by Susan Flinn

About the author: Susan Flinn writes for Advocates for Youth, an organization dedicated to creating programs and promoting policies that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health.

In 1996, Congress passed funding for an educational program to encourage sexual abstinence for all unmarried people. The entitlement provides $50 million annually through the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Bureau and requires a sizable state match. The program will cost over a quarter of a billion dollars while promoting inaccurate and harmful messages about sexuality.

The definition of “abstinence-only” education conflicts with the concepts underlying effective sexuality and health education programs. The MCH programs must not discuss contraception or disease prevention. In contrast, effective programs include information about abstinence as well as contraception and sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention.

Abstinence-only education...