[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22892]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               PLANNED PARENTHOOD'S SEX ED WEEK OF ACTION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 26, 2008

  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today at a time 
when our country is facing grave concerns over the economy, yet this 
administration has supported $1.3 billion on ineffective abstinence-
only programs.
   The CDC has just reported that more than 1 in 4 girls are infected 
with a sexually transmitted infection. It is clear that teens do not 
have access to full information about how to lead safe and healthy 
lives. This reaffirms what people in my home state of California 
already know: abstinence-only programs do not work.
   I am proud to be from the first state that has rejected wasteful 
Title V abstinence-only funding. California leads the Nation in its 
effort to prevent unintended pregnancy through access to family 
planning, comprehensive sex education, public funding of family 
planning services and laws and policies protecting access to 
reproductive health care.
   We must expand access to these services. This is why I support the 
outreach and community programs of the Planned Parenthood of Mar Monte. 
They provide comprehensive sex education programs through community 
outreach to high school students, parenting and pregnant teen mothers 
and train young males in responsible decision making.
   This week, Planned Parenthood affiliates around the country are 
sponsoring grassroots events to raise awareness about the need for 
comprehensive sex education. A majority of voters strongly support 
comprehensive sex education and want public schools to teach it to keep 
our youth healthy and safe.
   These parents are just looking to Congress to eliminate funding for 
dangerous abstinence only programs and instead fund comprehensive sex 
education programs.

                          ____________________