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Is Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Effective?

Does your school abide by a strict abstinence-only sex education? Well, if lawmakers have anything do with it, it might not be the case anymore. Even though the government does not force abstinence-only sex ed, schools that follow this program are generously supported by the Bush administration. But lawmakers are now suggesting that funding for programs like this need to be stopped.

Experts in the field say that these programs do not help lower teen pregnancy or STD rates. "To limit them to abstinence-only does not comport with the evidence. It does not, at least in my judgment, seem wise," said Dr. Harvey Feinberg, president of the Institute of Medicine. He also stated that out of 13 studies focusing on abstinence-only programs, none of the programs have had a lasting effect on the teen's sexual behavior.

Democratic lawmakers insist that the $1.3 billion spent on abstinence-only programs over the last decade has been money wasted. Although a Virginia program showed that such programs can have an effect (9.2 percent of students had sex for the first time within a year of participating in the program, compared to the 16.4 percent in a group of teens that did not participate) democrats insist that these programs don't have endurance.

What do you think: Is abstinence-only sex ed effective? Sound off now!

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