FRC:  FEDERALLY-FUNDED `SAFE SEX' COMMERCIALS
                         SEND WRONG MESSAGE TO TEENS

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 1995 -- Family Research Council Policy Analyst Gracie Hsu 
made the following statement in response to the new "safe sex" public service 
announcements released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS):

Flawed premise -- "The Family Research Council (FRC) finds the HHS ads 
irresponsible in that all the ads -- with the exception of the abstinence ad 
-- begin with the flawed premise that there is nothing wrong or harmful about 
teenagers having sex as long as they use a condom.  The truth is, 
out-of-wedlock sex is harmful in and of itself, regardless if a condom is 
used:  broken hearts, emotional regret, and greatly increased likelihood to 
divorce are just some of the consequences of pre-marital sex."

Doomed for failure -- "These ads are doomed for failure.  Research clearly 
shows that condom-based approaches actually increase the likelihood that 
teenagers will initiate sex.  The only approach that has proven to be 
effective in protecting young people is abstinence.  The problem with these 
ads is that, when they crash and burn, they'll likely take a whole host of 
young people with them."

Irresponsible use of federal funds -- "When public opinion polls show that a 
majority of adults and teenagers believe that it is best to save sex for 
marriage, it is irresponsible for the federal government to be using taxpayer 
dollars to give its imprimatur for teens to have sex."

Undermines parents -- "The ads, clearly aimed at teenagers and `Generation X,' 
undermine what most parents want for their children. These ads undercut the 
message that most parents explicitly or implicitly relate to their children 
that sex should be saved until marriage."

FRC's position -- "FRC is, and always has been, committed to protecting young 
people from the negative consequences of early sexual activity (i.e., 
out-of-wedlock pregnancy, abortion, AIDS, and other sexually-transmitted 
diseases), and to promoting the positive benefits of saving sex for marriage 
(i.e., more stable marriages, greater sexual satisfaction, fewer infertility 
problems).  FRC has been a leader in educating young people about the benefits 
of abstinence and heartily endorses other efforts which help strengthen the 
resolve of young people to wait until marriage to have sex."