February 20, 2009

President Obama submits next year's budget to Congress at the end of this month. Now is the time to endorse his support for medically accurate, age-appropriate sexuality education and make sure that the funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs is a thing of the past. 

Programs that exclusively promote abstinence jeopardize the health and well-being of millions of young people and misuse scarce public resources. An independent analysis by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. found no difference in the sexual behavior of U.S. students who had received instruction in abstinence-only programs and those who had not.  For these reasons, about half of all states have refused funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. 

Please call President Obama at 202-456-1111 or click here to write a note asking him and his administration to redirect funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs to a comprehensive approach to sexuality education. Please use the text below or write your own note:

Dear President Obama,

As you prepare to present the 2010 budget to Congress, I urge you to eliminate funding for ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in the United States and in low-income countries that receive U.S. foreign assistance. I care about young people because ____________.

Please help ensure every young person's right to a just and healthy life.

Sincerely,

[Name]

To learn more from the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC) on the sexual and reproductive knowledge and behaviors of young people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, click here.

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