Abstaining From Abstinence-Only Programs
By Kay Steiger - Aug 20th, 2008 at 12:13 pmOver at Campus Progress, Stephanie Gross, who works on women’s health issues at the Center for American Progress, runs down everything you need to know about abstinence-only programs–often called “education” even though they tend to miseducate young people about contraception. She also prepared some great information about where the two major candidates stand on the issue:
John McCain and Barack Obama have very different positions on family planning, sex education, and women’s health. According to a report (PDF) by NARAL Pro-Choice America, as a Senator, McCain has voted against sexual and reproductive health 115 times out of 119 total votes. If you include his time in the House, the number is 125 out of 130. He said he supports President Bush’s policies surrounding abstinence-only programs, and when asked if he thinks condoms help stop the spread of HIV, he replied, “You’ve stumped me.”
Obama has declared that abstinence-only programs are not enough. Before a conservative Christian audience in December 2006, Obama said he “respectfully but unequivocally disagrees with those who oppose condom distribution to fight the AIDS pandemic.” He is a co-sponsor the Responsible Education about Life (REAL) Act, which provides federal funding for state comprehensive sex education. Obama has said it is important to teach abstinence as part of a comprehensive curriculum, but he doesn’t believe the federal government should fund abstinence-only programming.
Check out her article here.
Post a Comment