Issue:

No dedicated federal funding currently exists for comprehensive sex education in schools. From 1996 through federal fiscal year 2005, Congress committed over $1.1 billion dollars to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs; meanwhile zero dollars went to comprehensive sex education. Programs receiving federal abstinence-only monies are prohibited from discussing the health benefits of contraceptives and condoms. Moreover, Congress continues to fund such abstinence-only programs, despite research that shows that programs teaching abstinence plus contraception are far more effective than abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. It is time for a more balanced approach.

Belief:

The Responsible Education about Life (REAL) Act, formerly the Family Life Education act, would allocate $206 million a year over five years to allow states to implement comprehensive approaches to sex education in the schools—approaches that include information about both abstinence and also contraception and condoms, from perspectives of both values and public health. This education would include science-based, medically accurate, and age appropriate public health information about both abstinence and also contraception.