We're Outta Here: States Bail on Ab-Only

Last week, SIECUS released our annual SIECUS State Profiles, which documents every federal abstinence-only-until-marriage dollar on its path from the federal treasury to the hands of states and organizations across the country who, despite logic and evidence, continue to carry out these failed and fledgling programs. 

This annual project provides us with a wealth of information and, this week, SIECUS released some additional information about the status of one of the three federal abstinence-only-until-marriage pots of money: the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program, which doles out $50 million in tax payer funds each year to states to fund programs.  Harsh restrictions prohibit programs that receive these funds from discussing the effectiveness of contraception, but require that they teach that sex outside of marriage can cause psychological problems.  No, that is not a joke. 

The encouraging news is that this program is in a state of utter collapse. 

The collapse has occurred in no small part because of the diligence and dedication of advocates around the country.  It has also been hastened by a report that the Bush Administration's own Department of Health and Human Services issued showing that the program was an utter failure.  Even more embarrassingly, the failed programs included in the study were a cherry-picked cadre designed to represent the crème de la crème of the abstinence-only-until-marriage industry.  Predictably, the Bush Administration's preference for ideology over science also led them to dismiss the report and simply carry on as if it did not matter. 

But the Administration's blind faith in its failed programs could not save them. As of the end of August, our research shows that 25 states have decided to no longer participate in this federal funding scheme.  But, even more importantly, this mass exodus has occurred, for the most part, for all the right reasons. 

Of the twenty-five states that have withdrawn, 20 of them -- or 80% -- have taken their leave because of principled stands that abstinence-only does not work or that their state supports a comprehensive approach to sex education.   

The spin of the abstinence-only-until-marriage industry has been that the collapse of the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program is largely the result of sporadic and inconsistent Congressional support.  Our research shows that to be the case with fewer than a handful of states.  In other words, the spin of those seeking to explain away our collective success in getting states to walk away from this dirty money simply is not supported by the research. 

On Capital Hill, the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program has been a source of consternation for Congress.  It has seen no fewer than 19 short term extensions, creating a problem for states to run the program.  States work on fiscal years, which do not mesh well with the three or six month funding cycles which have kept the program hobbling along.  But these short term extensions are largely the result of a Congress wrestling with how to end or alter the program.  To date, they have failed, and earlier this year, made a disastrous decision to extend the program through June of 2009. 

This recent extension will have an impact on the number of states involved in the program. For example, Pennsylvania's pro-choice Democratic Governor, Ed Rendell, has given every indication that he will do a flip-flop on a previously principled stand and drag his state back in.  This is regrettable and unjustifiable.  A spokesperson of Rendell's own Department of Health said they "know that the best approach is comprehensive sex education" and the director of the Governor's Philadelphia office told a crowd of ACT UP Philly protestors last week that "Rendell and myself know that abstinence-only doesn't work."   

Still, the collapse of the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program is likely unprecedented in American history.  Never have so many states abstained from the lure of raking in federal money. That the vast majority are doing so for principled reasons is even more encouraging and shows the payoff of years of investment in strategy carried out by hundreds of individuals and groups from coast to coast.  

Finally, the collapse of the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program indicates major progress by the advocacy community in helping policymakers address the issue of sex education in America. Wisconsin's Governor, Jim Doyle, for example, summed it up well for us in describing the decision to keep his state out of the program:  Ideology isn't more important than our kid's health.