Yesterday, Chairman Waxman held a Committee on Government Oversight and Reform hearing on abstinence education. After expressing years of contempt toward abstinence education, Chairman Waxman had his day, and stacked his witness panel full of witnesses who are unquestionably hostile toward abstinence education.
Among the minority’s panel experts were Senator Brownback and Dr. Stan Weed—both of whom testified in defense of abstinence education and highlighted research that demonstrates that abstinence education actually works. This week, the Heritage Foundation released a study that examined existing research on the effectiveness of abstinence education and confirmed that the overwhelming majority of studies on abstinence education report positive results. The study can be read here.
Thankfully, numerous conservative House members attended the hearing and pressed the majority’s panel to explain their support for "comprehensive sex education." Congressman Mark Souder and Jim Jordan read samples of content included in a CDC approved "comprehensive" sex education curricula, which contained little discussion of the benefits of abstinence, but did contain information actively promoting risky behavior (such as showering together, exploring sexual touching, and purchasing condoms without parental knowledge). One curriculum even listed drug use with clean needles and syringes as a yellow or green light activity.
CongresswomanVirginia Foxx continued to surprise the panelists when she asked whether they would support optional federal funding for abstinence education if abstinence programs were shown to be as beneficial as or more beneficial than "comprehensive" sex education—5 of the 7 panelists answered "no." Clearly, the responses of these "experts" reveal an ideological agenda that is fundamentally opposed to the message of abstinence, regardless of its true effectiveness.
For those who doubt the efforts of abstinence education supporters—American parents continue to overwhelmingly support and prefer abstinence education over so-called "comprehensive" sex education, as shown in a recent Zogby poll. Yet, if Waxman has his way, they will disregard parents’ wishes and replace the message of abstinence and empowerment with the often age-inappropriate and distorted messages of so-called "comprehensive" sex education.
For more coverage of the hearing:
Classroom Clashes: What Should Teens Learn About Sex?
Federal funding of abstinence-only sex education programs debated
Experts say US sex abstinence program doesn't work
Stacked Congressional Panel Blasts Abstinence Education, Urges Cuts
Abstinence education program under scope
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