moneyFinally, over the strenuous lobbying of the conservative groups leaching off this particularly insidious form of “bleed the beast” wingnut welfare, Federal funding for abstinence-only sex (mis)education is being cut:

A controversial federal program that stresses abstinence outside heterosexual marriage has been chopped by $28. million.Previously, under the Republican Congress, the federal government spent about $50 million annually on abstinence-until-marriage education.

Participating states then provide $3 for every $4 they get from the federal government. Eight states decline to take part in the grant program.

Critics have repeatedly said they don’t believe the programs are working.

In April a Mathematica Policy Research study found that students who participated in sexual abstinence programs were just as likely to have teen sex as those who did not. (story)

It would be better news if the funding could have been cut altogether, but that’ll take a few more GOPers to get booted out in ‘08 (and maybe a few DINO primary challenges, too.). In the meantime, the money that’s been cut is going to be applied to a program that actually works and makes sense, the Ryan White CARE Act.

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