CDC Reports 19 Million STDs Reported Each Year

Nearly 19 million sexually transmitted disease (STD) are reported each year in the United States and almost half of these infections occur among 15- 24 year-olds, according to the most recent report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The full report, released two weeks ago, provides a startling insight into both the persisting magnitude of STD infection and the age, gender and race disparities that characterize the problem.

According to the CDC report, in 2008 girls age 15 to 19 accounted for nearly a third of the 1.5 million cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea in the U.S., the two most commonly reported STDs, followed closely by women aged 20-24. “This likely reflects a combination of factors, including biological differences that place females at greater risk for STDs than males, as well as higher STD screening rates among young women,” the CDC explains.

This disparity is even more startling along race lines. African Americans accounted for 70 percent of all gonorrhea cases in 2008, while representing only 12 percent of the population. The CDC claims this is one of the greatest disparities of any disease. Once again, this disproportionately effects young girls, with African American girls ages 15 to 19 having the highest rate of gonorrhea infection of any group—2,934.6 cases per 100,000.

Similarly, the rate of chlamydia infection among African American populations is more than eight times higher than that of whites, with the highest rate of infection among black girls ages 15 to 19, effecting over one in ten.

Additionally, the CDC reports that there were 13,500 reported cases of syphilis in 2008. This is the highest number of cases of syphilis, a disease which was nearly eradicated a decade ago, since 1995.  The resurgence of the disease is most prominent among men who have sex with men (MSM), accounting for nearly half of all reported cases. Women, on the other hand, account for just over 15 percent of reported cases.

So what does all this mean?—Depends who you ask.

In early November, the CDC also released a study of sex-ed programs across the U.S. The primary report found that sex education programs that taught contraception resulted in increased condom use and lower chances of contracting STDs. Additionally, the report claimed there was insufficient evidence to conclude whether or not abstinence-only programs were effective.  Many groups are now using the two new CDC reports to push for more funding for comprehensive sex education programs in public schools, while eliminating funding for abstinence-only programs.

However, two members of the research team released a minority report questioning the validity of the study’s conclusions. Amid other concerns, the minority report indicated that the study grouped together “heterogeneous” sex education programs, such as school programs and community education programs, in making calculations. “The resulting internal inconsistency in the results indicates there are many types of CSE [comprehensive sex education] programs that don’t work,” said Irene Ericksen, one of the minority report authors, “Yet the study concludes that CSE programs are broadly effective.”

It seems, however, that the CDC’s new report on STDs does not so much reflect on the need for either form of sex education. Rather it indicates a need for a broad shift in cultural expectations and standards when it comes to sexual behavior. Comprehensive sex-ed programs may reduce the number of infections, but it still reinforces cultural norms that teach that risky sexual behavior is acceptable if one is careful. Meanwhile, abstinence-only education cannot be effective when every other cultural and media message informs youth and other at-risk groups that early sexual intercourse with numerous partners is normal and acceptable. What is really needed is programs that will help shift cultural values to reject risky sexual behavior and media that promotes self-esteem, restraint and fidelity.

World AIDS Day Continues to Send Wrong Message

Yesterday was World AIDS Day, dedicated to educating the public about AIDS prevention and eliminating discrimination towards those suffering from AIDS. However, what is most interesting about the day of international events and education dedicated to the eradication of HIV and AIDS is that no event, website or news outlet commemorating the day acknowledged the single most effective method of preventing the spread of the disease—abstinence.

As with most STD prevention programs, the emphasis was universally placed on risk reduction rather than risk elimination, or more simply put on condom use. The UK World AIDS Day website, for example, claims, “Using a condom during sex . . . is the best way to protect yourself and your partner from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).” (Note the new politically correct term for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), designed to remove any stigma from these diseases.) This is in fact false, as abstinence before and fidelity in marriage is the best way to protect you and your partner from HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.

The fact that abstinence is never mentioned as an option starkly illustrates the cultural attitude towards sex that dominates media and policy—the attitude that abstinence, fidelity and sexual restraint are impossibilities. Rather than spreading the message that one should eliminate risky behavior, events such as World AIDS Day encourage the public only to make inherently risky behavior less risky.

Has this risk reduction message worked? No.

