Since 1996, Congress has spent over $1.5 billion in taxpayer funds on unproven, ineffective abstinence-only education programs with little oversight or evaluation. These programs employ fear, shame, guilt, and misinformation to discourage teens from engaging in sexual activity. While any good sex education program is rooted in abstinence, the reality is that many teens are already sexually active and need information about responsible decision-making, disease-prevention and contraception.

Decisions about sexuality education programs are made at the national, state and local levels. It’s time to demand accountability, responsibility and REAL sex ed from decision-makers at all levels of government!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am concerned about the misleading information contained in abstinence-only education programs. Medically-accurate, comprehensive sex education is the only REAL way to encourage responsible decision-making and teach disease prevention. Information that is wrong, too little, or too late can have long term and life threatening consequences.

In April 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 1 in 4 teenage girls (more than 3 million) have a sexually transmitted infection. This report is evidence that STIs continue to pose a serious public health threat in this country, and that young people and women bear the burden. It is estimated that nearly 19 million new STIs occur each year, and that by the age of 25, one in two sexually-active young people will contract an STI.

I urge you to support The Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act, introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA). The REAL Act would create a grant program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services that would fund comprehensive sex education programs in schools nationwide. As the latest statistics show, REAL Sex Ed Saves Lives!

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Campaign Launched:
April 06, 2009