This is an exciting time for advocates of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). The study that Congress authorized ten years ago to analyze abstinence-only programs was finally released in April 2007, and it confirms what many experts have been saying all along: abstinence-only programs DO NOT reduce the risk of teen sexual activity, unwanted pregnancy, or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in October 2006 reported that abstinence-only programs contain inaccurate information and receive little federal oversight. And here in Ohio (where SERT is based), a report by Dr. Scott Frank of Case Western Reserve University has spurred Governor Strickland to refuse federal money for abstinence-only education.
This is all good news, but the battle is far from over. In Ohio, the Republican-controlled legislature has already threatened that it will restore abstinence-only funding to the budget, while President Bush has requested an unprecedented $204 million for Fiscal Year 2008. Now it's up to us--as constituents, parents, siblings, friends, and concerned citizens--to let our government know that America's youth deserve an education that is accurate, unbiased, and effective.
This website is intended to provide reliable background and advocacy information about the debate over Comprehensive Sexuality Education. Please take a few minutes to browse the links at the right; they contain a great deal of useful--and often provocative--information. We've tried to cite and document every claim we make. If you feel that any of our information is inaccurate, or want to know where we got it, feel free to leave a comment on that particular page. We'll show you our background research and give you as much supporting evidence as we can.
After all, in the long run it's not about who's right or who's wrong--it's about what's best for our youth.
About SERT
