Proposed Abstinence Funding Cuts

From KDLT News:

Nearly half of the nation's high school students admit to being sexually active. State abstinence programs are on a mission to reduce those numbers. But now, in President Obama's proposed budget for next year, he wants to cut abstinence education programs across the nation, including here in South Dakota.

President Barack Obama wants to cut more than 100-million dollars in abstinence education and 38-million in community based abstinence education programs in every state. A move that doesn't sit will with many conservatives who plan to up the ante.

Rachel Greiner, Truth 4 Youth says, "We're going to keep doing what we're doing. We're going to keep touching lives everyday and we're going to keep encouraging those boys and girls who already choose to lead a health lifestyle and have sexual integrity."

Truth 4 Youth in Sioux Falls is one of the programs that would be affected.
Officials say teens in South Dakota are getting their message. Rachel says, "One boy told us he learned more about sex from us in three days than four years of sexual education."

Nonetheless, the president wants to re-direct the money to programs that don't take the no-sex approach like Planned Parenthood. The organization says the government wouldn't be wasting taxpayer money on programs that don't work.

Shannon Stevens, Planned Parenthood says, "They are failing our youth and doing nothing to prevent unintended pregnancy in our country or teach sexual wellness to our youth."

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