Sen. HCR Bill Restores Abstinence Only Education Funding

Newsweek is reporting this morning that the Senate's version of the Health Insurance Reform bill will feature a restoration of funding for abstinence education.

"Their provision would restore a program called Title V, which, since the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, has allocated a yearly $50 million in grants to abstinence-only education programs. Obama let the program lapse in June, leaving some abstinence-only groups in dire straits. So in September, Sen. Orrin Hatch offered an amendment to restore Title V via heath-care reform, which (much to the outrage of liberal groups) just squeaked through the Senate Finance Committee with a 12–11 vote. A similar amendment, offered in the House by Rep. Terry Lee from Nebraska, died in committee.

The American Medical Association reported this summer that Abstinence Only Education programs not only don't work, but they could also be the cause of the spike in teen birth rates in 2006.

"This report stated that these abstinence programs resulted in "no delay of initiating sexual activity, no reduction in the number of sexual partners and no increase in abstinence," according to Stuart Gitlow, MD. . .

"The AMA believes that federal funding should support sex education programs, which include condom use, abstinence and other methods of contraception."

Its quite simply nonsense for federal funds to be given to programs we have proven don't work and can result in the increase in sexually transmitted diseases to our nation's youth. Last year, ABC News reported that 1 in 4 teen girls now has an STD.

When will conservative US Senate members put right-wing ideology aside and allow young people to have the facts about protecting themselves and their own health?