Since 1996, Congress has committed over $1.5 billion dollars (through both Federal and state matching funds) to abstinence-only education programs, and zero dollars to comprehensive sexuality education. Programs receiving federal funds must teach that sexual expression outside of marriage will have harmful social, psychological and physical consequences and they are prohibited from discussing contraceptives unless they are portrayed as ineffective. Given that about 70% of young people will have sexual intercourse before age 19, and 90% will have intercourse before marriage, failing to provide accurate information about pregnancy and disease prevention represents a colossal moral and public health failure.

Congress continues to fund these programs despite the vast body of research which fails to show that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs actually help young people make good decisions in the long term. In fact, numerous evaluations and reports have found that these programs are ineffective, inaccurate, misleading, and are not receiving proper oversight. One report, conducted by Mathematica Policy Research Inc. on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found no evidence that abstinence-only programs increased rates of sexual abstinence. Comprehensive sexuality education programs are supported by many leading medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association and the Society of Adolescent Medicine.

Unitarian Universalists have been longtime advocates for comprehensive sexuality education within our congregations and in our communities. Please take a moment to put our faith in action by contacting your Senators and Representative today, asking that they spend no more money on abstinence-only programs. Instead, they can support the Responsible Education About Life Act that funds comprehensive sexuality education programs.