As of August 2008, at least 25 states will no longer be participating in the crumbling Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program at the end of Fiscal Year 2008. Begun in 1998, this program has seen a 40 percent decrease in participation by states in the two last years.[1] Of the states that have withdrawn, 80 percent have done so based on strong research and evaluations showing that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are incredibly ineffective. These principled rejections come from diverse parts of the country and represent the broader, national shift away from abstinence-only-until-marriage programs after a disastrous and exponential decade-long expansion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

      "I’m not chasing the dollar. The state of Washington made its decision; we did as a Legislature, that we believe kids ought to be taught a comprehensive sex education with abstinence-only included in that program.” –Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Rosemary McAuliffe, a sponsor of Washington State’s Healthy Youth Act which conflicts with the strict A-H definition.[8] She continued, “If the federal government will not agree to that and will not fund it because we aren’t doing that, I guess that’s too bad. I wish they would look at a balance because that’s what kids need.”[9]

Administrative Withdrawals

On such state, Idaho, stopped participating in the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program in Fiscal Year 2008 partially due to these reasons.[10] However, Elke Shaw-Tulloch, an official from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare , cited other reasons including: “At the same time, there was mounting evidence the abstinence programs weren’t proving to be effective.”

 

The fact remains that 80 percent of states out of the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program, 20 out of 25, have left the program for substantive reasons. Citing evidence against the abstinence-only-until-marriage program, states are leading the way in a paradigm shift towards a more comprehensive approach to sex education.

 

 

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