A group called Project Reality, at a press conference in Washington, DC, educated members of America’s media about the rise in popularity of abstinence-based sex-ed programs in public schools throughout the US, and the decline of contraceptive-based programs. On 14 December 1999, Project Reality cited two new studies which indicate the acceptance of abstinence among adolescents. A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation concluded that a third of all US high school principals say their school’s main message in sex-ed class is that “young people should only have sex when they are married.” The second study, conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, concluded that 35 percent of 825 school district superintendents have “abstinence-until-marriage policies” enforced in their schools. How did President Clinton respond to this news? He wants to ignore it, and increase government spending for “family planning” programs here in the US. In his 8 January 2000 radio address from the Oval Office, Clinton promised to provide $35 million next year to stock 4,600 “reproductive health” clinics nationwide with “a full range of reproductive health services.” Students encouraged to abstain from sex in high school may soon have access to contraceptives in shops throughout the US, compliments of the US taxpayer; that is, if Clinton’s proposal for domestic family planning gets through Congress. PRI questions the message the Administration is sending to our nation’s teens, and to the rest of the world. (Project Reality, “Rising Tide of Abstinence…,” press release, 14 December 1999.)
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