Advocates Lobby To End Federal Funding For Abstinence-Only Sex Education

Opponents of abstinence-only sex education plan to make an “aggressive push” to lobby Congress and President Obama to halt federal funding for abstinence-based programs and instead promote comprehensive sex education, the AP/Google.com reports. Obama is considered a supporter of comprehensive sex education programs, which include information about contraception, but Obama spokesperson Tommy Vietor declined to describe the president’s specific budget plans for sex education programs. Former President Bush was a strong proponent of abstinence-only sex education, and federal funding for the programs currently totals about $176 million per year, according to the AP/Google.com. Critics of abstinence-only programs note that several major studies, including a federal review, have found no evidence that the programs deter teens from having sex. In addition, critics say that the programs fail to provide teens with important information about avoiding pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and, in some cases, include false information. Supporters maintain that abstinence-only programs promote the only method that offers 100% protection against unintended pregnancy and STIs.

The Prevention First Act — introduced this month in the House and Senate — proposes several initiatives that are aimed at reducing unintended pregnancies, including a provision that calls for “medically accurate” comprehensive sex education. According to Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), lead sponsor of the bill, the 2008 elections increased the number of senators and representatives who share her belief that money allocated for abstinence-based programs “would be so much better used on things to prevent unwanted pregnancies.” She added that Congress will have “enough votes” to pass legislation promoting comprehensive sex education. Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said that federally funded abstinence-only programs are an “utter failure that [have] wasted more than $1.5 billion” over the past 10 years. She added, “Talking with Obama, he totally understands the need for young people to have comprehensive sex education — they need information that protects their health.”

Meanwhile, supporters of abstinence-only programs are lobbying Congress and the new administration to preserve some of the funding, and some states plan to keep their own abstinence-only programs, even in the absence of federal support. Jen Bennecke, executive director of Georgia’s Governor’s Office for Children and Families, said that abstinence-based sex education “will remain a strategy” for Georgia’s youth development initiative, “regardless of what happens at the federal level.” Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, said that Congress should “allow true choice” by providing funding for both comprehensive sex education and abstinence-based programs, adding, “Now is not the time to remove even one of the tools that can help teens” prevent pregnancy and STIs. Slaughter said she would oppose efforts to include both approaches, adding, “We can’t have both, because abstinence-only doesn’t work.” Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, said, “In a highly constrained fiscal environment, it’s critical to focus precious dollars on programs that have evidence of good effects.” She added, “When you look at the best science, the abstinence-only programs come up short” (Crary, AP/Google.com, 1/18).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

A SEX shop is handing out saucy bags – to get furtive customers over the shame of visiting.

The erotic store in the Austrian capital, Vienna, is giving bags to anyone who spends more than £100.

It is hoped the raunchy plastic will leave onlookers with no doubt as to where the punters have been.

Condom and sex toy firm Condomi has printed two versions of the bags.

Both have provocative handles placed in compromising positions – and have been going down a storm in the city.

“The bags were initially released in January 2008 and we at Condomi printed only 2000 of them to make them a limited product,“ said Patrik Partl, executive creative director of Condomi.

“According to the humorous execution customers felt better and more relaxed.

“Usually customers of an erotic-retailer try to leave the store with inconspicious plastic bags.

“Condomi wanted their customers to leave the store proudly – without shame,” Patrik explained.

Sex toys CEO getting reality show on TLC

CINCINNATI – A woman whose company sells sex toys through home parties will star in her own reality TV show.

Cable television’s TLC says “Mother Knows Sex” chronicles the struggles faced by Patty Brisben and her family as she runs her business.

Brisben founded Pure Romance in 1993; the company’s Web site says it has grown into a multimillion-dollar business with 80 full-time employees. Pure Romance relies on a sales force of independent consultants who organize in-home parties where the products are sold.

TLC plans to broadcast the one-hour program at 10 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1. It will be repeated three times in early February.

Abstinence-Only Sex Education Programs Costly, Ineffective, Editorial Says

President-elect Barack Obama could fulfill his pledge “to weed out inefficient and bloated federal programs” and also “save $200 million a year for the taxpayers” by eliminating federal funding for abstinence-only sex education programs, a Philadelphia Daily News editorial states. It continues that “the U.S. government has continued to pour money into abstinence-only education, a total of $1.5 billion so far,” even though “[o]nly the people who collect a paycheck from them say that they work.”

