Tell the governor you want teens to have the information they need to make healthy, responsible life decisions. Before September 26, 2007, Governor Napolitano will decide whether to apply for federal money for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. It is extremely important that the Governor hears loud and clear that Arizona must end its dependence on federal money that censors our teachers, preventing them from providing Arizona teens with vital health care information!
Here are three reasons why:
- Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs prohibit teachers from discussing contraceptives except to tell their failure rates. They also provide medically inaccurate information, promote gender stereotypes, discriminate against gays and lesbians, and are based on messages of fear or shame.
- A rigorous, multi-year, congressionally commissioned study published in April 2007 showed that these programs do not work. Teens who participated in these programs were just as likely to have sex as those who didn’t, and they had sex at the same age and had the same number of sexual partners as teens who did not participate in the federally funded programs.
- Parents across the nation and overwhelmingly want sex education to cover information about contraception. Major medical groups have also advocated for a more comprehensive approach to sex education.
With the second-highest rate of teen pregnancies in the nation, Arizona cannot afford to continue these harmful and ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. A recent study attributed the decline in teen pregnancy rates overwhelmingly to increased contraceptive use, not abstinence. Arizona should support reproductive health policies that are effective, save taxpayer dollars and protect the public health. Young people need and deserve complete, accurate, and age-appropriate sex education that discusses BOTH abstinence and the use of contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
We need your help!! Join us in asking the Governor to:
1. Reject Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage federal funding; and
2. Support funding for comprehensive sex education in future budget allocations Please email your representatives and senators. Let them know that it is unacceptable to increase funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
**Sample email below**
The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Dear Governor Napolitano,
As your constituent, I am outraged to learn Arizona is continuing to accept federal Title V funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that censor vital healthcare information by withholding information about contraceptives. Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs prohibit teachers from discussing contraceptives except to tell their failure rates. Many abstinence-only-until-marriage programs also provide medically inaccurate information, promote gender stereotypes, discriminate against gays and lesbians, and are based on messages of fear or shame.
Further, a rigorous, multi-year, congressionally commissioned study published in April 2007 showed that these programs do not work. Teens who participated in these programs were just as likely to have sex as those who didn’t, and they had sex at the same age and had the same number of sexual partners as teens who did not participate in the federally funded programs.
With the second-highest rate of teen pregnancies in the nation, Arizona cannot afford to continue these harmful and ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. A recent study attributes the decline in teen pregnancy rates overwhelmingly to increased contraceptive use, not abstinence. Arizona should support reproductive health policies that are effective, save taxpayer dollars and protect the public health. Young people need and deserve complete, accurate, and age-appropriate sex education that discusses BOTH abstinence and the use of contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
Governor Napolitano, I urge you to reject the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage federal funding, and use our state funds to provide medically-accurate comprehensive sex education to our teens.
Thank you for your support in these very important matters.
Sincerely,
_____________________________________Name
_____________________________________Address
_____________________________________Address
_____________________________________E-mail/ Phone (*Optional)
5 comments ↓
Who ever wrote this is extreamly disturbed! Do you not care that when people turn gay and lesbian they can not create that means your promoting the extinction of the human race!Gays and Lesbians prey on young kids turning them gay and you say that’s discrimination. many gays carry the disease of AIDS do you not care?
I’m really disappointed in people like you do you not care that out of an 11% popuLATION 30% of black teens HAVE AIDS,90% have herpes, and it only take two years for an intire highschool to sleep with eachother! You don’t care but I do because I’m fifteen and your killing off my generation by supporting this! what we need is to get all that sex out the media off the t.v. off the radio out the internet tell kids to come to school with some clothes! get prayer back in the school and seperate boys and girls in school so they can concentrate on work and get somewhere in life I’m tired of all this sex being supported by people like you!!! I’m not gonna let my lil cousins die from an STD or accidently be ruined by walkin in on a gay having sex in a restraunt bathroom orsee porn because a lack of censorship god intended sex for marriage not for kids so please don’t compromise. P.S. please visit exministries.com for the truth something yall could use!
Jazmine… You are the disturbed person here. Amazing these comments you pulled out of this article. Children need to be educated regarding sex to be able to protect themselves from STDs, AIDs and teen pregnancy. People like you are the problem in society, it is called being naive that children will not have sex. You appear to be discriminatory against gays and not educated on facts. If we promote abstinence and do not educate our children on how to protect themselves if sexually active, there will continue to be a raise in STDs and teen pregnancy. Educate yourself!!!!!!!!
I think that Jazmine’s comments show exactly why comprehensive sex education is necessary.
Ladies I figure my point of view may be of help or not in many ways I agree with the both of you. Concerned I do want to say you are definently on the right track our society today is raising a generation of un knowing individuals and it is creating backlash for them. I was a father at the age of 15 and I had two good friends of mine get std’s the sad part is my friends spread those STD’s to a couple girls because they had no clue what it was sad yes it is but the fact remains they were not educated enough to take action and get themselves treated that is the sad part so education is very important in this matter and abstinence is not the way to do it that will only create dumb down sex machines who will not a clue of what they are doing to there selves Jazmine is a girl obviosly of the church that is terrific and god bless her but she is in denial as to what is happening you can remove all sex from all media the fact of the matter remaines our hormones are still in our bodies and they will provail without proper education . Now while I do agree with the host I also agree with Jazmine on the matter that there should be same sex class rooms the ironic thing is 18% of students from same sex classes expieremented with eachother wierd right but the rate of there gradution is far higher than coed classes gay and lesbians are people like us the love they hate they hurt and they cry Do not think otherwise what needs to happen here is the choice needs to be clear for these teens and yes put some clothes on at school this education not a club I allways have so much to say and so little time but I will revbisit the site for more Blogging One Love to All and god bless!
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