Good News: Your voices have been heard!

ACTION ALERT Dear Jerin, Your voices have been heard! This morning, the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (Labor HHS) eliminated traditional sources of funding for abstinence-only programs by passing the appropriations bill for FY 2010. The Labor HHS subcommittee and the Obama Administration has recognized what we already knew: abstinence-only sex education programs do not work. The evidence is irrefutable that spending for abstinence-only education is not only wasteful, but also the programs put young women's health at risk. A 2004 study by the House Committee on Government Reform, conducted at the request of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-30-CA) found that over 80% of the curricula used in the largest federally funded abstinence-only programs contained "false, misleading, or distorted information about reproductive health." In addition to pulling the plug on funding for failed abstinence-only sex education programs, the bill eliminates a ban on syringe exchange programs, which have been proven to be a highly effective strategy for preventing HIV. The subcommittee's approval of this bill is terrific news, but our work is not complete. The bill will now face a vote in the House Appropriations Committee and in the full House of Representatives. Thank you for speaking out! For Equality, Norma Gattsek Government Relations Director P.S. We will keep you up-to-date on future votes on this bill. Posted by: Jerin Alam National NOW Young Feminist Task Force National Organization for Women (NOW)