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Stop the Abstinence-Only Charade!
Federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are ineffective, medically inaccurate, and some may even use taxpayer dollars to promote religion. The ACLU is calling for an end to federal funding. Now it is your turn to tell Congress to stop the abstinence-only-until-marriage experiment and to start funding real sex ed!
CHECK OUT WHAT'S NEW!
> SPOKEN WORD: The Fallacy of Unicorns
> MATT BORS' COMICS: Abstinence Only Class
NEWS & OPINION
> Report: No Evidence to Fund Programs (11/7/07)
> Government Investigates OR Program (7/23/07)
> Curricula's Inaccuracies Need Fixing (5/9/07)
> Investigation of OR Program Needed (5/3/07)
> Materials May Violate Federal Law (4/26/07)
> Study Shows Programs Don't Work (4/13/07)
> TomPaine: Lies We Teach Teenagers (3/21/07)
FACT SHEETS
> What the Research Shows: Government-Funded Abstinence-Only Programs Don’t Make the Grade
> Helping Teens Make Healthy and Responsible Decisions about Sex
LETTERS TO CONGRESS
> ACLU Opposes Funding for Abstinence-Only
> 100 Organizations Opposing Abstinence-Only

Take Issue, Take Charge
Take Issue, Take Charge is a national ACLU campaign to stop government funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and promote responsible sex education. Visit the TITC website to get the facts and find out what is happening in your state. For a roundup of recent news articles covering abstinence-only-until-marriage programs from across the country visit the TITC Blog.
READ THE TITC BLOG
> Sex Ed News Round Up: Halloween Edition (10/31/07)
> News Round Up: CA, FL, IL, KS, ME, and MN (10/23/07)
> Compromising Teens' Health (10/19/07)
> Decline in Abortion Rates Correspond with Increased Access to Contraception, Yet Bush Administration Pushes Abstinence-Only (10/12/07)
> Congress Once Again Extends Abstinence-Only Funding (10/1/07)
> New York Rejects Federal Abstinence-Only Dollars! (9/21/07)
> News Round Up: CO, KS, MD, MA, & MO (9/10/07)
> Editorial Support for Comprehensive Sex Ed & Sex Ed and the State (9/6/07)
> Fantastic win in Brevard County, Florida! (8/15/07)
> News Round Up: Congress Rolls Over, FL, MD & SC (7/31/07)
> Former Surgeon General Silenced on Abstinence-Only (7/12/07)
> News Round Up: MN, NY & OK (6/18/07)
> Halt Funding Increase for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs (6/8/07)
> You've got to be kidding me. (6/7/07)

ACLU Urges Congress to Do the Right Thing for Young Americans (06/24/2008)
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union urges both the Senate and House of Representatives to act in the best interest of young people and eliminate funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. It will be a critical week as two of the largest federal funding streams for such programs are slated for consideration. In the Senate, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies marked up the FY09 appropriations bill today, including an allocation for the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program; the Senate Appropriations Committee will meet on Thursday, June 26th. In the House, the Appropriations Committee will also meet this Thursday to ratify the subcommittee recommendations, which last week included flat-funding for CBAE.

Subcommittee Votes to Continue Funding Disproven Abstinence-Only Programs (06/19/2008)
Washington, DC – The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies today voted to continue funding the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program, an abstinence-only-until-marriage funding stream that supports programs that include inaccurate and misleading information.

Evidence Once Again Shows Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs Don’t Work (04/23/2008)
Washington, DC – The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing today titled "Domestic Abstinence-Only Programs: Assessing the Evidence." The ACLU applauds Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) for bringing new attention to this deeply troubling policy and the committee’s willingness to examine the public health policy implications of abstinence-only programs. We look forward to the testimony of scientists, clinicians, researchers and youth activists who will report on the failures of abstinence-only education programs.

ACLU of Arizona Applauds Governor’s Rejection of Abstinence-Only Funds (01/18/2008)
PHOENIX - The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona today applauded Governor Janet Napolitano’s decision to reject funding for the state’s abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, which have proven ineffective, inaccurate, and gender-biased.

Report Finds No Evidence to Continue Funding Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs (11/07/2007)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today said a new report reviewing the effectiveness of 115 sex education programs provides strong evidence that it is time for the federal government to support comprehensive sex education programs. This report comes at the same time Congress is poised to again increase funding for abstinence-only-until marriage programs.

How public health professionals are getting involved to ensure that teens have access to the information they need to make healthy and responsible decisions (11/12/2007)

ACLU of Oregon Reply Letter to Oregon Department of Human Services (07/23/2007)

Letter to ACLU from Department of Health and Human Services - July 12, 2007 (07/23/2007)

Letter to ACLU of Oregon from Oregon Department of Human Services - May 18, 2007 (07/23/2007)

Letter to ACLU of Oregon from Department of Health and Human Services - July 12, 2007 (07/23/2007)

Letter to DHS Re: Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding for Lane Pregnancy Support Center (05/03/2007)

ACLU Written Statement For a Hearing on Domestic Abstinence-Only Programs: Assessing the Evidence (04/23/2008)

Emergency Contraception Education Act Coalition Letter (09/07/2007)

Letter From Over 100 Organizations Opposing Abstinence Only Education Funding for Fiscal Year 08 (07/18/2007)

ACLU Letter Opposing Funding for Abstinence Education in Fiscal Year 08 (07/18/2007)

On the 34th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade: New Year, New Congress, New Possibilities (01/22/2007)

Responsible Spending: Real Sex Ed for Real Lives (02/18/2005)

Responsible Spending: Real Sex Ed for Real Lives (02/18/2005)

Abstinence-Only Education in the Courts (12/02/2003)
From SIECUS Report, volume 31, number 6 (Fall 2003)

Protecting Teen Health: Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Condom Availability Programs in the Public Schools (04/09/1998)
Promoting Reproductive Freedom for Teenagers

Helping Teens Make Healthy and Responsible Decisions about Sex (06/16/2008)
Promoting Reproductive Freeedom for Teenagers

What the Research Shows: Government-Funded Abstinence-Only Programs Don’t Make the Grade (06/12/2008)
Evidence shows that sexuality education that stresses the importance of waiting to have sex while providing accurate, age-appropriate, and complete information about how to use contraceptives effectively to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can help teens make healthy and responsible life decisions.

Campaigns to Undermine Sexuality Education in the Public Schools (04/01/1998)
Promoting Reproductive Freedom for Teenagers

School-Based Condom Availability Programs (04/01/1998)
Promoting Reproductive Freedom for Teenagers