State Awarded Federal Funds for Abstinence Education

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has been notified by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that Kansas will receive $391,185 in federal funding for Abstinence Only Education programs. The money is part of a $50 million dollar appropriation passed by Congress to develop and fund programs to teach the advantages of abstaining from sexual activity.

KDHE will accept proposals from community groups, schools, and not-for-profit agencies interested in administering abstinence education programs. The money will be divided between several local or regional programs across the state. KDHE will accept applications from interested groups until January 28, 1998. Final funding decisions will be announced February 28, 1998.

Under guidelines of the federal legislation, "abstinence education" means an educational or motivational program which -

1. has as its exclusive purpose, teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity;

2. teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school age children;

3. teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems;

4. teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity;

5. teaches that sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects;

6. teaches that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child's parents, and society;

7. teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increases vulnerability to sexual advances; and

8. teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.