Coalition Letter to House and Senate Leaders Urging Review of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs

Dear [Senators/Representatives],

We, the undersigned, are writing to express our support for United States Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's statement that it is the responsibility of the United States government to ensure that all federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are fully reviewed. Senator Frist affirmed this responsibility on December 5 on This Week with George Stephanopoulos during a discussion of the egregious errors and inaccuracies uncovered in these programs in a recent report prepared for Congressman Henry Waxman.

The report, titled The Content of Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Education Programs, found that ""over 80% of the abstinence-only curricula, used by over two-thirds of SPRANS grantees in 2003, contain false, misleading, or distorted information about reproductive health."" Examples of these false, misleading, or distorted statements include:

• ""Exposure to sweat and tears [are] risk factors for HIV transmission;""
• ""[I]n heterosexual sex, condoms fail to prevent HIV approximately 31% of the time;""
• ""Women gauge their happiness and judge their success on their relationships. Men's happiness and success hinge on their accomplishments;""
• ""A pregnancy occurs one out of every seven times that couples use condoms;"" and
• Instructing students that sexually-transmitted chlamydia may cause heart attacks and strokes.[1]

Yet, there has been a renewed and expanded investment in these curricula by allocating more than $168 million in FY 2005 into three separate funding streams[2] for domestic abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, an increase of $30 million from FY 2004. Funding for the programming of SPRANS-CBAE grantees, which the recent report specifically examined, has nearly quadrupled in four years increasing from $20 million in FY 2001 to $75 million in FY 2004.

There is now a potential for similar types of programs to be exported internationally through the US global AIDS program, also known as The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). In sub-Saharan Africa, where 80 percent of new infections are transmitted through unprotected sex, field-tested, evidence-based programs are an essential tool to save the lives of millions at risk of HIV infection. Yet, starting next year, at least one-third of all U.S. funds spent overseas to prevent HIV/AIDS must be reserved for "abstinence-until-marriage" programs. As stated by Senate Majority Leader Frist on This Week on December 5, HIV/AIDS is "one of the great moral and public health tragedies of the last 100 years." With a crisis so great, we have a moral obligation to make sure U.S. programs are disseminating complete and medically accurate information.

On a separate matter, lax oversight of these programs has also resulted in US taxpayer dollars being used to promote religion in federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in the state of Louisiana. Two years after a US District Judge found that there was a constitutional violation and a settlement was reached, that program was still promoting religion. In one example, young people asking about the decision to take a virginity pledge were told that ""God will help you to explain what you mean?He will provide the words, if you let Him?please know that God is standing beside you the whole way. Have courage and answer the question as God wants you to.""

For these reasons, we respectfully request that the [Senate/House] leadership support and call for the initiation of a hearing to fully review the content of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

