NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Praises Gov. Strickland’s Decision to Reject Funding for “Abstinence-Only” Programs
Columbus, DC – Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, today praised Governor Ted Strickland for his decision not to reapply for federal grants that support “abstinence-only” programs. “This decision by Gov. Strickland reflects the Midwestern value that our teens should get honest, realistic information in the classroom,” Copeland said. “Abstinence should be included in any sex education program, but it cannot be abstinence only. Our young people need honest, medically accurate information. The Bush-backed ‘abstinence-only’ approach intentionally misleads our teens and censors teachers from giving students the truth about contraception and other ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.” Copeland continued, “In this instance, what young people don’t know may, in fact, hurt them. It may well change their lives forever. Young people need facts, not blanket prohibitions. I applaud the governor for taking this crucial step towards ensuring our teens have all the tools they need to protect themselves from disease and unintended pregnancy.” Background on Abstinence-Only Programs: This year, as in years past, President Bush ignored the public's call for a focus on commonsense solutions to prevent unintended pregnancies. He asked taxpayers to dump an additional $28 million, on top of the current $176 million, into dangerous and unproven “abstinence-only” programs that censor important public health information on topics like birth control and STD prevention. Currently, states can only receive federal funding if they agree to teach “abstinence-only” programs in their schools. This rigid and controversial program means that means teachers must exclude information about the health benefits of contraception. In December 2004, the U.S. House of Representatives released a report evaluating the content of federally funded abstinence-only programs. The report found that more than 80 percent of the abstinence-only curricula contained “false, misleading, or distorted information about reproductive health.” In addition, the report found that the curricula contained multiple scientific and medical inaccuracies. For example, the curricula misrepresent the effectiveness of condoms, contain false information about the risks of abortion, and present religious views and stereotypes about girls and boys as if they were scientific fact.
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