Sadder news for young Americans

Another great article (this one's an op-ed, also from the NYT). It outlines abstinence-only sex education, and how awesome it is (detect a note of sarcasm there?). Here are the high points:

• Gonorrhea and syphilis rates are on the rise for the first time since the 1980s, and chlamydia is being diagnosed TWICE as often as a decade ago. MmmmmYummy
• 93% of Americans have pre-marital sex before 30, and abstinence-only education teaches that they will suffer psychological and physical damage as a result. Good thing to teach little Johnny and Jane-- this is about as good as the "hairy palms" myth for "self-abuse."
• We have the highest teen pregnancy rate in the developed world. Because apparently, condoms are bad. So the converse must be true: extra babies to unfit parents are good?
• Abstinence-only sex ed includes lies about HIV, including that it may remain in your body undetected for up to 10 years. I think they have this confused with Mad Cow. But they are different. I promise you they are.
• And the kicker (which goes to my last post): if we cut funding for this terrific abstinence only sex education, Congress could fund insurance for 150,000 children per year. Now that's prioritizing.

Way to go, President Bush. As usual, your laws and initiatives are so super-duper the rest of us wish we could extend your term. But alas, we cannot. You're OUT in '09, thank Jebus.