Science or Politics? George W. Bush
and the Future of Sexuality Education in the United States
This
fact sheet is also available in [PDF]
format.
Background
The
American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics,
the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Medicine,
the Office of National AIDS Policy — all recently issued reports highlighting
the scientific research in support of comprehensive sexuality
education, education which includes information about both abstinence and contraception.
Congress,
ignoring this science, allocated over $300 million since
the fall of 1996 to fund unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage programs
that exclude information
about condoms and contraceptives for the prevention of teen pregnancy,
HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
As
Governor, George W. Bush championed abstinence-only-until-marriage
programs in Texas. As a presidential candidate, Bush promised
to increase federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
As
President, is Bush poised to reject the scientific evidence
on what really works with teens and sex?
Politics
or Science?
"It's
very important to understand the power and promise
of abstinence education."1
—Presidential
candidate George W. Bush, September 2000
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"Current
research findings do not support the position
that the abstinence-only approach to sexuality
education is effective in delaying the onset
of intercourse."2
—THE
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, 1999
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"We
are aware of no methodologically sound studies
that demonstrate the effectiveness of curricula
that teach abstinence as the only effective means
of preventing teen pregnancy…Credible evidence
is lacking to show the effectiveness of abstinence-only
programs. Additionally, there is mounting evidence
suggesting that these programs are generally
ineffective."3
—Brian
Wilcox, Ph.D., Center on Children, Families, and the
Law, University of Nebraska |
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[As President] "My
administration will elevate abstinence education
from an afterthought to an urgent goal."4
—Presidential candidate
George W. Bush, November 1999
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"…It
is a matter of grave concern that there is such
a large incentive to adopt unproven abstinence-only
approaches." Particularly since "the
effective programs identified to date provide information
about safer sex, condoms, and contraceptives, in
addition to encouraging abstinence."5
—OFFICE
OF NATIONAL AIDS POLICY, SEPTEMBER 2000
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More
than eight out of 10 Americans believe young
people should be given information about protecting
themselves from unplanned pregnancies and sexually
transmitted diseases.6
—Hickman-Brown
public opinion poll, 1999 |
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Bush
pledged to increase federal funding [for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs]
to at least $135 million a year.7
—The Washington
Post, June 1999
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"The
Committee believes that investing hundreds of millions
of dollars of federal and state funds over five
years in abstinence-only programs with no evidence
of effectiveness constitutes poor fiscal and public
health policy…. Congress, as well as other
federal, state and local policymakers, [should]
eliminate requirements that public funds be used
for abstinence-only education."8
—THE INSTITUTE OF
MEDICINE, OCTOBER 2000
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Seven out of 10 Americans oppose federal funding to promote abstinence-only-until-marriage
programs that prohibit teaching about condoms and contraception
for the prevention of unintended pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and
sexually transmitted diseases.6
—Hickman-Brown
public opinion poll, 1999
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"It [abstinence-only-until-marriage
education] hadn't been given a very good chance, but
it's worked when it's tried. That's for certain."9
—Presidential candidate
George W. Bush, November 1999
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"None
of these studies [on abstinence-only programs]
found consistent and significant program effects
on delaying the onset of intercourse, and at least
one study provided strong evidence that the program
did not delay the onset of intercourse."10
—NATIONAL CAMPAIGN
TO PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY, 1997
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Eighty-four percent of Americans agree that preventing HIV/AIDS
and other sexually transmitted diseases are public health issues
and should be left to scientists and experts, not to politicians.6
—Hickman-Brown
public opinion poll, 1999
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"It seems
like to me the contraceptive message sends a contradictory
message. It tends to undermine the message of abstinence." 11
—Presidential candidate
George W. Bush, July 1999
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"Proponents
of abstinence-only policies argue that providing
information about contraception or providing condoms
to adolescents sends a mixed message to youth and
may promote sexual activity." However, "expert
panels that have studied this issue, have concluded
that comprehensive sex and HIV/AIDS education programs
and condom availability programs can be effective
in reducing high-risk sexual behaviors among adolescents.
