:

Although President Obama cut funding for abstinence-only sex education from his new budget, a White House official said Tuesday that some programs could eventually receive government money.

Read the whole story: CNN

Comments

[WTF1956]

It's up to the parents. Why would you leave something so important in your childs life to strangers. We have two healthy kids , both in their 30's both school teachers. They constantly heard three main themes growing up in our family (though there were more). #1. We will always love you no matter what, #2. you are going to graduate college, and #3. use a rubber. We also explained, while they were in middle school, about STD's and unwanted pregnancies. We did not encourage sexual activity while they lived under our roof. We were honest with them and didn't pull any punches. Though abstinence is in fact the only form of birth control that works 100% of the time, it just isn't used 100% of the time that makes it so falible.

[JDM73]

Who *is* Barack Obama, exactly? Abstinence funding, pumping up the war effort in Afghanistan, voting to continue warrantless surveillance, and taking single-payer health care off the table are not progressive moves. They're not even "centrist" moves. They're the gestures of a righty, plain and simple. I've never seen anyone waste so little time in shedding his campaign image and getting down to the business of pandering to conservative lobbyists and big business.

[PuppaX]

Their plan is to teach things that are scientifically proven to be effective. If this includes abstinence-only, what is the objection?

[walleymr]

who was calling it a bad word?

[petphotos]

As long as there is the mind set of keeping kids ignorant of sex related matters, this will be a national problem. Fortunately, some parts of the country are more enlightened than others. There is hope.

[MMJones]

I sat down w/my kids and taught them about abstinence. Then I gave them cards for Planned Parenthood and told them that, should they make the adult decision, then by God, they be responsible about it.

This while they went to a conservative Christian school that taught abstinence only and had a higher teen pregnancy rate than all the public schools in the district...

Guess what. They're college educated and not parents yet... but somehow, they're still making responsible decisions based on intelligent information.

Abstinence only education? It DOES NOT WORK.

[jordan3189]

GOOD!!

[Grannysue]

How about "The PiLL" isn't a bad word! dummies, did abstinence work when everyone blogging on here was young? Doubt it, the people backing this concept are idiots!

[ElKabongJr]

I think it is imperative to offer kids an alternative course to the present one offered in the media and our widespread pop culture. We can never hope to completely wipe out teenage pregnancies, we can never hope to completely stop teenage sex, but we can, i say again, we can give kids an alternative attitude if we try. Though I grew up somewhat more liberal than most in some ways, I have come to realize that for the sake of the family it is imperative that we as a society begin to change our attitudes towards sexuality. For if we do not, we will indeed endanger the stability of the family unit in our society, and doing so, will likely endanger our society as a whole. In this respect I agree with some of the Reaganites..the family unit is the nuclear building block of a stable society; it must be reinforced if we are to survive. The step taken by the Obama admin is simple, but it is a first step in the right direction.

[mitsie]

Why do people get so hung up? No one said they aren't going to educated the kids about birth control and sex. Why not include abstence? Of course it won't work.

[Tonyrich300]

"Abstinence" is good,, but "Abstinence-only" is bad. There is a big difference.

[MMJones]

Spot on. And effective.

[DrToketee]

"Virgin"?

Hey, FIRST teach the kids what the word MEANS ...

[MMJones]

And so when the abstinence-only-educated girls come up pregnant, what are they called? This is a pathetic campaign...

[jamie461]

I'm all for encouraging abstinence as much as possible. Children in their early and mid-teens are not emotionally prepared for the consequences of sex, let alone the responsibility of disease and pregnancy prevention. BUT, sex education is pointless if it does not include detailed information on preventing disease and pregnancy. The kids need this information, whether they wait until later to use it or not. But talking to them about the challenges that early sexual activity brings to their emotional lives is really critical. My daughter waited until she was in college (and she was armed with all the necessary protection information well ahead of time), and I really believe that had a lot to do with us talking through the logical reasons why waiting is better. We talked A LOT -- it's not "the talk," it's an ongoing dialogue.

Start when they are young. Age 12 at the latest. And talk, talk, talk. Look for teachable moments. And talk some more.

[Pie7]

Agreed! My mother spoke to my brother and I at the age of 12 &13 and now we're in our 20's and she still continues to educate us about the many diseases out there. Education is the key!

[mitsie]

Sounds good, but you can't watch the kids 24 hours a day. I do think it's a good idea to have great communication in the family, but I also feel that sex education, including birth control is the best option.

[MIVOTE]

What option(s) do you suggest to prevent disease?

[CR46]

Great post and I started talks even earlier.

[bronzy]

Great advice! This is what I have done with my 10yr old, I started talking to him, I thought it was a bit young, but he started asking questions, so I figure it was better to start talking to him about it, also got some books for him to read about reproductive development, girls, protection and abstinence.
I think one of the biggest failure of some parents is not to arm their kids with the knowledge and protection of having sex, you can't pretend like its never going to happen and these days babies are having babies.

[MMJones]

Exactly right. My experience exactly with the kids. And unlike 80% of their Christian school graduating class, they are early 20's and waiting to have their children responsibly.

[Sumocat]

Pfft. He only adjusted the requirements for funding to focus on effectiveness, not ideology. That didn't mean ab-only programs no longer qualify; they just don't automatically qualify.

[hippietilidie]

Please don't waste money on ab. educ. to appease the right. Screw them.. they didn't compromise with our thoughts on comprehensive sex ed!!!

[McBushMcSame]

Abstinence should be a part of comprehensive sex ed. I don't have a problem with abstinence. I have a problem with abstinence only, which either ignores other options or purposely teaches lies about sex.