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Missouri schools teach abstinence-based sex education and effectively kics out community action groups like Planned Parenthood and local health departments if they make abortion referrals.

Abstinence Rules. That’s the word from Dr. Edward C. Green, PhD, and AIDS prvention worker and senior research scientist at the Harvard Center for Population and Development. Writing in the January 31st issue of the Weekly Standard, Dr. Green says that the success of Uganda’s AIDS prevention program has so infuriated Western AIDS prevention groups, they are willing to destroy it rather than change their condoms-only approach. Uganda promotes sexual abstinence and marital fidelity for citizens of all ages, resulting in lower rates of unwanted pregnancies and HIV/AIDS.

Now Missouri is hoping to see similar results. House Bill 1055 allows school districts to continue to teach abstinence-based sex education but effectively kicks out community action groups like Planned Parenthood and local health departments if they make abortion referrals. This bill on Gov. Matt Blunt’s desk would prohibit public schools from working with groups that provide abortion services or referrals. Several districts contract with LifeChoices Medical Clinic and Resource Center in Joplin, MO, to offer Virtuous Reality, an abstinence-based program, to middle- and high-school students.  Area youth ministers teach the curriculum in some schools, but are asked to leave out any religious teaching. For info on the Virtuous Reality Connection, visit www.connectioninstitute.com.