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute for Health, “the annual number of new HIV infections in the United States — about 56,000 — has remained fairly constant for more than a decade. That’s right, 56,000 people are infected in this country every year.” If the number of annual infections holding steady for a decade is considered effective, then, perhaps, an argument could be made that it is effective.

The AIDS epidemic in Africa, however, illustrates the failure of risk reduction messaging. After years of multi-million dollar Western condom programs in Africa, a study conducted by UNAIDS (one of the largest condom provider for Africa) found that condom programs have not turned around any of the severe AIDS epidemics in Africa. Those countries that did succeed in turning around the epidemic did so through programs emphasizing changes in behavior, particularly abstinence or limiting the number of one’s sexual partners.

Therefore, what makes World AIDS Day and the media hype it receives so infuriating is that it continues to reinforce the cultural attitudes that are responsible for the spread of the disease. It is a gross misdeed on the part of those most committed to stopping the spread of HIV. Until we begin to culturally value sexual restraint, fidelity and abstinence, until we begin to connect actions to consequences, until we stop spreading the myth that condoms are the safest means of protection, the AIDS epidemic will continue to spread.

Good news! Abstinence Education is back in the federal budget.

In a narrow vote earlier this week, the Senate Finance Committee approved an amendment to reinstate abstinence education funds removed from the budget earlier this year by President Obama and abortion advocates.

The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-UT, restores $50 million dollars in funding through new Title V state block grant programs. It passed by only a narrow 12-11 vote, but it is a hopeful sign for abstinence education advocates who were facing zero federal funding for 2010.

In May of this year, President Obama zeroed out all federal funding for abstinence education in his proposed budget for 2010 and replaced it with $104 million for a new “evidence-based” teen pregnancy prevention program. In the House, representatives offered an amendment that required some of this funding to go towards non-governmental abstinence education but it failed to pass. Two weeks later Title V federal funding for abstinence education expired, eliminating all federal funds for abstinence education.

Thus, the excitement over Tuesday’s vote, which restores the hope of funding for sex-education programs that actually works to protect those most susceptible to teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other negative effects of teen sexual activity.

“The absence of an abstinence only education program has negative health consequences for our nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” Hatch explained. “Teenage pregnancy is a leading contributor to poverty, which in turn leads to poor health outcomes for mothers and children; sexually active teens are more likely to experience mental health issues such as depression or attempted suicide; and sexually active teens are more likely to suffer health consequences such as increased rates of infection with sexually transmitted diseases.”

Unfortunately, the battle is not over. The amendment still needs a floor vote in the Senate. So there is still time to help.

If you want to join in the fight, visit Parents for Truth or the National Abstinence Education Association for information on advocacy. Or to learn more about the proven success of abstinence education, visit AbstinenceWorks.org.

UNDERCOVER STUDENT VIDEO SHOWS PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN ALABAMA “BENDING THE RULES” OF MANDATORY REPORTING FOR SEXUAL ABUSE

BIRMINGHAM, June 30–A Planned Parenthood counselor in Birmingham was caught on hidden camera telling an alleged 14-year-old statutory rape victim that the clinic “does sometimes bend the rules a little bit” rather than report sexual abuse to state authorities. This is the seventh Planned Parenthood clinic implicated in a multi-state child abuse scandal involving the deliberate and unlawful suppression of evidence of statutory rape.

Lila Rose, 20-year-old UCLA student and Live Action president, went undercover at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Birmingham and told a counselor that she was 14-years-old, pregnant by her 31-year-old “boyfriend,” and needed a secret abortion so her parents would not find out about her sexual relationship with the older man.

After telling the counselor that her “boyfriend” is 31, Rose asks, “Is it a problem about my boyfriend?” The counselor, identified as “Tanisha” in the video, responds, “As long as you consented to having sex with him, there’s nothing we can truly do about that.” Rose then says that her boyfriend “said he could get in big trouble,” and Tanisha acknowledges that “he could, especially if your parents find out that he’s 31.”  She then tells Rose that the clinic manager, OB/GYN Dr. Desiree Bates, “sometimes does bend the rules a little bit” and states that “whatever you tell us stays within these walls” and “we can’t disclose any information to anybody.”

Alabama Code 26-14-3 requires health professionals to disclose suspected cases of sexual abuse to state officials immediately.

