Abstinence sex ed campaign started

WASHINGTON, June 1 (UPI) -- A group of U.S. advocates for pro-abstinence sex education say they are starting a national campaign to get a million parents on its side.

The Washington-based National Abstinence Education Association said it e-mailed about 30,000 people last week in an effort to gain supporters and it is preparing to send another 100,000 e-mails in coming days.

"There are powerful special interest groups who can far outspend what parents can in terms of promoting their agenda. But we recognize that parents more than make up for that by their determination and motivation to protect their own children," said Valerie Huber, the group's executive director.

The e-mails mark the start of the $1 million Parents for Truth campaign, which is aimed at getting a million parents to persuade schools to emphasize abstinence in sex education programs, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Advocates said the campaign is also focused on parents trying to get officials who support their approach elected.