Report: U.S. abstinence programs mislead

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- A U.S. congressional staff analysis has determined many federally funded abstinence programs for teenagers offer false and misleading information.

Several million children ages 9 to 18 have participated in the more than 100 federal abstinence programs since the efforts began in 1999. Next year, the Bush administration will spend $168 million on the just-say-no strategy, the Washington Post said.

The report, by Rep. Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif., who has long argued for comprehensive sex education, reviewed the 13 most commonly used curriculums -- those used by at least five programs apiece.

Among the fallacies found were that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, and touching a person's genitals "can result in pregnancy."

Alma Golden, deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services, said as a pediatrician, she knows "abstaining from sex is the most effective means of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) and preventing pregnancy."