Sextra Sextra: The End to Abstinence Only Sex-Ed

The United States government has finally put an end to abstinence-only sex education funding in schools. An omnibus spending bill passed last week redirected these funds to be spent on medically sound programs designed to prevent teenage pregnancy.

Previously, some states refused federal sex education funding because of the abstinence only program. The states that favored a broader approach to sex-ed have recently shown reduced abortion rates.

The $114 million initiative will be used by the newly formed Office of Adolescent Health to support "medically accurate and age appropriate programs."

To quote the New York Times, "Ideology, censorship and bad science have no place in public health policy. It is a relief to see some sense returning to Capitol Hill." I'm glad to see that a shift is being made from our ineffectual, and puritanical views on teen sex to acknowledging that raging hormones are hard to contain. Though intelligent, we are animals after all.