WAXMAN REPORT FLAWED; ABORTION LOBBY/PLANNED PARENTHOOD AFRAID OF ABSTINENCE THREATS TO THEIR PROFITS

Representative Waxman's report was a biased study conducted by his own private staff without any bi-partisan involvement or peer review. Waxman's "findings" have been cited for lack of evidence or any peer scientific review for his position, by the Heritage Foundation's policy analyst Melissa Pardue. (http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/wm615.cfm)

"Waxman's report falsely asserts that no studies exist to show the effectiveness of abstinence education, and claims that "abstinence-only education does not appear to decrease teen pregnancy or the risk of sexually transmitted diseases." She writes. "This is simply not true. There are currently 10 evaluations showing the effectiveness of abstinence education in reducing teen sexual activity. Of these 10 evaluations, four were published in peer-reviewed journals."

Also, a CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows a decrease in the number of teens who are sexually active from 1991 (54.1 percent of teens) to 2003 (46.7 percent of teens).

Finally, a National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health finds that teens who take a virginity pledge are 1/3 less likely to experience teen pregnancy, and less likely to give birth out of wedlock compared to adolescents who do not make such a pledge.

Consider who supports Rep Waxman's crusade against abstinence until marriage programs.
Representative Waxman is a 100% backer of Planned Parenthood's and NARAL (Pro Abort lobby) voting interests over the last 10 years. Planned Parenthood, a "non-profit agency", reaps huges yearly profits from abortions and contraceptive programs: In 2003 for example, $35 million in profit and a whopping $250 million taxpayer funds received. Their annual budget is $450 million dollars.

Who do you think stands to lose alot of money and power as abstinence programs succeed in reducing teen pregnancies out of wedlock? You got it - Planned Parenthood.

Abstinence programs have little to no effect on preventing unwanted pregnancies.

In colonial New England, where premarital sex could get one publicly tortured, studies have shown that more than half of the first child born to women were born out of wedlock or less than seven months after marriage.

The failure to distribute condoms and to teach about safe sex practices is a major part of the reason that we have unwanted pregnancies, which lead to abortions. They also lead to the spread of disease, which unnecessarily costs taxpayers millions of dollars a year in health care costs.

It is fundamentally immoral to prevent people from getting the means to prevent themselves from getting sick and to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Those who truly value life support the free flow of information and appropriate access to birth control.