State Leaders: Abstinence-Minded Oppressors?

Usually, the news that more people are practicing abstinence is a good thing. Not this time. The Boston Globe reported that states are abstaining—abstaining from federal funding for programs that tell kids to save sex for marriage. Connecticut, Rhode Island, Montana, New Jersey, and Wisconsin have all either dropped out of the program or plan to by the end of the year. In Ohio, Governor Ted Strickland announced that he was slashing the half-million dollars in his budget for abstinence education. “Quite frankly, I don’t believe abstinence work[s],” he said. “There’s not data that shows it prevents… sexual activity outside of marriage.” But Strickland ought to spend more time researching and less time criticizing. Since President Bush started funding abstinence programs, teenage pregnancy rates have dropped almost 10%. And that’s no coincidence. Americans may disagree about how effective contraception is, but every study says the same thing about abstinence—the kids who practice it don’t get diseases and they don’t get pregnant. It’s time we all reminded our leaders that when it comes to sexual relationships, the best investment is teaching kids to just say no.

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