In addition, these reviews and expert panels conclude
that school-based sex education and condom availability
programs do not increase sexual activity among
adolescents.8
—THE INSTITUTE OF
MEDICINE, OCTOBER 2000
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Among adolescents who reported sexual experience prior to the study,
those in the safer-sex intervention [the intervention that included information
on contraception and abstinence] reported less frequent sexual
intercourse, thus providing evidence contrary to the belief
that sex education increases sexual activity.12
—John
B. Jemmott, Ph.D., Dept. of Psychology, Princeton University, 1998
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More than eight out of every 10 Americans reject the
idea that providing sexuality education that includes information
on both abstinence and contraception will encourage sexual activity.6
—Hickman-Brown
public opinion poll, 1999
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"The folks
that are saying condom distribution is the best way
to reduce teenage pregnancies obviously haven't looked
at the statistics."13
—Presidential candidate
George W. Bush, November 1999
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"…Two
trends have contributed to the declines in teenage
birth and pregnancy rates. First, the long-term
increase in the proportion of teenaged women who
were sexually experienced leveled [off]… In
addition, among sexually experienced teenagers
who used any method of contraception, condom use
increased substantially."14
—CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION, 1997 |
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"Although sexual abstinence is a desirable objective, programs must include
instruction in safer sex behavior, including condom use. The effectiveness of
these programs is supported by strong scientific evidence."15
—The National
Institutes of Health, 1997 |
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"All adolescents should be counseled about the correct and consistent use
of latex condoms to reduce risk of infection."16
—American Academy of Pediatrics,
January 2001 |
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Recent analyses by the prestigious Alan Guttmacher Institute found
that 75 percent of the decline in teen pregnancy rates is
due to improved use of contraception.17 A policy
brief concluded that, "to sustain the downward trends
in teenage pregnancy rates, it will be necessary … to
integrate the conclusion [that improved contraceptive use
can make, and is making, a big difference] into policies
and programs."18
—The
Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2000 |
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"Given the weight of scientific evidence demonstrating the efficacy of safer-sex
interventions and the absence of clear and compelling data demonstrating a significant
and consistent treatment advantage for abstinence programs, it is difficult to
understand the logic behind the decision to earmark funds specifically for abstinence
programs. Unfortunately, much of the public health policy debate appears to have
been ideologically motivated rather than empirically driven. However, no matter
how widespread, politically viable, or popular a program may be, efficacy in
preventing and modifying behaviors associated with ST[D]/HIV must remain the
primary criterion by which programs are changed."19
EDITORIAL:
PREVENTING SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS AMONG ADOLESCENTS:
A CLASH OF IDEOLOGY AND SCIENCE. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN
MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, MAY 1998
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Texas' Recent
Record
"I have
seen what works in my state: raise expectations, measure
progress, insist on results [and] blow the whistle
on failure."20
—Presidential candidate
George W. Bush, 2000
- Under Governor Bush, Texas spent over $10 million on abstinence-only-until-marriage
education. Bush allocated nearly $6 million in state funds, well over
the $3.7 million state match required by the federal allocation of $4.9
million.21,22
- In Texas, 220 teen females aged 15 to 19 become pregnant every
single day.23
- Texas' teen pregnancy rate is 113 per 1,000 teen females
aged 15 to 19. Only Nevada, California, Arizona, and Florida have higher
teen pregnancy rates.23
- Texas has the second worst teen birth rate
among 15- to 19-year-old females, ranking 49th out of 50 states. Only
Mississippi has a higher teen birth rate.24
- Texas ranks dead last in the decline in teen birth rates
among 15-to 17-year-olds, ranking 50th out of 50. Between
1991 and 1998, the teen birth rate in this age group dropped by more
than 21 percent in the United States as a whole; Texas' rate declined
by only 10 percent.24
- Texas ranks second to last for the decline in the teen birth
rate among 15-to 19-year-olds during the same time
period, ranking 49th out of 50.24
- While Texas ranks 15th out of 39 states in the decline in the birth
rate among 15-to 19-year-old African American teens (30.4
percent), Texas' decline in the birth rate for Caucasian teens
aged 15 to 19 is the sixth smallest recorded in any state (12.5
percent). Texas' birth rate declined by only 3.5 percent among Hispanic
teens aged 15 to 19 compared to 12.3 percent nationwide.24
- Texas has an extremely high number of reported STD cases — accounting
for about 10 percent of all reported cases of chlamydia
and gonorrhea in the country.25
- Texas' chlamydia rate is 319 per 100,000 population, ranking 44th out
of 50. Texas' gonorrhea rate is 167 per 100,000 population, ranking the
state 40th out of 50.25
- Texas ranks 46th out of 50 states for the number of people living with
HIV/AIDS.26
Written by Marcela Howell and Ammie N.
