Texas spent $17 million in federal funding last year for abstinence-education programs — more than any other state. In fact, 22 states have rejected federal funding for the key programs.
Public schools in Texas that choose to offer sex education must focus on abstinence, according to state standards.
Family advocates want parents, not schools, to talk to their teens about contraception.
“Can you imagine being a parent and having your child come home and tell you all the ways they learned in school that you can (have sex)?" Republican Rep. Rob Eissler told The Austin American-Statesman. "I think it would be an implicit encouragement instead of an explicit discouragement."
Linda Klepacki, sexual health analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said abstinence programs teach and equip students on diverse topics, including: relationship skills, STIs, HIV, refusal skills, body-image issues, emotional bonding, differences between men and women, condom effectiveness, teen pregnancy and the benefits of marriage.
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