Friday, October 1, 2010

Not Just about the Birds and the Bees Anymore

New sex ed funding ends decade of abstinence-only

 Maybe again it is just me, but does all this money need to be spent this way when we are looking to cut the budget and will there be homework required?  When I was in school there was no sex ed...and?

For the first time in more than a decade, the federal government is funding sex education programs that aren't based solely on abstinence. But they're not just about handing out condoms, either.
Beginning this school year, a five-year, $375 million grant is being divided among 28 programs that have been proven to lower the pregnancy rate among participants, no matter their focus. Many programs distribute condoms, but about half also aim to boost teens' academics, get them involved in extracurricular activities and even improve their parents' job status.
Advocates believe this "above the waist" approach gives kids the tools to help them succeed in school and make better life decisions, especially about sex.
"There's a growing realization that we have to talk to young people about relationships. It's not just body parts," said Bill Albert, the chief program officer for The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "It's saying, 'What are your goals?' and helping young people understand what they need to do to get there."
That theory, which has become popular in the safe-sex community in the past decade, will replace the abstinence-centered talks funded by a Republican Congress in the late 1990s and later under President George W. Bush to the tune of $1.5 billion.


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/01/1851823/new-sex-ed-funding-ends-decade.html#ixzz116ssit7A

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