Feijoo, January 2001
References
- Boyer D. Teens get Bush's views on sex: stresses abstinence
lessons in school. The Washington Times, Friday,
September 15, 2000.
- Council on Scientific Affairs. Report of the Council on Scientific
Affairs. [Action of the AMA House of Delegates 1999 Interim Meeting,
CSA Report 7-I-99]. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, 1999.
- Wilcox BL, Limber SP, O'Bierne H, Bartels CL. Federally Funded
Adolescent Abstinence Promotion: An Evaluation of Evaluations.
Presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence,
Boston, March 10, 1996.
- George W. Bush. The True Goal of Education. [Speech at Gorham,
NH, Tuesday, November 2, 1999]. http://www.georgebush.com/news/speeches/1102.99_education.html.
- Office of National AIDS Policy. Youth and HIV/AIDS 2000: A New
American Agenda. Washington, DC: The White House, September 2000.
- Hickman-Brown Public Opinion Research. Public Opinion Research
on Sexuality Education. [Report to Advocates for Youth
and the Sexuality Information & Education Council of the
U.S.] Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, 1999.
- Broder
DS. Bush defends gun record, pushes teen sex abstinence in S.C. foray. The
Washington Post, June 22, 1999.
- Committee on HIV Prevention Strategies in the United States, Institute
of Medicine. No Time to Lose: Getting More from HIV Prevention.
Washington, DC: The Institute, October 2000.
- Cohen R. Bush's blank spaces. The Washington Post, Thursday,
December 9, 1999.
- Kirby D. No Easy Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce
Teen Pregnancy: A Research Review Commissioned by The National Campaign
to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Washington, DC : The National Campaign,
1997.
- Dionne E.J. 'Abstinence plus.' The Washington Post, July
16, 1999.
- Jemmott
JB, Jemmott LS, Fong GT. Abstinence and safer sex HIV risk-reduction
interventions for African American adolescents:
a randomized controlled
trial. JAMA 1998; 279: 1529-1536.
- Bruni F. Bush explains his opposition to abortion. The New York
Times, November 22, 1999.
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
State-Specific Birth Rates for Teenagers, United
States, 1990-1996. Morbidity & Mortality
Weekly Report 1997; 46:838-842.
- National Institutes of Health. Consensus Development Conference
Statement. Rockville, MD: The Institutes, 1997.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Adolescents and human immunodeficiency
virus infection: the role of the pediatrician in prevention and intervention.
[Policy statement]. Pediatrics 2001; 107:188-190.
- Alan Guttmacher Institute. Trend toward Abstinence-Only Sex Ed
Means Many U.S. Teenagers Are Not Getting Vital Messages about Contraception.
[News Release]. New York, NY: The Institute, January 12, 2001.
- Saul R. Teen pregnancy: progress meets politics. The Guttmacher
Report on Public Policy June 1999; 2(3):6-9.
- DiClemente RJ. Preventing sexually transmitted infections among adolescents:
a clash of ideology and science. [Editorials] JAMA May 20,
1998; 279:1574-1575.
- George
W. Bush Campaign. Letter soliciting campaign funds. Austin, TX: Bush
for President, Inc., 2000.
- Daly D, Wong VC. Between the Lines: States' Implementation of the
Federal Government's Section 510(b) Abstinence Education Program in
Fiscal Year 1998. New York, NY: SIECUS, 1999.
- Office of the Governor. Governor Announces Second Round of Abstinence
Grants. [Press release] Austin, TX: The Office, October 20, 1998.
- The Alan Guttmacher Institute. Teenage Pregnancy: Overall Trends
and State-by-State Information. New York, NY: The Institute, 1999.
- Ventura SJ, Curtin SC, Mathews TJ. Variations in teenage birth rates,
1991-1998: national and state trends. National Vital Statistics
Reports 2000; 48(6):1-16.
- Division of STD Prevention. 1999 Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance.
Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention,
2000.
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. HIV/AIDS Surveillance
Report 2000; 12(1):1-43.
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