State (Maine) rejects federal abstinence funding

[MaineDem]

AUGUSTA -- Maine has stopped accepting federal funds for an abstinence-based sex-education program, in part because federal guidelines do not allow any of the money to be used to teach so-called "safe sex" practices.

The decision by Gov. John Baldacci's administration makes Maine only the third state in the country to turn down the federal money. It comes amid a national debate over whether the government should promote only abstinence or provide young people with information about birth control and other aspects of sexual activity.

Maine accepted federal abstinence funds annually from 1998 through last year. But state officials said Monday the state did not apply for $165,000 in funds during the current federal fiscal year and it will will not seek $161,000 that is available for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/1978526.shtml

[mattclearing]

1. It's amazing to me that there's any debate at all.

After all, our president is the poster boy for birth control. If only he knew it.

[tanyev]

3. Poppy and Babs sure spawned an evil bunch, didn't they?

Too bad they didn't use lots of protection.

[SoCalDem]

2. The sad thing is that the money is still needed by most districts

and it's obscene that the admin is deliberately putting "poison pills" into things like this. They know that some will refuse to teach nonsense, and then have to refuse the money..freeing up that extra money so it can be folded into their slush fund or given to states that are all too willing to teach nonsense.:(

[insane_cratic_gal]

4. I love Maine!

I use to live in Portland, you've never met a bunch of no nonsense type of people then those who are "mainers".

I'm glad to see that someone had decided it's more important to get the FACTS to our children about STD's and logical protection. With an 80% failure rate of Abstinence programs and more kids having oral sex as a result of Abstinence programs.

Parent's should advocate abstinence but have a sense of reality that some times stuff just happens, and your child better know what a rubber is.

[formercia]

5. Makes me glad I live in Maine

We do have our share of fundie wackos too, but at least there are more sane people.

[acmejack]

6. Is Bath Iron Works still open?

I used to do some work at the shipyard, maybe I need to go back. I want to live in a Blue State!

[MaineDem]

8. It is indeed

Although shifts have been cut and the future is not cast in stone.

We'd love to have you!

[wtbymark]

7. Right On ya Mainers

signed-
Vermonter

[eyesroll]

9. The government is violating parental authority by promoting abstinence-

only education.

My parents did not raise me to abstain until marriage (my dad, the go-to guy for questions of this nature, pretty much said "until you're much older, when you're ready"), and they surely didn't raise me to be ignorant of ways to protect myself.

How is abstinence taught these days, anyway? Is it taught purely in value-neutral and accurate terms -- that abstinence is the only sure-fire way to prevent STDs? That abstinence is 100% effective as a contraceptive? That's fine. It's true. I'm also OK with certain "you don't have to have sex to prove your love/masculinity/ whatever" lessons, so long as they emphasize your right to say no vs. your duty to say no.

But when schools start getting into discussions of values, morals, etc., surrounding sex, they're usurping the morals and values my parents have tried to instill in me. They never told me sex -- even premarital sex -- was dirty or immoral. That's none of the school's business. That's for parents and in some cases clergy to teach.

[Ben Ceremos]

10. I was curious

about how one of the world's most sexually open society's, The Netherlands, deals with youth sexuality. I discovered that the average age for sex initiation in Holland is 28 years of age. I suggest the USA consider allowing a very open sex debate, because at last look, the USA is number one in teen pregnancy and quite high on the scale for sexually transmitted diseases.

[eyesroll]

11. 28 seems awfully high -- the average age of first marriage is 26 1/2

for women in the Netherlands:
http://www.helsinki.fi/science/xantippa/wee/weetext/wee234.html

Here, it says average age of first intercourse (again for women) is 17.7 (still two years older than for American women).

http://www.overpopulation.org/teenpreg.html\


But I do get what you're saying. Sexually open societies do have fewer teen pregnancies, abortions and STDs than we do.

[mainegreen]

12. Considering we used to have one of the highest rate of teen pregnancies

and now we're 3rd lowest, we'd be stupid to not opt out. Teen pregnacy costs a lot more than 165,000 a year. Its simple economics for our state!

[Demeter]

13. This Must Be Why They're Sending All That Ice to Maine!

Artificial Abstinence!