August 8, 2007

National Views on Reauthorization

In this week’s newsletter, we linked to SIECUS’ view on the House of Representatives approving a bill that would reauthorize the Title V abstinence-only program with policy changes. Their press release seemed positive and supported that the policy changes would at least allow for some improvements:
1) Requiring funded programs to contain medically and scientifically accurate information;2) Giving states the flexibility to use funds for more comprehensive programs which discuss abstinence, but may also include information on birth control; and3) Requiring funded programs to have been proven effective at decreasing teen pregnancy, STD, and HIV/AIDS rates.
Advocates for Youth (AFY), another one of our national partners, has officially stated that they do not support these fixes for two reasons: First, the “fixes” leave A-H abstinence education intact. Second, any abstinence-plus program must still go through the Bush administration’s abstinence-only filter. AFY believes that the best approach to changing these programs is to amend the A-H definition into a comprehensive sex education definition. Failing that, they believe that Congress should let Title V expire.
President Bush has threatened to veto the House’s approval of the reauthorization. So, for now, we will wait and see as the debate continues.