Guess what's missing from Ohio Governor Ted Strickland's budget? The $500,000 a year that the state sets aside to match federal funding for abstinence-only education. That means that Ohio has joined a handful of other states in saying thanks but no thanks to the government's funding for abstinence-only education. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Ohio Department of Health said that it plans to review the accuracy of abstinence-based sex education taught to thousands of middle- and high-school students. And for good reason. Two years ago, researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine tested the effectiveness of For Keeps, an abstinence-only sex education program taught to 25,000 students at public and private schools in the greater Cleveland area. The results? According to medicalnewstoday.com, “the program did not affect students' confidence to avoid risky sexual situations, and sexually inexperienced and female students actually reported a decrease in their intent to use condoms in the future.” And the state did nothing.
"We would like to see an approach that uses tested or evaluated programs that include all kinds of supports for teens and gives them the skills that they need to make responsible decisions regarding sexual behavior," said Mary O'Shea, director of public policy for Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland.
Now, with Gov. Strickland running the show in Cleveland, the state is moving in that direction. I told you good things happen with a pro-choice governor in charge!
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Comments: 14
Strickland is also cutting out ed choice to everyone but Cleveland.
In his first few months in office he has managed to eliminate many of his supporters throughout the state.
Now if this ridiculous "abstinance only" nonsense can be eliminated in all other areas, the country will be well on its way to reversing the damage done by the "Faith Based Agenda" folks.
Oh - and illicit sex and unwanted pregnancies are recorded all the way back to ancient Greece and ancient Egypt - what makes the Bush Regime think that a few of their silly, overly simplistic initiatives will make it go away?
The bigger deal we make about things as forbidden (this goes for both sex and alcohol) and more likely teens and young adults are to engage in them in ways that are ill-considered.
Thanks for posting this.
Not to mention the fact that "no sex until marriage" isn't part of everyone's morals.