100 signatures reached
To: The United States House of Representatives
Repeal Ineffective Abstinence Only Education
We are asking you to help protect America's children by demanding the repeal of abstinence-only sex education, which does NOT work and instead threatens their well-being. Since 1996, the Federal government has spent over 1.5 BILLION DOLLARS on insufficient and incomplete sex education that has NOT worked to reduce teen pregnancy or STD transmission. Moreover, there ARE comprehensive sex education programs that do effectively teach America's children how to stay safe, healthy, and prevent early pregnancies - so WHY isn't the government funding them?
Why is this important?
H.R. 1085 Repealing Ineffective and Incomplete Abstinence-Only Program Funding Act of 2011 has been sitting in the House of Representatives for over a year. Passing this bill would remove Federal funding for ineffective abstinence-only education, and redirect funds towards comprehensive sex-education programs that have already proven effective. We urge you to sign this petition to give America's children the education they so desperately need to protect themselves!
In 2007, a government-funded research study found that abstinence-only education, which teaches that abstinence is the only accepted form of birth control, isn't actually reducing the rate of STD transmission in teens or teen pregnancies...or even reducing the number of teens who have sex. Plus, the risk taking behaviors are staggering: a recent poll of American high school students showed that almost 40% of sexually active teens didn't use a condom the last time they had sex, and over 75% did not use hormonal birth control. Shocking! But...how can teens use a condom, if they have never been taught what it is?
Research has found that comprehensive sex education programs show serious promise in reducing some of the staggering STD transmission and teen pregnancy rates. These programs earn the title of "comprehensive" because in addition to teaching that abstinence is still the safest form of contraception, these programs also teach about the health benefits to condom use and hormonal birth control. These programs even offer American youth educational tools to protect themselves from dating violence and maintain healthy relationships.
It's time to take a stand, and tell the government to stop wasting money on useless education. Instead, demand that our children receive a comprehensive education that has been PROVEN to work!