Abstinence-Only Education

08/23/2012

Clovis School District: Sex Education that Gets an "F"

By Phyllida Burlingame, ACLU of Northern California at 10:25am

California state law mandates that sexual health education in public schools be comprehensive, medically accurate, science-based, and bias-free. So why are Clovis Unified High Schools teaching teens from a book that makes no mention of condoms, even in chapters about HIV/AIDS and on preventing STDs and unintended pregnancy?

Recent events, such as Representative Akin’s ill-informed statements about reproductive biology and rape – put the issue in a stark light. The brand of sex ed that Clovis high schools are peddling is putting teens’ health at risk – it’s dangerous, unlawful, and could have serious consequences if it is not stopped.

02/27/2013

Abstinence-Only Education

Moving the Ball Forward on Comprehensive Sex Education

By Steven Waddy, Legislative Assistant, ACLU at 4:56pm

As unbelievable as it sounds, some parts of our country are still teaching abstinence-only sex education in 2013. That’s why Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-C.A., recently reintroduced the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act (REHYA), renewing their vow to provide comprehensive sex education to young Americans. This legislation provides grants and guidelines for education that will help young people make healthy, responsible decisions about their own sexual health. New STIs cost our country an estimated $16 billion a year, so this isn’t just smart policy—it’s fiscally sound, too.

09/14/2012

Abstinence-Only Education

Bird, Bees and Bias: How New York Schools are Failing our Young People

By Johanna Miller, New York Civil Liberties Union at 7:07pm

You won't believe what passes for sex ed in classrooms across New York State: An anatomy lesson defining the vagina as a "sperm deposit", a handout portraying women as "hazardous material", cautioning students that same-sex attraction is a cause to seek "counseling."

04/11/2013

Abortion Legislation

Reproductive Rights and Yesterday's Budget Release

By Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 10:03am

President Obama yesterday released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2014. Here are five things you should know about how it affects reproductive rights:

Home Rule for the District of Columbia

As he has each year of his presidency, President Obama removed the D.C. abortion ban from his budget proposal. That ban prohibits the District of Columbia from using its own locally raised funds to pay for abortion care for low-income D.C. residents. By contrast, all other states are permitted to use non-federal revenues to pay for abortion care if they so choose.

American Civil Liberties Union