In 1996, Congress authorized the use of federal funds for state-run programs that encourage teens to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. As of 1997, participating states have used the funding in various ways: Some have given grants to community organizations that promote youth abstinence; others use the money for media campaigns that encourage parents to discuss sex with their children. Most states have, in fact, split the federal money among several approaches. But some have opted to use all the funding to revamp public-school sex education curricula. By 1999, for example, five states had passed laws requiring public schools to teach that the societal norm for sexual activity is “mutually faithful monogamous heterosexual relationships in the context of marriage.” Parents, educators, and public health advocates have had mixed reactions to the implementation of abstinence-centered education in schools.

Joe S. McIlhaney Jr., president...