President Barack Obama has done it again — eliminating funding for abstinence education from his budget he released to Congress today.
Today, President Obama sent his proposed FY 2014 budget to Congress. In an unfortunate, but predictable move, the budget calls for the elimination of discretionary funding for Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) abstinence education.
According to an analysis from the National Abstinence Education Association, the budget directs the US Department of Health and Human Services to repurpose a portion of the Congressionally-established Title V state block grant for abstinence education to yet another new program that focuses on contraception rather than on avoiding all risk.
The NAEA tells LifeNews President Obama does this by using Title V funds for programs that are not compliant with the Congressional definition for abstinence education is a violation of congressional intent and therefore, outside the authority of this budgetary directive.
The FY 2014 budget will only increase the current 1:16 funding disparity between SRA abstinence education and so-called ‘comprehensive’’ sex education. This is despite the fact that polling shows parents, regardless of party, strongly support abstinence education.
NAEA indicates nearly 7 in 10 Democratic parents would like to see more equality in funding for abstinence education and almost 60% specifically oppose the president’s efforts to eliminate SRA funding.
Valerie Huber, President/CEO of NAEA states: “The President’s move to eliminate Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) abstinence programs is completely out of touch with what his base wants, what parents want, and what is in the best interest of America’s youth.”
“In addition, since nearly 75% of teens targeted for sex education classes (age 15-17) are not sexually active, one would expect federal sex education policy to reinforce these good decisions and encourage more teens to make the same healthy choices. Sadly, the President’s recent budget ignores these compelling facts in favor of making a wrong-headed policy statement that serves the narrow agenda of special interest groups,” she said.
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Huber says research shows that students benefit from abstinence programs, regardless of their sexual experience, or lack thereof. Students in successful SRA programs are more likely to delay sex than their peers, and if they are sexually active, have fewer partners and are no less likely to use a condom.
Huber continues: “It’s troubling that the President would want to prevent students from receiving the encouragement and skills to avoid sexual risk.”
NAEA calls on Congress to ignore the President’s sex education policy recommendations and instead choose the common sense position of supporting SRA programs and the positive results they are achieving among youth.