“The law is explicit about a healthcare provider’s duty to report, yet Planned Parenthood pretends they cannot say anything,” Rose notes of the investigation. “Planned Parenthood increases its business and influence by circumventing state reporting laws, but inflicts terrible harm upon the vulnerable young girls sent back to statutory rapists.”

In the video, Tanisha also seems to tell Rose that a signature from an “older sister that’s over the age of 18″ or someone “with the same last name” could function as a substitute for parental consent so Planned Parenthood could perform an abortion on a minor. Alabama Code 26-21-3 specifies that the written permission of either a parent or legal guardian is necessary before a minor may obtain an abortion.

The new video is sixth in Live Action’s “Mona Lisa Project,” a nationwide undercover investigation that documents Planned Parenthood’s repeated noncompliance with state mandatory reporting laws for sexual abuse of minors. Alabama is the fourth state to be implicated in the controversy, along with Arizona, Indiana, and Tennessee. Recently, the investigation of a clinic in Memphis, TN assisted state legislators in their effort to successfully divert nearly $1 million in taxpayer subsidies from Planned Parenthood to law-abiding local health clinics.

“When to ‘bend the rules a little’ means hiding a case of statutory rape from Child Protective Services and looking for ways around the parental consent requirement, Planned Parenthood becomes directly responsible for ensuring that statutory rapists can continue their abuse of young girls,” Rose says.

Abstinence Education in Schools

The world we live in has been sexualized in just about every way. Our children can’t turn on the television without being inundated with racy images and messages. How do children growing up in this environment learn about respecting themselves and others as they contemplate sexual activities? How do they learn what is or isn’t appropriate, and at what age? How can they learn the skills necessary to resist what pop-culture tries to constantly force upon them in terms of sexuality and self-image?

One effective method of arming our children with important information is through Abstinence Education programs at schools. Schools in the U.S. generally begin teaching some type of “maturation” classes in the upper grades of elementary school and then introduce sex education classes in junior high or middle school. This is sometimes followed up with more extensive sex education classes in high school. In many cases, a sex education program is part of the health curriculum. The topics discussed and the methods used to teach are often a concern to many parents and lawmakers. Through Abstinence Education, teens are taught that abstaining from sex is the only way to avoid all physical and emotional risks associated with casual sex. Some Abstinence programs give limited information about contraception and STDs, but they focus on the importance of delaying sexual activity and resisting the pressures of our sexualized society. When teens are given appropriate medical information and taught abstinence they can make decisions that will maintain their sexual health and well-being. Abstinence Education programs empower teens to say “no” and mean it, without being scared of sex.

Funding for Abstinence Education Cut by Obama

Congress first allocated $80 million in grants for Abstinence-only Education programs in 1999. Eligibility for abstinence funding is based on guidelines that limit the introduction of content related to contraception, sexual orientation, etc. The focus of the programs receiving abstinence funding must actually be abstinence – refraining from sex. In 2005 the Bush administration backed the movement with $168 million. Programs throughout the U.S. have been implemented mostly in schools, where children and teens can be given good information at an early age.

Unfortunately, President Obama’s new budget indicates that he will fulfill his campaign promise to cut funding for Abstinence Education. His budget would eliminate most money for Abstinence-only Education and shift it to a different program aimed at teen pregnancy prevention. The new budget allocates nearly $178 million for teen pregnancy prevention, with a portion of that going to “innovative” programs.

The executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA) responded to Pres. Obama’s budget cut by saying, “At a time when teens are subjected to an increasingly sexualized culture, it is essential that common-sense legislators from both sides of the aisle reject this extreme attempt to defund the only approach that removes all risk. Members of Congress would be well advised to listen to youth and parents in their districts who overwhelmingly support these valuable programs.”

Abstinence-only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education

There is a fierce debate between supporters of Abstinence-only Education and Comprehensive Sex Education as to which program is most appropriate and really has a significant positive effect on children and teens. Supporters of Abstinence-only say that traditional sex education sends mixed messages and that abstinence is the only method that is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). An excellent article by the Heritage Foundation outlines important facts about early teen sexuality and the effectiveness of Abstinence Education. For example, studies have shown that sexual activity at an early age has multiple harmful consequences including increased rates of infection with sexually transmitted diseases, increased rates of out-of-wedlock pregnancy and birth, increased rates of single parenthood, decreased marital stability, etc. The article also explains that “there are currently ten evaluations showing that abstinence education is effective in reducing teen sexual activity. Half of these evaluations have been published in peer-reviewed journals.” On the other side of the debate, the ACLU and others claim that Abstinence-only programs are ineffective, medically inaccurate and are there to promote religion. These groups question the validity of studies that repeatedly show how effective Abstinence Education really is.

