George Bush's position on

Sex Education: According to an NPR poll from February of this year, the debate isn't whether sex education should be taught, but in what form. Fifteen percent of Americans believe that schools should teach only about abstinence from sexual intercourse and should not provide information on how to obtain and use condoms and other contraception. A plurality (46 percent) believes that the most appropriate approach is one that might be called "abstinence-plus" &endash; that while abstinence is best, some teens do not abstain, so schools also should teach about condoms and contraception. Thirty-six percent believe that abstinence is not the most important thing, and that sex ed. should focus on teaching teens how to make responsible decisions about sex. NPR

Additionally, the House passed on Sept. 8th bill HR 5006, which not only keeps the $500 million funding (passed in 2002 for five years) to abstinence-only programs, but now "prohibits funds under this Act from being made available under title X (population research and voluntary family planning) of PHSA, unless the award applicant certifies to the Secretary of HHS that it encourages family participation in the decision of minors to seek family planning services and provides counseling to minors on resisting attempts to coerce them into engaging in sexual activities"; in other words, doesn't allow any other family planning centers to get this money unless their purpose is to teach the abstinence-only concept. From House of Representatives

Description of candidate's position: In his State of the Union address in January (excerpt below), Bush urged Congress to drastically increase funding for "abstinence-only" programs in schools. Although in February, Secretary of State Colin Powell encouraged the use of condoms during an HIV/AIDS forum, the administration quickly assured the public that Powell was talking about the "already sexually active" community, and that both Powell's and Bush's views on abstinence-only programs were in line with each other. And in July at the International AIDS conference, many countries tended to link the U.S.'s refusal to donate to the global AIDS fund (despite a private $15 billion contribution by the U.S. to certain countries) with their abstinence-only policies. From CNN

Quotation from the candidate: "To encourage right choices, we must be willing to confront the dangers young people face - even when they are difficult to talk about. Each year, about three million teenagers contract sexually transmitted diseases that can harm them, or kill them, or prevent them from ever becoming parents. In my budget, I propose a grassroots campaign to help inform families about these medical risks. We will double Federal funding for abstinence programs, so schools can teach this fact of life: Abstinence for young people is the only certain way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. Decisions children make now can affect their health and character for the rest of their lives. All of us &endash; parents, schools, government &endash; must work together to counter the negative influence of the culture, and to send the right messages to our children." From the Bush reelection website

Assessment of the proposal:

Positive: The Heritage Foundation, a think tank whose agenda includes "traditional American values," applauds Bush for endorsing "abstinence education as an effective means of reducing early sexual activity and providing a foundation for personal responsibility and enduring marital commitment."

Negative: The Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit alliance of citizens and scientists who analyze scientific evidence with policy-making, is angered by Bush's "misuse of scientific data" and suggest that his policies can't be working because while he was governor, Texas ranked last in declining teen pregnancy rates under the statewide abstinence-only programs.

Comparison: Kerry has "come out" as a strong supporter of the LGBTA (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Association) with regards to sex education. His claims on their behalf include that abstinence-only education marginalizes LGBT youth because it tells them they should wait to have sex until marriage &endash; which is prohibited by law; and that recipients of abstinence-only funding must agree not to provide any information inconsistent with abstinence-till-marriage message meaning that safe sex, HIV and AIDS, and LGBT issues are often excluded. Kerry also says that the administration's ideological emphasis on abstinence-only prevention strategies does nothing to help the majority of women and adolescent girls in those countries who are already married and are at risk of infection for HIV.

Link to Kerry's issue brief