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Abstinence-only "education" programs are one of the misbegotten, cancerous ideas to be foisted on the American school system in my lifetime, and probably far beyond that. The entire pedagogical theory has been debunked as thoroughly as the "Intelligent Design" nonsense, and more than once. But because we figure that nothin' says lovin' like filling your kids up with shame and ignorance about their genitals, Congress has kept shovelling money at programs that tell kids that contraception doesn't work, that sex will soil their precious "purity," and monogamous heterosexual marriage is the only way to go when it comes to doing the horizontal bop.
Fortunately, the Washington Post brings us some good news on this front:
The number of states refusing federal money for "abstinence-only" sex education programs jumped sharply in the past year as evidence mounted that the approach is ineffective.
At least 14 states have either notified the federal government that they will no longer be requesting the funds or are not expected to apply, forgoing more than $15 million of the $50 million available, officials said. Virginia was the most recent state to opt out.
Two other states -- Ohio and Washington -- have applied but stipulated they would use the money for comprehensive sex education, effectively making themselves ineligible, federal officials said. While Maryland and the District are planning to continue applying for the money, other states are considering withdrawing as well.
Until this year, only four states had passed up the funding.
(Found at Dispatches From the Culture Wars)
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I'm wondering how and when the whole abstinence-only thing got started anyway. Maybe the area I grew up in was unusual, but my middle-school sex education was definitely not abstinence-only, and even included having the students practice putting a condom on a banana.
