Has US abstinence policy failed?

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10

"Has US abstinence policy failed?" shouts the headline on a BBC news report. It reads:

"US lawmakers are investigating whether to cut government funding for health education programmes that promote sexual abstinence until marriage. The move follows a report earlier this year from America's leading health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which revealed one in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease."

Indeed, that is a significant amount of STDs among teenagers. The article continues and sites:

"This national programme which has wasted $1.5bn (£750m) of tax money is a failure and our teens are paying the price," says Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood. "We've been wasting money on programmes that don't work and we're seeing the consequences every single day."

It reads as though the president of Planned Parenthood is actually blaming the abstinence programs for the increasing number of STDs among teenagers! I am sure she is not, but she certainly is trying to give the impression that abstinence programs are a waste of time. Thankfully, the Heritage Foundation have done their homework on the issue of the impact of abstinence programs and it is very encouraging news. Read more about their findings here.

As adoption advocates, we aim to see truths about not only adoption, but also about all issues concerning God's heart for life. We must continue to uphold and teach God's will for us as individuals and in our relationships. If abstinence before marriage were so well taught, understood and embraced that there was not a need for crisis pregnancy centers and teaching about parenting choices, then... praise God! Praise Him, indeed.