Teach Kids About Sex

by Liz Smith

May 2009

Texas—my Texas—boasts the unfortunate reputation as the number one state in the union when it comes to spending for abstinence-only programs. These programs do not work, as even Governor Sarah Palin's daughter recently pronounced from Alaska, in the matter of her baby born out of wedlock. Texas now has one of the highest teenage birthrates in the country. Anna Quindlen recently wrote in Newsweek that abstinence programs are actually counterproductive. Texas should lead the nation in turning down useless federal funds for these classes. Comprehensive sex education in schools is the answer.

Smith, a native of Fort Worth, is a legendary newspaper columnist.

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