Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed is a coalition of educational, religious, health, social service and advocacy organizations, as well as concerned individuals that promotes lifelong healthy sexuality by advocating for policies on comprehensive sexuality education and access to confidential health care services.
New Coalition Partner Organization
The Coalition welcomes newest Partner Organization, Population Connection. Population Connection (formerly Zero Population Growth) is the national grassroots population organization that educates young people and advocates progressive action to stabilize world population at a level that can be sustained by the earth's resources.
In the News
States Turn Down US Abstinence Education Grants
A federal tally shows that participation in the program (Title V, section 510) is down 40% over two years, with 28 states still in. Instructors must teach that sexual activity outside of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects as a requirement of this program. Read more here.
National Abstinence Education Association Launches Effort Aimed at Gaining Support of Parents
The Washington, DC-based National Abstinence Education Association's (NAEA) has launched a $1 million national campaign to lobby for abstinence-only curricula and to elect representatives sympathetic to the approach (www.nationalpartnership.org). You can watch the campaign video at www.parentsfortruth.org.
Advocates for responsible, fact-based comprehensive sex education continue working to bring public policy in step with the science – and public opinion –that strongly support the need for complete and accurate information in order for youth to make safe and healthy choices. Two recently published studies from the Journal of Adolescent Health illustrate the success of comprehensive sex education (www.jahonline.org/article1) and the degree of parental support for it (www.jahonline.org/article2).
Research
Teens Who Make 'Virginity Pledges' More Likely To Delay Sexual Activity
A recent online publication of the Journal of Adolescent Health included this new analysis; the latest attempt to determine whether virginity pledges are effective. Read more here.
Resources
Sex, Lies, and Stereotypes: How Abstinence-Only Programs Harm Women and Girls
Legal Momentum released "Sex, Lies, and Stereotypes: How Abstinence-only Programs Harm Women and Girls," a new report exposing the deceitful and sexist messages of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. This report highlights the harm to our youth, women, and girls in particular, of this government-funded program. For more information, click here.
Guttmacher Policy Review
The Spring issue of the Guttmacher Policy Review includes articles on topics including provider refusal and access to reproductive health services, Congress' examination of the evidence on abstinence-only programs and the high STI rates among teens. For more information, visit guttmacher.org.