Nearly 500 Teens Promote Sexual Purity in D.C.

Special Report - March 17, 2009
Nearly 500 teenagers converged upon Washington D.C. on March 12 to promote sexual purity until marriage and urge our nation’s leaders to continue to support and fund abstinence-until-marriage education programs. The teenagers traveled to the nation’s capital for the 2009 “Abstinence Day on the Hill” sponsored by the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA), an annual lobbying event for abstinence educators and supporters to promote abstinence as the best message for youth. Congressional leaders had the opportunity to hear from teenagers who have embraced abstinence from sexual activity until marriage, such as Karla Jasquex, a graduate of the Choosing to Excel Program in Conway, Arkansas. “If it wasn’t for the abstinence program, I wouldn’t have finished my education and be standing before you as the first college student in my family” stated Jasquez.

In addition to meeting with members of Congress, teens also attended abstinence education workshops, and gathered for an evening J.A.M. (Join the Abstinence Movement) session event “designed to encourage peer-to-peer support of abstinence as the best choice.”

“This is the largest group ever,” said Valerie Huber, Executive Director of NAEA, in a statement. “We knew that this message resonated with teens, but this response has been overwhelming and indicates the strong support abstinence education has among American youth, schools and parents.”

Huber added, “Hearing the compelling stories of how these programs have affected teens should have a positive impact on public policy decisions.”

Copyright © 2009. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.