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Analysis of US Government Data Shows Abstinence Education Coincides With Teen Birth Decline

During past eight years, as funding for abstinence education increased, young, unmarried teen birth rate has been cut in half

WASHINGTON, August 3, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - As Congress works today to pass HR 3162, a bill which includes opening abstinence funding to states that want to teach contraception to teens, a new analysis of government data shows that increases in abstinence education funding coincide with decreasing teen birth rates.

Young, African-American unmarried teens (ages 10-14) had the most drastic decrease, with their birth rates being the lowest in recorded history. The birth rates for all teens ages 10-14 are the lowest in 40 years. In addition, the birth rates for all teens ages 15-19 are the lowest in 20 years. Specifically, in 1995 and 1998, when abstinence education funding was significantly increased, the teen birth rate began its sharpest decline.

During the past eight years, as funding for authentic abstinence education has increased, the young, unmarried teen birth rate has been cut in half. Charts illustrating these declines can be found by clicking here (http://www.projectreality.org/pdf/contentmgmt/1014_Teen_Birt... ) for age 10-14 chart and here {http://www.projectreality.org/pdf/contentmgmt/1517_Teen_Birt... ) for age 15-17 chart. "Here is yet another piece of evidence proving that authentic abstinence education IS working," stated Libby Macke, director of Project Reality. "These statistics reinforce what we've known all along, that teens respond to a positive abstinence message when it is given to them."

Project Reality and other abstinence education organizations across the country strive to reach teens with a message of abstinence until marriage. Comprehensive sex education programs claim to include abstinence in their messaging, however it has been found that less than 5% percent of comprehensive programs discuss abstinence at all.

"This national debate is about what constitutes adolescent health. If this bill passes, abstinence opponents such as Planned Parenthood could receive federal funds to teach their version of abstinence." stated Macke. Planned Parenthood's website currently recommends curricula such as Focus on Kids that includes condom relay races (p. 108), Be Proud! Be Responsible! that recommends fantasizing during class time about condom use (p. 75) and Teen Talk which encourages teachers to blow up condoms in class (p. 16).

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