Sex Education in Public Schools
Our Stand
Sex education in our schools should be based on medically and scientifically accurate information.
The Reality
Do parents want their teens to abstain from sex? Of course, they do. The reality is that most teens engage in sexual activity. Abstinence Only Until Marriage programs are not providing medically accurate information and are actually leading to high-risk behavior among young adults.
The Facts
- Between 1996-2008, Congress along with state matching funds spent $1.5 billion on Abstinence Only programs in public schools.
- Kentucky spends $17M annually on Abstinence Only Until Marriage (AOUM) programs.
- A 2004 federally funded report found that 80% of Abstinence Only courses had false, misleading, distorted information about reproductive health including the effectiveness of condoms, risks of associated with abortion, and how the HIV virus is transmitted.
- Students taking virginity pledges are one third less likely to use contraception when they become sexually active.
The Solution
- Comprehensive Sex Education
- Free Birth Control
Colorado started providing free birth control in 2009. Teen pregnancies between 2009-2013 fell by 40% and the abortion rate fell by 42%.
What You Can Do
- Contact your local schools and find out what they are teaching for sex education.
- Educate your group by requesting Representative of The Tri-State Freethinkers to speak on this topic.
- Contact Tri-State Freethinkers for more information.