Hey, guess what?

Remember last year when everyone was all excited about how teen-age sex was in a huge decline? Guess what?

It turns out that last year's announcement was, well, spun (I know, quel surprise):

The long decline in sexual activity among U.S. teenagers, hailed as one of the nation's most important social and public health successes, appears to have stalled.

After decreasing steadily and significantly for more than a decade, the percentage of teenagers having intercourse began to plateau in 2001 and has failed to budge since then, despite the intensified focus in recent years on encouraging sexual abstinence, according to new analyses of data from a large federal survey.

Or, to be quite clear about it:

The most recent survey data, from 2005, was released last year, but attention focused primarily on the overall change in sexual behavior from 1991 to 2005. ... Largely unnoticed was that the percentages for both measures did not change significantly between 2001 and 2005.

Stein helpfully reminds us, in case we couldn't figure it out ourselves, what happened in 2001.

The halt in the downward trend coincided with an increase in federal spending on programs focused exclusively on encouraging sexual abstinence until marriage...A recent study of four separate abstinence programs, conducted for the Department of Health and Human Services by Mathematica Policy Research, a nonpartisan firm, found no evidence that the programs delayed the start of sexual activity among teens

And yet

The House last week approved a $28 million increase in spending on abstinence programs -- Democratic leaders said it was intended to win Republican support for the annual health and education funding bill

Another troubling fact:

The survey indicates that the increase in condom use may also be waning.

Now why would that happen? Could it be because politicians and religious leaders rant against them on a daily basis?

This is why religious agendas have no place in public policy.