As parents, school boards, policy makers, etc., grapple with finding the right balance for sex education in schools, some are trying to mix a variety of approaches. Some have implemented “Abstinence Plus” programs that do not focus on the message of true abstinence or refraining from sex until marriage. Unfortunately, the danger with these programs is that in the end, little or no emphasis is placed on encouraging students to abstain from sexual activity. Instead, a significant number of these programs heavily endorse condom use and condone sexual activity among teens, and simply give a mention of abstinence as one choice among many. Nearly all such programs contain material and messages that would be offensive and alarming to the majority of parents.

There is a great need for our teens to receive good information about sexual behavior, and receive it in a way that allows them to make good choices. The cultural norm in societies around the world accepts the fact that teens are sexually active, but with proper information about the positive effects of abstinence, teens will be able to resist society’s pressures. In a 2007 report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 47.8 percent of all U.S. high school students 9th through 12th grade report they have had sexual intercourse. The percentage of high school students who have had sex decreased 16 percent between 1991 and 2007 (54.1 percent to 47.8 percent). Teen pregnancy rates among teens aged 15-19 also decreased 38 percent between 1990 and 2004 according to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen an Unplanned Pregnancy. Abstinence Education can help continue this downward trend to give our children a chance to grow up and mature before engaging in sexual activity.

The Role of Parents and Families

Schools will always struggle to find the right balance when dealing with sex education. There will always be strong voices on each side of the issue trying to persuade us that their side is the right one. Ironically, however, it is not the school that can have the most significant influence on our children’s attitude toward sexual activity. A recent survey by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy found that parents are more influential than peers, the media, teachers, and sex educators when it comes to a teen’s decisions about whether to have sex. Most parents don’t think their kids listen to what they say, but that is untrue. Parents have a tremendous opportunity if they will be vocal and upfront as they discuss expectations and acceptable actions with their children.

United Families supports Abstinence-only Education to help families as they confront a culture that has become extremely sexualized. Parents have an especially important role as they teach their children important concepts about self-worth and proper sexual health. The debate over funding for Abstinence-only programs continues and it is more important that ever to raise our voices in support of Abstinence Education as President Obama and members of Congress cut funding for this important program. We can make a difference in educating and empowering our youth to make good decisions that will benefit them now and throughout the rest of their lives.

Abstinence Day at U.S. Capitol

From CNA:
On Wednesday the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA) is sponsoring Abstinence Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. by bringing nearly 500 teens to the U.S. Capitol.

The NAEA reported in a statement that the diverse group of teens will describe the positive benefit that abstinence education has made in their lives and to ask lawmakers and the White House to continue funding such programs.  Abstinence Day events include meeting with Congressional Offices, attending a youth-centered workshop and participating in an event designed to encourage peer-to-peer support of abstinence as the best choice.

“This is the ultimate Yes We Can message,” said one teen who registered for the event. “I hope our
voices will be heard.”

Valerie Huber, Executive Director of NAEA, said the teens constituted the organization’s “largest group ever.”

“We knew that this message resonated with teens, but this response has been overwhelming and indicates the strong support abstinence education has among American youth, schools and parents.”

FRC reported:
Nearly 500 students from across the country visited the U.S. Capitol to lobby their legislators on retaining abstinence funding. Many of these students have directly been impacted by abstinence education programs and come from areas that have extremely high teenage pregnancy rates. These eager and enthusiastic teens listened to FRC’s own David Christensen and Valerie Huber, Executive Director of the National Abstinence Education Assocation. Rep. Lee Terry of Nebraska also stopped by the event and added his own remarks. He urged the students to enjoy their time in Washington, D.C. and briefed them about the impact that they are making by visiting their legislators to discuss retaining abstinence funding.

8 Traits of Teens Who Abstain From Sex

Former head of the National Institutes of Health and the American Red Cross, Dr. Bernadine Healy, writes on research conducted on teens who choose chastity before marriage.  The following is an excerpt from her latest article, click here to read the full story.

