The Honorable [NAME]
United States House of Representatives
United States Capitol
Washington, DC
   
Dear Representative [NAME]:

I am a parent who is committed to my daughter and all young people receiving responsible sexuality education that includes medically accurate information about both abstinence and contraception. I have recently been informed that Congress is considering additional funding for ineffective, abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that censor vital information about contraception, and I am outraged.

Research shows that teaching both abstinence and contraception is the most effective sexuality education for young people. Youth who receive this kind of education are more likely to initiate sexual activity later in life and to use protection correctly and consistently when they do become sexually active. Furthermore, evaluation of comprehensive sexuality education has found that such programs delay the onset of intercourse, reduce the frequency of intercourse, reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase condom and contraceptive use. And these programs do not encourage teens to begin sexual activity. In short, responsible sexuality education programs work!

As a parent, I am concerned about the high rates of pregnancy and high number of cases of sexually transmitted infections among teens. However, I am also concerned that current federal policies attempt to address these problems by limiting my daughter's access to important information about sexual and reproductive health care. I am not alone in my concern. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, neither parents (70.6%) nor teens (74.7%) believe that discussing both abstinence and contraception sends a mixed message to teens. Parents clearly understand that sexuality education is not an either/or proposition, but an education program that includes both. You must not limit the ability of educators to provide accurate, comprehensive information.

Sincerely,