Abstinence-Only Funding Gets Slapped

Governor Crist finally said he’ll review abstinence-only funding.

“The weight of the evidence cannot be ignored, and it is time to answer tough questions about why we continue to waste millions of dollars a year on a policy that has failed to keep teens healthy and safe,” said Adrienne Kimmell, Healthy Teens Campaign member and executive director of the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates. “We encourage Governor Crist to take the next step and join the 25 governors who no longer accept federal abstinence-only funding.”

Right now, Florida receives nearly $13 million for these failing programs.

Failing.

Between 1991 and 2004 there have been -

• more than 345,000 teen births in Florida , costing taxpayers a total of $8.1 billion.
• 23,804 births to teen mothers in 2004 alone.
• $489,158,000 in taxpayer cost for these births.

“Abstinence-only programs waste taxpayer dollars in the short-term and long-term,” added Kimmell. “These programs have failed to be effective in preventing unintended pregnancy and the spread of disease which wastes money now and costs the taxpayers later.”

Last year, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy found that abstinence-only programs have no real impact on teen sexual behavior. STDs in Hillsborough County alone have gone up, up, up.

So Charlie Crist gets some applause for reviewing the issue. He’ll get a standing ovation if he makes the move toward rejecting abstinence-only funding altogether.

Tags: abstinence-only funding, healthy teens campaign