McDonnell seeks abstinence-only education funds

RICHMOND

Abortion-rights groups Tuesday denounced Gov. Bob McDonnell's decision to seek a federal grant for abstinence-only sex education while shunning funds available for comprehensive pregnancy and disease-prevention instruction.

Virginia's Health Department recently applied for a $1.27 million federal grant for supplementary abstinence instruction funds. The grant consists of about $900,000 in federal funds and a roughly $383,000 state match.

The state chapters of Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice had asked the governor to instead pursue Personal Responsibility Education Program funds, a broader option that doesn't require state matching dollars.

When McDonnell declined, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia issued a statement accusing him of "fiscal malpractice" for rejecting a program that had no cost to the state.

"Given Virginia's economic situation, wasting $400,000 of taxpayer money for an ineffective program is not a good use of the commonwealth's limited resources" wrote Jessica Honke, the group's policy director.

"The simple fact is that young people deserve honest information, not political ideology, in their health classrooms."

The Family Foundation of Virginia defended McDonnell's choice.

"Despite the rhetoric from the economic loser in this decision, Planned Parenthood, recent studies have shown that abstinence education effectively helps teens postpone risky sexual behavior," foundation President Victoria Cobb said, implying that Planned Parenthood wanted Virginia to obtain PREP funds so it could get a share of them.

Honke said Planned Parenthood has no such arrangements with the state but would have been eligible to apply for a contract if Virginia had received that grant.

McDonnell opted to apply for the abstinence grant, in part, because he has long supported funding for that type of education, a spokeswoman for the governor said.

Administration officials said federal abstinence education funds won't eliminate or interfere with sex- education programs already being taught in public schools.

State Sen. Ralph Northam, a Norfolk Democrat and a physician, said abstinence should be the goal but said he is disappointed McDonnell chose to disregard the chance to acquire federal dollars with more flexibility of use.

While abstinence is the only guaranteed way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, Northam said, "the reality is with teenagers their hormones come into play, and abstinence-only doesn't always work."

"We should at least teach our teenagers, I believe, all aspects of family planning and all the options that are available," Northam added. "There should be a comprehensive plan to sex education that strongly encourages abstinence-only, but it needs to be comprehensive."

Virginia's version of sexual education, the Family Life Education curriculum, is offered in at least 102 of the state's 132 school divisions, including Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

Lessons include abstinence education.

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com