Teens Request Abstinence Programs

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform recently held a hearing titled, "Domestic Abstinence-Only Programs: Assessing the Evidence." While the hearing was stacked against abstinence education funding, two experts testified as to the effectiveness of such programs. Federal funding for these programs is in jeopardy. Chairman Henry Waxman (Dem-California) advocates for comprehensive sex education, which has no evidence of reducing teen sexual activity.

A press conference was held yesterday at the National Press Club to release evidence from recent studies that prove over 50 percent of teens will refrain from sexual initiation if taught abstinence. And teens are requesting the programs.

Concerned Women for America (CWA) is providing, to congressmen, letters from students who want abstinence to be taught. In a letter written to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California), Jordan wrote,

"Most teens who stay abstinent will be more emotionally stable, will not contract STDs, and will not get pregnant. This would not only benefit many individuals, but society as a whole. This is because the upcoming generation would be happier and healthier."

Lauren believes that even though there are "teens and other individuals who want to do whatever they see fit, most teens want to receive a strong message about abstinence. They want to know that they can say 'no' and that they don't have to give in to peer pressure. By informing students and teenagers of abstinence, you are allowing them to choose a better future and avoid all the emotional and physical heartache and risks of having casual sex."

CWA, along with teens across the nation, encourages members of Congress to continue to fund programs that not only provide proven results, but keep our children safe. Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.

TOPIC: FDA Updates Warning on Contraceptive Patch - Risk of blood clots in legs, lungs prompts label change for Ortho Evra patch

Article by Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it has updated the label on the Ortho Evra birth-control patch, warning that some women who use the product face a higher risk of blood clots.
The label revision came after the final results of a study, commissioned by the drug's maker, Johnson and Johnson, found that users face twice the risk of clots in the legs and lungs than women taking traditional birth-control pills. But a second study, also commissioned by Johnson and Johnson, found no difference in risk between the patch and the pill. "Even though the results of the two studies are conflicting, the results of the second epidemiology study support FDA's concerns regarding the potential for Ortho Evra use to increase the risk of blood clots in some women," the FDA said in a statement on its Web site.
"Blood clots occurring in the legs or lungs are serious and rare events that are a potential risk for all hormonal contraceptive therapies," Dr. Daniel Shames, the acting deputy director of FDA's Office of Drug Evaluation in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, told a press conference.
Read the entire article here - especially if you're using the patch now. There are a lot of considerations when thinking about contraception. Here's a link to a book that may help each married couple make the best decision for their family: The Contraception Guidebook: Options, Risks, and Answers