Good
The number of states refusing federal money for "abstinence-only" sex education programs jumped sharply in the past year as evidence mounted that the approach is ineffective.
It's nice to see that there are at least some people in government who have the ability to accept empirical evidence and not base their policies purely on ideological grounds.
Of course for those who are ideologically based, the answer is the same as their answer for everything else; throw more money at the ineffective program and believe harder.
"We're talking about the health of millions of youth across the United States," said Valerie Huber of the National Abstinence Education Association. "We know abstinence education offers the best for them. Now is the time to put more emphasis on that message, not less."
And if there is anything the US Congress is good for, it's throwing more money into ineffective programs. (See: War on Poverty, War on Drugs, War on Terror. Add: War on Sex)
Congress is considering boosting the $176 million in annual funding for abstinence programs by $28 million.
And so the war between rationality and ideology continues.
