"The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces that approximately $33 million in fiscal year (FY) 2004 funds will be available for making competitive grants to provide abstinence education to adolescents, subject to the availability of appropriations.

[...]

Projects funded through the SPRANS Community-Based Abstinence Education Grant Program share a common definition of ``abstinence education'' with the Section 510-funded State programs. For purposes of both programs (as well as abstinence education programs funded under the Title XX Adolescent Family Life program), the term ``abstinence education'' means ``an educational or motivational program which--

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

(B) teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school age children;

(C) 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;

(D) teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity;

(E) teaches that sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects;

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

(G) teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increases vulnerability to sexual advances; and

(H) teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.''

Maybe the DHHS investment of $33 mil isn't so crazy afterall, just needs better branding like--How to Avoid Entrapment by that Needy Ho or Dante's Seventh Circle of ("Family") Hell 101. On the brighter side, it could help avoid those nasty lawsuits mentioned in the Dec. 2 listing. Be nice if they did education about vasectomies. I can dream, can't I?

Unfortunately, it looks like more of Bush's funding of fundamentalist groups to push their Jesus Crispy agenda. Sigh.