This year, the federal government will spend $176 million on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that teach about the benefits gained from abstaining from sex, but teach nothing about the benefits of condoms and contraception for when people do decide to become sexually active.

In Texas, schools that choose to teach sex education must emphasize the benefits of abstinence, but are not required to mention contraception or condoms at all.  Those that do mostly highlight only their failure rates.  Abstinence is a great message, but it's not enough.  How can Texas teens, when they become sexually active, protect themselves if they think condoms and birth control don't work?

Evidence is emerging that confirms abstinence-only sex education programs have little positive effect on the lives of adolescents.

A recent government-sponsored study by Mathematica Policy Research found that teens in abstinence-only programs are just as likely to engage in sexual activity at the same age as those who receive no sex education.  However, other research has shown that a medically-accurate, comprehensive approach to sex education is effective at delaying sexual activity in teens, reducing their frequency of sexual activity, and increasing their use of contraception and condoms when they become sexually active.

Abstinence-only sex education is not working.  It's time Congress put the health and safety of young people first by supporting scientifically proven programs that provide them with ALL the information they need to make healthy, responsible decisions now and in their futures.