Tell Governor Rendell you want Pennsylvania teens to have the information they need to make healthy and responsible life decisions!

Governor Rendell accepts Title V federal abstinence-only-until-marriage dollars to fund sexuality education programs in Pennsylvania. Title V programs prohibit teachers from providing teens with vital sexual health information and instead provide medically inaccurate data, promote gender stereotypes, discriminate against gays and lesbians, and sometimes include religious messages.

What’s more, according to a recent congressionally commissioned study, these programs don’t work. They neither help teens postpone sexual involvement nor reduce the number of sexual partners teens have.

Ask Governor Rendell to protect our teens by rejecting federal abstinence-only-until-marriage dollars and implementing sexuality education programs that give teens throughout Pennsylvania the information they need to lead healthy lives.

Please personalize your letter.

Dear Governor Rendell:

Teens need complete and accurate information to help them make healthy and responsible life decisions. As your constituent, I am troubled to learn that Pennsylvania accepts Title V federal abstinence-only-until-marriage dollars. Title V programs prohibit teachers from discussing contraceptives except to emphasize their failure rates. Moreover, many of these programs provide medically inaccurate information, promote gender stereotypes, and discriminate against gays and lesbians, and some include religious messages.

A recent, multi-year, congressionally commissioned study shows that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs don’t work – they neither help teens postpone sexual involvement nor reduce the number of sexual partners teens have. In contrast, there is ample evidence that sex education that teaches both about abstinence and about effective use of contraceptives has a significant and beneficial impact on teens’ health. Moreover, researchers attribute the recent decline in teen pregnancy rates overwhelmingly to increased contraceptive use, not abstinence.

Given these facts, I urge you to end Pennsylvania’s participation in the Title V program. Instead Pennsylvania should support sexuality education programs that give teens the information they need to make healthy and responsible lifelong decisions.

I look forward to hearing from you on this important issue.

Sincerely,