Sincerely,

Action Wisconsin
Advocates for Youth
AIDS Action
AIDS Action Baltimore
AIDS Action Committee (Massachusetts)
AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
The AIDS Institute
The AIDS Legal Council of Chicago
AIDS Resource Alliance, Inc. (Williamsport, PA)
AIDS Survival Project (Atlanta, GA)
Alan Guttmacher Institute The Alaska Women's Lobby
The Alaska Emergency Contraception Project
Alaska Pro Choice Alliance
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Association for Health Education
American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, & Therapists American Association of University Women
American Civil Liberties Union
American Counseling Association
American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR)
American Humanist Association
American Medical Student Association
American Medical Women's Association
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association
Americans for Religious Liberty
American School Health Association
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Arizona Family Planning Council
Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
Basic Rights Oregon
Benton CO. Committee to Prevent Child Abuse (Oregon)
Berkshire Coalition To Prevent Teen Pregnancy (Pittsfield, MA)
Blue Mountain Clinic (Missoula, MT)
Cascade AIDS Project (Portland, OR)
Catholics For a Free Choice
Cedar River Clinics-Tacoma (Washington)
The Center for American Progress
The Center for Health and Gender Equity
Center for Law and Social Policy
The Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Women Policy Studies
Central Conference of American Rabbis
CHAMP (Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project)
Child Welfare League of America
Choice USA
Connecticut Coalition for Choice
Disciples for Choice (Tulsa, OK)
Disciples Justice Action Network
DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Economic Opportunity Commission of San Luis Obispo (California) EngenderHealth
The Episcopal Church, USA
Equal Partners in Faith
Family Care International
Family Health Council, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA)
Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania, Inc. (Camp Hill, PA) Family Planning Advocates of New York State
Family Planning Association of Maine
Family Planning Association of Northeast Ohio, Inc.
Family Planning Council (Philadelphia, PA)
Feminist Majority
Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
Gay City Health Project (Seattle, WA)
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
Gay Men's Health Crisis (New York)
Girls, Inc.
Girls Inc. of Wilmington (Deleware)
Global AIDS Alliance
Global Campaign for Microbicides
Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America
Harm Reduction Coalition (New York, NY)
Health Initiatives for Youth (San Francisco, CA)
Housing Works, Inc.
Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Watch
Ibis Reproductive Health
Idaho Women's Network
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health
Indiana Civil Liberties Union
Indiana Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Ipas
Kentucky Teen Pregnancy Coalition
Lambda Legal
Legal Momentum
Lifelong AIDS Alliance (Washington State)
Love Heals, the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education
Mary Wohlford Foundation
Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy
MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund) Metro TeenAIDS (Washington, DC)
Minnesota AIDS Project
Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting
Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Mountain Maternal Health League, Planned Parenthood (Kentucky)
Ms. Foundation for Women
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona
NARAL Pro-Choice California
NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado
NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio
NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts
NARAL Pro-Choice Montana
NARAL Pro-Choice New Jersey
NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire
NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina
NARAL Pro-Choice Texas
NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia
NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin & Foundation
NARAL Pro-Choice Wyoming
National Abortion Access Fund
National AIDS Fund
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health
National Association of People With AIDS
National Coalition Against Censorship
National Coalition of STD Directors
National Education Association
National Education Association Health Information Network
National Council of Jewish Women
National Coalition of Women's Organizations
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Health Law Program (Los Angeles, CA)
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Minority AIDS Council
National Network for Youth
National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women and Families
National Women's Health Network
National Women's Law Center
National Youth Advocacy Coalition
New York AIDS Coalition North Central District AIDS Coalition (Lock Haven, PA)
Northwest Women's Law Center
Northwest Wyoming Family Planning (Park County, WY)
Odyssey Youth Center (Spokane, WA)
Ohio AIDS Coalition
Openarms Youth Project Inc. (Tulsa, OK)
Pacific Institute for Women's Health
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Pennsylvania Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
People for the American Way
Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health®
Pierce County AIDS Foundation (Tacoma, WA)
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Inc.
Planned Parenthood of Central and North Arizona
Planned Parenthood of Central Washington
Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette (Oregon)
Planned Parenthood of Connecticut
Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma
Planned Parenthood Golden Gate (California)
Planned Parenthood of Hawaii
Planned Parenthood Health Services of Southwestern Oregon
Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Inc. (Raleigh, NC)
Planned Parenthood of Idaho
Planned Parenthood of Indiana
Planned Parenthood of the Louisiana and Mississippi Delta
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
Planned Parenthood of Montana
Planned Parenthood of Nassau County (Hempstead, NY)
Planned Parenthood New Mexico
Planned Parenthood of New York City
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England - New Hampshire Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island
Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona
Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan
Planned Parenthood of South Central New York, Inc.
Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region
Planned Parenthood of the Inland Northwest
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin
Population Action International
Population Connection
Pro-Choice Coalition of Indiana
The Presbyterian Church (USA), Washington Office
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice of Connecticut, Inc.
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice of Massachusetts Reproductive Health Technologies Project
Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing
Robert Sterling Clark Foundation
Sexuality Education for Life-Minnesota Coalition
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
Society for Adolescent Medicine
Society for Public Health Education
The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Southwest Community Health Center (Santa Rosa, CA)
Spokane AIDS Network (Washington State)
Student Global AIDS Campaign
The Summit Foundation
Texas Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates
Title II Community AIDS National Network
Triangle Foundation (Michigan)
Tri-State Alliance for Gays & Lesbians (Evansville, IN)
Union for Reform Judaism
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Women of Reform Judaism
Women's Health & Family Planning Association of Texas
Wyoming Health Council
Women's Opportunity and Resource Development, Inc.
Young Parent's Education (Great Falls, MT)
YWCA USA
9to5 National Association of Working Women
9to5 National Association of Working Women, Colorado Chapter

[1] The Content of Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Education Programs, prepared for Representative Henry A. Waxman, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform-Minority Staff Special Investigations Division (December 2004), accessed on 10 December 2004, . [2] The three federal funding streams are Special Projects of Regional and National Significance-Community Based Abstinence Education (SPRANS-CBAE); Title V Section 501(b) of the Social Security Act, authorized with the 1996 Welfare Reform Law; and the Adolescent Family Life Act (Title XX of the Public Health Service Act).