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Contents © 1997
by Jim Holman.
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Safe Sex or Self-Control

ABSTINENCE GROUP FIGHTS FOR STATE FUNDS

By Judith Martel

Over past three years, pro-family activists in Sacramento lobbied Governor Pete Wilson's office for a chance to prove that self- respect and sexual abstinence were the key to reducing teen pregnancy, crime and drug problems. According to Michael Bowman of Capitol Resource Institute in Sacramento, a Focus on the Family affiliate, he and other lobbyists ran into a brick wall when dealing with the governor's health appointees. Two years ago, Bowman offered the state Department of Health and Human Services a test program for reducing teen pregnancy: give $2 million to Planned Parenthood and company, $2 million to abstinence groups, and conduct a $1 million study of the results. The state refused the suggestion.

Then, in last year's budget, after heavy negotiations with a coalition of pro-life and conservative groups represented by Republican Senator Ray Haynes (36th District, Riverside), Wilson included $60 million for "Community Challenge grants," to be given to community-based organizations fighting teen pregnancy, crime and other problems. Some pro-lifers predicted the program would funnel even more money to Planned Parenthood to help them promote the "safer sex" message. Mike Bowman and other Christian groups scrambled to apply for the grants, having been promised by Kim Belshe of the director of State Health Services that they would make sure Christian and abstinence groups get a chance to prove the effectiveness of their teen programs. However, as the application process progressed, the state decided it could not give money to any religious groups. Then it started telling abstinence groups applying for Challenge Grants that they did not qualify because they do not provide comprehensive health care. Priscilla Hurley, Director of Choices, an Orange County abstinence program, was rejected on the grounds that she is "not part of the community." However, Choices was being used in 60 public schools at that time.

Earlier this year, when it became apparent that no abstinence groups had received Challenge Grant funding, the pro-family coalition arranged a meeting between Wilson representatives, Assembly Leader Curt Pringle and themselves. "The governor's people came to the meeting," notes Bowman, "and, miraculously, two of the abstinence groups had been funded after appealing." The two abstinence groups receiving Challenge Grants were Choices in Orange County and AWAIT in the Bay area. About the same time, notes Bowman, the governor's office scrambled to contact all the groups that did receive funding, instructing them to put abstinence components into their programs.

According to Bowman, the Department of Health and Human Services began to seek out specifically religious groups and invite them to apply for Challenge Grants. "But there was a bias in how this was done," says Bowman. "They only contacted the Methodists, the Lutherans, and Catholic Charities. No evangelical groups were contacted. They looked for window dressing groups who would play along."

Catholic Charities in both the Diocese of Orange and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles received funding, but Bowman said this was for other components of the program besides teen pregnancy (drugs, fatherlessness, etc.). But according to a February 26, 1997 Tidings article, the Los Angeles Catholic Charities' grant (shared with Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank) of nearly $500,000 was given specifically "to curtail teen pregnancy." The Tidings noted that the L.A. group would be using Teen Aid, an abstinence/self-respect program used in public schools. However, the state is currently under pressure from the Public Media Center, a Bay-area "public policy group" (which turns out to be an ad agency whose main client is Planned Parenthood, according to CRI's research) to ban Teen Aid on the grounds that it "misinforms" children by telling them condoms are not 100% safe for preventing pregnancy or sexually-transmitted diseases. Catholic Charities may have to use a non- abstinence program in order to keep their funding. Los Angeles Catholic Charities employees did not return phone calls (the receptionist noted that LACC was undergoing accreditation review that week and all staff members were occupied with that).

According to a representative of the Diocese of Orange Catholic Charities, his organization received a grant (as a part of a consortium of six agencies) for fighting teen pregnancy in Santa Ana, the area with the highest number of teen births in the state. He noted his group has no particular programs in mind, but they are currently researching their options, looking at other successful programs in the community. "It's not necessarily an abstinence program, but prevention of pregnancy," he said. "We hope to develop a new approach. The safe sex approach isn't working. Everybody knows how to use a condom. If there's so much information, why are these things still happening?" Approaches to fighting teen pregnancy being considered by Orange Catholic Charities include programs to get fathers more involved with their teens, emotional development for youth, and academic achievement. One approach being considered is small group meetings of teens and volunteer counselors. Programs will be held in local community centers and parishes. He noted that, because of state funding, religious issues cannot be addressed in the program. The Orange group will be working closely with their evaluator, UCLA's Center for Latino Health, throughout the development process. He noted that Catholic Charities will begin recruiting volunteers in July (interested Catholics can call (714) 662-7500; Spanish helpful but not necessary).

The state's resistance to abstinence programs becomes even more problematic with the new abstinence grants included in last year's sweeping federal welfare reform. The California Department of Maternal Health will apply for the $5.67 million it is eligible to receive under the new federal program, with the state providing 75% matching funds. According to Mike Bowman, the abstinence "components" groups like Planned Parenthood are introducing to make sure they receive all the Challenge Grant money will not satisfy the tough requirements in the federal program. The new law specifies that no groups which promote "safe sex," distribute contraception or provide or refer for abortions are eligible for the money. Bowman is now concerned that the state is trying to help Planned Parenthood and their affiliates set up abstinence "front" groups. Bowman notes that, once the federal money is obtained by the state, a Wilson-appointed commission will decide how it is distributed. "Who controls the commission is who controls the money," he said. "We are working on ways to secure this funding to make sure it goes purely to abstinence groups," said Bowman. "We want to make sure Planned Parenthood doesn't just file another 501C form with another name and get the abstinence money, paying for salaries of the same employees who also provide abortions."

In spite of all the time and money CRI and other conservative groups spent trying unsuccessfully to obtain state funding for abstinence programs, Bowman believes his side scored a victory. "It was a win-win situation," he said. "If we got any funding at all for abstinence programs, we could establish a record of success with that. Then, if we get a pro-life governor in the future, he would be in a better position to say, 'Hey, this works.' and increase the funding than if he tried giving money to an unproven program. The way things turned out, Wilson is politically wounded among his party people because his department did not keep their promises. I believe we will get some concessions on the budget from Wilson for the first time this year."

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