Congress Re-Ups Abstinence-Ed Program

File under “Your Tax Dollars at Work”:  Congress has once again approved a three-month extension of a $50-million nationwide abstinence-education program, a move detractors say ignores indications that the approach (shock!) may not be working for America’s teens.

The Washington Times:

Rep. James P. Moran, Virginia Democrat, said he supported “with frustration” the second three-month extension of the $50 million Title V abstinence-education program and several health programs that serve low-income families.

The health programs are effective, but unfortunately they are “held hostage” to the abstinence program, “which prizes ideology over science and ... harms our children through the provision of medically inaccurate information,” Mr. Moran said Wednesday. The Senate passed its extension of Title V and other health programs on Thursday.

Abstinence supporters have been playing defense, especially since April when Mathematica Policy Research Inc. released a long-awaited evaluation of four abstinence programs. It concluded that the programs didn’t affect teen sexual behavior.

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totallychoice.com

It would be misleading to suggest that this chastity belt is part of Congress’ Title V abstinence program.  To our knowledge, it is not.