Charleston, S.C. Schools Reject Abstinence Program -- 10/12/1998 -- 10/12/1998

Charleston, S.C. Schools Reject Abstinence Program

12 October, 1998

By Pro-Life Infonet
CNS Information Services

The Charleston County, South Carolina, school board voted last Monday not to accept an "abstinence-only program funded with state money," reports the Pro-Life Infonet. The Academic Policies and Instruction Committee's 3-1 vote rejected Heritage Community Services Inc.'s sex education program, which is funded by a $1.3 billion grant awarded by pro-life Gov. David Beasley.

The committee decided to maintain the current program, which stresses abstinence, but "also teaches how to prevent pregnancy and transmission of diseases."

Heritage head Anne Badgley said after the vote, "It's easy to assign labels to ideas you're afraid of or that you don't understand." She added that the "mixed message" of abstinence plus sex education leads to teen pregnancies and STDs.

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