A study released last month found that teenagers who took “‘virginity pledges’ were just as likely as their peers to have premarital sex, but they were less likely to use condoms or other forms of birth control,” the editorial states. According to the editorial, the findings indicate that abstinence-only programs “don’t lead to more sexual abstinence — and actually may lead to more unsafe sex, which means more unwanted pregnancies and more sexually transmitted [infections].” It notes that another report recently released by CDC found that teen birth rates have increased in 26 states after a 14-year decline.
According to the editorial, the “best method for preventing teen pregnancy is no mystery.” In Western Europe, which “figured it out long ago,” implementing comprehensive sex education and increasing access to contraception “has resulted in significantly lower teen pregnancy rates, abortions” and STIs, the editorial states. It continues that the organization Advocates for Youth has stated that if the U.S. reduced teen birth rates to that of the Netherlands, “it would mean 617,000 fewer pregnancies here and a first-year saving of $542 million.” The editorial concludes, “Abstinence-only programs are the definition of ‘waste, fraud and abuse.’ It’s time for Congress to stop those government checks” (Philadelphia Daily News, 1/12).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

State Abortion Laws, Comprehensive Sex Education Programs On 2009 Legislative Agendas

The following summarizes recent news coverage of state legislation related to abortion and sex education programs.

~ New York: Legislation regarding sex education grant money and state abortion laws both are priorities for the Democratic majority in the state Senate, Majority Leader Malcolm Smith (D) said, the Poughkeepsie Journal reports. One bill, called the Healthy Teens Act, would create a grant program under the state health department to fund comprehensive sex education programs. According to the Journal, a separate abortion-related bill would “make it a fundamental right for women to make medical decisions on contraception and pregnancy,” which is not currently encoded in state law. The bill “would ensure that health is a primary concern in regulating abortion” and remove all references to abortion from the state penal code, the Journal reports (Matthews, Poughkeepsie Journal, 1/12).

~ Tennessee: State Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville) said that members of the Republican majority in the state Legislature will quickly approve the first step in the process to place a constitutional amendment before voters that would restrict abortion access, the AP/Jackson Sun reports. The measure would not appear on the ballot until 2014, due to the difficulty of amending the state constitution (Schelzig, AP/Jackson Sun, 1/12).

~ Texas: The Texas Legislature in its upcoming 140-day session is expected to consider a bill requiring physicians to make fetal ultrasound images available to women for viewing before abortion procedures, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. Additionally, abortion-rights opponents are seeking to make “Choose Life” specialty license plates available (AP/Houston Chronicle, 1/12).

~ Utah: A bill (H.B. 90) sponsored by state Rep. Paul Ray (R) would amend Utah’s criminal homicide statute to include illegal abortions and allow physicians who perform such procedures to be charged with criminal homicide, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. The bill would elevate performing an illegal abortion from a third-degree felony to second-degree felony homicide. Under current state law, abortion is considered a criminal offense if the fetus could survive outside of the womb. Abortion is legal in Utah if the life or physical health of the woman is in danger or if the fetus has a condition that would be fatal within 24 hours of birth. The bill does not affect legal abortions and exempts women seeking an abortion from prosecution (Rolly, Salt Lake Tribune, 1/13).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

(from medicalnewstoday)

advice

Sarah Katherine Lewis is one of my favorite writers, especially on the topic of sex. I stumbled upon her livejournal when she was still very active in sex work, and I’ve been hooked on her words/perspective ever since. She published two books: “Indecent: How to Make it and Fake it as a Girl for Hire,” and ” Sex and Bacon: Why I Love Things that are Very Very Bad For Me.”

I wanted to spread the word about her sex column. Here are a few for your enjoyment. The link for others, and her blog:

Enjoy!

Here are a few of her columns…

anthology update!

The deadline of Dec. 31st has come and gone! I want to say thank you thank you thank you to all who submitted work. The submissions have been eye opening and intriguing. I’m really happy with the turn out, and I look forward to sharing the work with everyone.

I have more to say…which will come. Needless to say, I’ve been inspired. The subject matter is important to me, and I’m really glad that the project is moving forward. More later! Soon!