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Marcela Howell (202) 419-3420
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March 23, 2007 |
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Advocates for Youth, United Universalist Association and United Church of Christ Co-Sponsor Third Annual Youth-Led Lobby Day In Support of REAL Act
Bill Would Provide Funding for Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Washington, D.C. (Friday, March 23, 2007) – Yesterday, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) introduced the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act. The bill would create federal funding, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for comprehensive sexuality education that is age-appropriate, medically accurate, and stresses abstinence, while also educating young people about contraception.
"The policy of 'just say no' didn't work in the Garden of Eden and it's not working now,” said the Reverend Bill Sinkford, president of the United Universalist Association. “Our young people deserve medically-accurate information about how to protect themselves from disease and unintended pregnancy. The REAL Act is a critical first step."
On Monday, March 26, 2007, Advocates for Youth, the United Universalist Association (UUA) and the United Church of Christ (UCC) will co-sponsor the third annual youth-led lobby day in support of comprehensive sex education. Delegations from eleven states will meet with their Congressional representatives in support of the REAL Act. More than 35 youth and adults will come together – from California to Georgia to Vermont – in Washington, DC, to highlight the critical importance of comprehensive sex education for America’s young people. UUA President, Bill Sinkford, and Advocates for Youth President, James Wagoner, will both personally participate in the lobby day visits as well.
“The REAL Act represents a return to common sense public health policy that focuses on the well-being of all young people,” said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth. “We know that teenagers who receive comprehensive sex education that includes discussions on abstinence and contraception are more likely than those who receive abstinence-only messages to delay sexual initiation, to use contraception when they do become sexually active and to have fewer partners.”
In conjunction with these lobby visits, Monday, March 26, has been designated a National Call-In Day, allowing activists from around the country to telephone their Senators and Representatives in Washington to express support for the REAL Act. UUA and UCC recently conducted a joint training call to prepare nearly 100 activists throughout the United States, with hundreds more expected to participate next week.
Studies have shown that more than two-thirds of young people will have had sex by the time they graduate. Furthermore, young people under the age of 25 have been hit by the HIV epidemic particularly hard and the rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continues to grow among them, with teens acquiring more than four million STIs every year. Additionally, in spite of recent decreases, there are still nearly 900,000 teen pregnancies in the U.S. each year. It is clear that young people are in desperate need for real, accurate sexuality education.
Currently there is no federal funding stream dedicated to comprehensive sexuality education programs. Since 1982, however, the U.S. government has spent over $1.5 billion on unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Of that money, over $800 has been spent during just the current administration. Under the leadership of President Bush, there has been a continued expansion of investment in these programs with more than $175 million allocated in Fiscal Year 2007 alone. These programs are prohibited, by law, from discussing contraceptives except in the context of failure rates and have never been proven effective.
Programs funded by the REAL Act would also stress family communication, responsible decision-making, and negotiation skills.
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Advocates for Youth is a national, nonprofit organization that creates programs and supports policies that help young people make safe, responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
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