[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE GUARANTEE OF MEDICAL ACCURACY IN SEX EDUCATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LUIS V. GUTIERREZ

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 13, 2006

  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the ``Guarantee of 
Medical Accuracy in Sex Education Act,'' a bill that prohibits the 
federal government from funding sex education curricula that contain 
medically inaccurate information.
  Currently, the federal government is spending millions on abstinence-
only education that includes medically inaccurate and misleading 
information. In 2004, the House Government Reform Minority Staff 
prepared a report that found more than two-thirds of federally funded 
abstinence-only programs use curricula that contain false, misleading, 
or distorted information about reproductive health.
  The federal government should not be in the business of funding sex 
education that is rife with errors and examples of medically inaccurate 
information. Specific examples in current sex education courses 
include:
  The first player spins the cylinder, points the gun to his/her head, 
and pulls the trigger. He/she has only one in six chances of being 
killed. But if one continues to perform this act, the chamber with the 
bullet will ultimately fall into position under the hammer, and the 
game ends as one of the players dies. Relying on condoms is like 
playing Russian roulette.'' From Me, My World, My Future, Revised HIV 
material, p. 258.
  AIDS can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. From Reasonable 
Reasons to Wait, Teacher's guide, Unit 5, pg. 19.
  Couples who use condoms for birth control experience a first-year 
failure rate of about 15 percent in preventing pregnancies. This means 
that over a period of 5 years, there could be a 50 percent chance or 
higher of getting pregnant with condoms used as the birth control 
method. From Choosing the Best PATH, Leader Guide, pg. 18.
  Since 1998, the federal government has spent nearly $1 billion on 
abstinence-only education. These programs that contain inaccurate 
information regarding contraception and STD/HIV prevention can make sex 
education both dangerous and counterproductive. Responsible sex 
education, by contrast, is an important component of a strategy to 
reduce unintended pregnancies, reduce the number of abortions and 
lessen the spread of STDs. The American Medical Association, the 
Institute of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health support the 
use of sex education that is medically accurate.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and 
join me in ensuring that sex education curricula contain accurate 
medical information that can help young people develop a healthy 
understanding of their sexuality, so they can make responsible and 
educated decisions throughout their lives.

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