Sex Education Looms in Health-Care Overhaul
'Abstinance-only' and 'comprehensive' programs are in federal contention.
Whether sex education for teenagers should focus on abstinence from sexual activity or fully address the use of contraceptives has emerged as a topic in the debate in Congress over a health-care overhaul.
Advocates of differing approaches to sex education are watching whether Congress will come down on the side of paying for what are widely called “abstinence-only programs,” which President Barack Obama proposed eliminating in his fiscal 2010 budget, or of financing only what are known as “comprehensive” programs.
Observers say the debate over what kind of sex education programs are most effective is likely to generate some sparks among legislators, but so far it has been overshadowed by other issues, such as how the legislation will...
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