News Flash

Senate Appropriations Committee Slashes Funding Increase for Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs

For Immediate Release - Contact: Roy Speckhardt at (202) 238-9088

(Washington, D.C., July 15, 2005) The Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday allocated an increase of $1.8 million for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, far below the President's request of $38.6 million and well below the House's increase of $11 million to the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) account. This is an encouraging step away from religious-based abstinence-only-until-marriage curriculum. The AHA recently released a Humanist Statement on Sexuality that states, "sex education programs in public schools should reflect our shared ethical values-not the sectarian values of any one particular group."

The Appropriations Committee also directed the Department of Health and Human Services to review 4parents.gov. The AHA has been active in coalition efforts requesting that the government-sponsored website- 4parents.gov -be subjected to a formal review of its misleading and inaccurate content and questionable techniques. 4parents.gov contains many biases that undermine its intent of encouraging parent-child communication around sex and sexuality.

The Committee specifically asks the Department to "review the findings of the study, undertake a review of the website by Departmental public health and scientific experts, and make any necessary changes to conform with scientific evidence." The AHA hopes that both the minimal increase to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and the directed review of 4parents.gov will be approved when the House and Senate try to resolve their versions of the bill.

The American Humanist Association is the oldest and largest Humanist organization in the nation. The AHA is dedicated to ensuring a voice for those with a positive nontheistic outlook, based on reason and experience, which embraces all of humanity .

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