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February 13, 2003
Christian
Coalition's Poll Shows Parents Support Teen Access to Information
about Condoms and Contraception
Statement of James Wagoner, President,
Advocates for Youth,
regarding the release of CASH Poll
"The Coalition for Adolescent Sexual Health (CASH), a group of
conservative organizations composed of the Christian Coalition of America and
Focus on the
Family, among others, today released a poll on parental attitudes about sex education.
CASH commissioned Zogby International to interview over 1,200 parents with children
in grades K through 12. In a finding that certainly surprised the members of
CASH—and one that they try to distort with their own ideological spin ('Deception
Uncovered')—the poll demonstrates, like those before it, that a majority
of
parents believe young people need information about condoms and contraception.
Zogby International, in its report analyzing the survey data, writes,
A majority
in almost every sub-group approves of adolescents having good
knowledge of condoms/contraceptives and their use.
This includes significant majorities (three-fourths or
more) of 18- to 29-year-olds, African Americans, Jews
(81%), single adults, and those living together (88%).
Approximately two-thirds of residents of large cities,
divorced / widowed / separated adults, and people with
household incomes of $15,000 to $24,999 also approve.
Seniors 65 and older and born-again Christians (43%) are the most likely
to disapprove of adolescents having good knowledge of condoms/contraceptives
and their use to sustain relationships.
(Parents' Reactions To Proposed Sex Education Messages in the Classroom,
p. 14)
This finding does
not surprise us. Other polls have shown strong support
for a realistic approach to sex education—education that includes information
about abstinence as well the health benefits of condoms
and contraception. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll
found that 85% of parents want
schools to teach information about condoms and 90% want
schools to teach about other forms of birth control, while
88% of students felt
they needed to be taught all aspects of sexuality education—including
birth control and safer sex. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen
Pregnancy found the majority of adults (69%) and teens (67%) support
both a greater emphasis on encouraging teens not to have sex and a
greater emphasis on contraception—rather than one or the other.
In addition, the ANA (American Nurses Association), the AAP (American Academy
of Pediatrics), the AMA (American Medical Association, the IOM (Institute of
Medicine), the former Surgeon General of the United States, and more than 100
other medical and professional organizations all support comprehensive sexuality
education.
This should send a clarion call to
the Bush Administration and to those
in Congress supporting abstinence-only-until-marriage
programs: You are out of
step with what parents want taught, what the research says works, and what
teens say they need. Ignorance is nobody's ally in the era of AIDS."
For
more information contact Bill Barker at 202.419.3420.
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