Kids who can make abstinence decisions do better in school, too, even when the comparison group was matched for social background and the desire to pursue education. Abstinent teens are far more likely to attend and graduate from college than those who are sexually active, based on an analysis of the NIH-supported National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health by Robert Rector and Kirk Johnson, researchers at the Heritage Foundation. Seems obvious: less distraction and more time to study.

But maybe it’s more. The researchers identified eight personality and behavioral traits that were associated with both abstinence and academic achievement—traits that to some extent may be inborn but can also be taught and reinforced regularly at home and at school:

1. Future orientation, with a focus on long-term goals
2. Willingness to postpone current pleasures for larger future rewards
3. Perseverance, as in the ability to stick to a task or commitment
4. A belief that current behavior can positively affect the future
5. Impulse control, including ability to control emotions and desires
6. Resistance to peer influence
7. Respect for parental and social values
8. Sense of self-worth and personal dignity

The right kind of sex education of our young is really about more than sex. It’s about raising the kind of people we all want to be.

Every Teen Doesn’t Have Sex

We constantly hear from Planned Parenthood and other liberals that “everybody does it.” And since every teen is supposedly sexually active, the remedy is condoms.

Now a new study comes out to refute those tired lines. And guess what? The Center for Disease Control study reports that just 34.1 percent of U.S. high school students are sexually active. That’s a little short of “everybody.” This figure is down from 54 percent in 1991, which is about the time that abstinence education began gathering momentum.

The 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System study showed a 2-percent dropoff in the percentage of teens who said they used condoms while having sex. As students progress through high school, their condom use drops off — despite the heavy dose of condom education by Planned Parenthood.

Despite the falling rates of sexual activity, there is still too much early sexual activity. In Mississippi and Delaware, more than 60 percent of high school students have had sexual intercourse. The rates are over 50 percent in 14 other states.

The further students go through high school, the more likely they are to engage in sexual activity:

Ninth-graders: 20.1 percent
Tenth-graders: 30.6 percent
Eleventh-graders: 41.8 percent
Twelfth-graders: 52.6 percent

Nearly 15 percent of high school students have had sexual intercourse with four or more persons in their life.

The figure for students having sex for the first time before the age of 13 is 7.1 percent. Just 4.5 percent of high school seniors fit this category.

Sexual activity among Black and White students is declining, but there was no decline among Hispanic students.

One of the surprising findings of the study is that 29.1 percent of high school students in San Francisco have ever had sex. In contrast, 70 percent of students in Baltimore had engaged in sexual intercourse. Other major metro cities with high rates were Detroit, Memphis, Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

Read the study

Abstinence Education Under Fire Despite Great Success

On Tuesday, speakers at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., announced that two new studies have joined the growing list of research demonstrating the efficacy of abstinence education. Despite a plethora of evidence to this effect, Democrats in Congress still want to discontinue or reduce federal funding of abstinence education. A study by Dr. Stan Weed, of the Institute of Research and Evaluation, evaluated the role of abstinence education in decreasing the sexual activity of students in Virginia’s middle schools. The program achieved a significant reduction in teen sexual initiation. Also, Christine Kim and Robert Rector, of The Heritage Foundation, released their comprehensive review of 21 previous studies of the effectiveness of abstinence and virginity pledge programs. Sixteen of the 21 studies of abstinence education reported lower levels of sexual activity among students who had studied abstinence. It is not surprising that new studies confirm what we have known all along: discussing and teaching abstinence provides a valuable service to children and their families. The focus on condoms in so-called “safe-sex” education classes cannot compare to abstinence education in any way. Nevertheless, Congress needs to recognize the success of abstinence education and appropriate federal funding.

Today, Congressman Henry Waxman (Democrat, California), an aggressive opponent of abstinence education, brought in seven witnesses to testify to the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is deliberating on federal funding options for sexual education. Waxman stacked the deck with anti-abstinence education witnesses. Six of the seven witnesses testifying opposed abstinence education. As the only witness offering testimony on the efficacy of abstinence education, Dr. Weed pointed out that most studies demonstrate that abstinence education clearly works better than comprehensive “safe-sex” education and its reliance on encouraging teens to be sexually active and use condoms.

The Heritage Foundation Study