Dive Brief:
- A provision in Congress' spending package would give extra dollars to states that agree to teach an abstinence-only sex education curriculum.
- To be eligible for the funding, states must teach that sexual activity prior to marriage is “likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects," and that avoiding it is "the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy.”
- The spending package was passed late in the week, averting a government shutdown.
Dive Insight:
The language in the provision dates back to 1996, when a previous measure was added to the Social Security Act. In that instance, Congress agreed to add $50 million a year in matching funds to any state that taught an abstinence-only sex ed curriculum. Previously, any money that was not used — because states decided to teach more encompassing sex ed curriculums — was given back to the U.S. Treasury. However, this new measure would mean any extra funds could go to the states providing abstinence-only curriculums.
Sex education is controversial in the United States, with some advocating for comprehensive education and conservatives pushing back. Recently, however, it looks as though the pendulum is swinging back, as more schools are reverting their approach (or lack thereof) to sex ed. According to Time, there were 50% fewer states requiring sex education in all public school classrooms in 2014 than in 1994.
