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| NM Lawmaker Wants State to Account for Fed Abstinence Education Funding |
February 03, 2004 |
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Albuquerque, NM – Congresswoman Heather Wilson wants to know more about how New Mexico state government uses federal funds designated for abstinence education programs for teens. Wilson has asked NM Health Secretary Patricia Montoya for an accounting of how her Department has used the half million federal dollars allocated to abstinence education last year. And, Wilson says, she’d like to know how the Department will use this year’s funding.
“As we both know, the youth of New Mexico as a group do not compare well” in areas related to teen pregnancy, Wilson told Secretary Montoya. “I understand that although New Mexico has consistently received substantial Title V, Section 510 Abstinence Education funding, your department has not funded any Abstinence Education programs since June 30, 2003.
“I further understand that the New Mexico Department of Health has not issued any Requests for Proposals to Abstinence educators under your tenure. It appears that no actual Abstinence Education programs receive funding,” continued Wilson in a letter addressed to Montoya.
Wilson asked Montoya to provide an accounting of how the state uses the federal funds, and an outline of the Department’s plan for issuing request for proposals from Abstinence educators in New Mexico.
A recent national poll indicates that an overwhelming majority of U.S. parents say a "pro-abstinence message" is an acceptable, even preferred way to teach teens about family planning.
In a Zogby International poll of 1,004 parents, 96 percent said “abstinence” was best for America’s teens while 91 percent expressed the view that teens should be taught that sexual activity is best when linked to love, intimacy, and commitment.
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