Do Not Support Abstinence Funding
Abstinence morality programs have been proven ineffective in fighting AIDS and unwanted pregnancy. Condoms and safer sex instruction have been proven effective in fighting HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy. European countries with explicit comprehensive sexuality education programs for young people and adults, easy access to contraception, and free condoms for all ages, have produced unwanted teen pregnancy rates 200% to 1000% lower than U.S. rates. Yet ineffective abstinence-based morality programs are over-funded by our government, while effective safer sex instruction funding is being threatened and even eliminated, Abstinence morality programs now replace sex education programs and safer sex intruction programs in over 1/3 of our public schools. Additionally, our government\'s funding of abstinence morality programs has severely limited the safer sex instruction programs necessary in the national and global fight against HIV/AIDS. Our country\'s refusal to teach young people and adults the most simple facts of human sexuality, contraception, and safer sex has already cost millions of lives at home and abroad. Continued capitulation to the morality agenda of religious fundamentalist extremists can only contribute to more unnecessary human misery, suffering, and death. We therefore urge you to refuse to endorse, sponsor, or vote in favor of any abstinence-based morality programs. We further urge states, school boards, not-for-profit organizations, and health care providers to flatly reject funding that eliminates or restricts comprehensive sexuality education in favor of abstinence morality lessons.
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