Abstinence Funding in Jeopardy

The future of abstinence education is in doubt because much of its funding could get cut by Congress.

In a sex-saturated culture, advocates of abstinence are already swimming upstream. Their programs receive much less money than those teaching students how to have so-called "safe sex."

"Comprehensive sex education programs right now probably receive on average $12 for every one dollar that abstinence education programs receive," said Avinde Russell of Alternatives Pregnancy Center.

Russell, an abstinence promoter, says now Congress may cut that small amount altogether.

"All of the funding that right now abstinence education programs get is in jeopardy," he said.

Congressional critics want cuts because they say abstinence education doesn't really work.

But advocate Valerie Huber of National Abstinence Education Association disagrees.

"Actually, there are many published reports that show abstinence education indeed is very effective in delaying sexual activity and even among those who are sexually experienced, discontinuing sexual activity," Huber said.

Huber says one of the main programs threatened right now is Title Five which gives states millions each year to teach abstinence.

She said, "Some abstinence programs are entirely supported by Title Five funding. And some states have no funds for abstinence education if they don't receive Title Five."

Huber's angry Congress may also choose to move some of the abstinence money to what's called 'comprehensive sex education.'

Jim Pfaff of the Colorado Family Institute sums up what that is.

"It's a scheme of study that's designed to tell kids 'Listen, we can't stop your urges. So go ahead and do them, just make sure you use a condom,'" he said.

Dr. Gary Rose of the Medical Institute for Sexual Health believes that's a dangerous message.

"Even when condoms are used consistently and correctly, they only reduce your risk for diseases such as gonorrhea and syphilis by 50 percent," he said. "Now, if there's a 50 percent chance that I'm going to get shot when I go outside this building, I don't consider myself to be safe."

But if a group of kids CBN News spoke with in Boulder, Colorado are at all representative, it appears many students have bought into what comprehensive sex education preaches.

One girl said, "Teenagers have sex anyway. Like, it's a personal decision. But if you're going to do it, it might as well be safe because no teenager really wants a kid or an STD."

Another girl concurred, "We're going to do it anyway, so why not encourage safer sex so that we don't get STDs and we don't get pregnant?"

Russell says education that only promotes condom use does nothing to promote high standards or protect the rest of the person.

"We're doing nothing to protect their emotions, to protect them psychologically, we're not doing anything to protect their relationships if we're entrusting them to contraception. Abstinence education handles all of that," he said.

Russell points out at least in his state of Colorado, surveys show less than 40 percent of the teens have had sex.

"Sixty percent of the kids that we're working with right now are not having sex. And they're looking for standards," he said. "They're looking for someone to inform them, 'Okay, what's the right way for me to go?' before they kind of get enfolded into the group."

So - at least according to its advocates - abstinence education can make a real difference in young lives. But unless senators and congressmen hear from parents that they want it funded, Congress may cut or cut way back on the money keeping abstinence education alive.

September 30 is the day much of that funding automatically dies unless Congress votes to renew it.