For the last 20 years public schools in the U.S. have been implementing the sex education programs of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), which is this country's affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the organization which most promotes abortion and contraception throughout the entire world. This is why its school programs teach a brand of sex education which includes specific instructions on the use of contraceptives and the condom.1 In spite of this, the sex education programs of the PPFA have not complied with the "reason" they gave for implementing these programs: to reduce the rate of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents. In reality, precisely in the last two decades the U.S. has seen an unprecedented increase in illegitimate pregnancies, abortions, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS among adolescents. This monumental failure by the PPFA is a direct result of its sex education programs, which are devoid of moral values and usurp parental authority. For this reason this type of "sexual conditioning" incites the youth to promiscuity, with the results already mentioned.2

PRO FAMILIA, the affiliate of IPPF in Puerto Rico, has among its fundamental goals to "work with the Puerto Rican government to...promote sex education in the public schools."3 PRO FAMILIA receives 11% of its funds from IPPF. The rest is obtained through local fundraising events, the sale of contraceptives sponsored by the local government, as well as in the Legislature, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Health Department.4

PRO FAMILIA has more or less the same objectives of PPFA and IPPF. The Executive Director of PRO FAMILIA, Idalia Colón Rondón, justifies teaching amoral sex education to Puertorican children by saying: "The majority of parents in Puerto Rico are not equipped to speak to their children about sexuality".5 This is the typical excuse used by the PPFA and its affiliates in order to usurp the rights of parents in this very delicate area. According to IPPF, "the youth have the majority of the same rights that other clients have in the area of health and sexuality: the right to choose whether to have a sexually active lifestyle or not; to information; to contraception; to safe abortion".6

In the pamphlet, "Who do I ask?" published in 1987, PRO FAMILIA advises the following to a teenager who has impregnated his girlfriend: "It is nobody's fault. The responsibility for your girlfriend's pregnancy is as much yours as hers. In order to avoid casting blame it is important to be aware of the consequences of an unplanned sexual relationship, and in this manner avoid premature sexual relations without knowing what methods exist for avoiding pregnancy." In this pamphlet, PRO FAMILIA doesn't tell teenagers a single word about marriage or about the immorality of premarital sex, its only interest is to "avoid" sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies through the use of contraceptives and abortifacients, which it promotes and distributes. This is the same philosophy of PPFA and IPPF.

In another of its pamphlets, titled "For Teens Only", PRO FAMILIA explicitly describes masturbation and promotes it, saying that "it should not be a cause for concern, it does not produce physical or mental harm; instead, it is a release of sexual energy, both physical and psychologial, in both sexes". This should not be surprising, since another publication by IPPF expresses the opinion that "mutual masturbation" is paramount to "safe sex", and that "it is necessary that the youth receive instruction regarding these types of activities".7

The seven TV stations in Puerto Rico transmit free 30 second advertisements for PRO FAMILIA. In these announcements the public is informed about PRO FAMILIA's telephone information line, which even minors can call and obtain "counseling" and information regarding contraceptives, sterilization and condoms.8 According to PRO FAMILIA, 22% of the calls made to this line are from boys and girls from 13 to 15 years of age.9 How many young girls have they referred for abortion?

TAPS (Taller de Alternativas para la Prevención del SIDA - Workshop of Alternatives for the Prevention of AIDS), is a project of the CDC which also collaborates with PRO FAMILIA. There was a twelve week "training program" organized in May of 1990 in Bayamón (perhaps one of many), during which one of the activities was "the search for condoms". Teens of both sexes between 15 and 17 years old were asked to try to obtain them and to report whether or not they were successful. The youth "signed a contract" for which parental authorization was not requested. Some parents upon discovering this complained about the explicit presentations on sexuality, but they were told that it was necessary to "protect" the youth from AIDS.10 Why don't they inform the public about how the condom can have a failure rate of up to 30% of cases in preventing AIDS? This virus is 450 times smaller than sperm and 50 times smaller than the microscopic pores that experts have found in the latex material of which the condoms considered the most "effective" are manufactured?"11

PRO FAMILIA is not the solution to the crisis of pregnancies, abortions or sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents in Puerto Rico. It is part of the problem. PRO FAMILIA does not deserve the patronage of the government of Puerto Rico, nor do the people of Puerto Rico need its "services".

What is needed is to teach the Puerto Rican youth, as well as those of other countries, the values of sexuality and why and how to say no to premarital sexual relations. The campaign "True Love Waits", which promotes sexual abstinence is having much success among the youth of the U.S. In only two cities, more than 300,000 young people have signed a contract promising to remain chaste.12 I urge those who work with young people to initiate this and other efforts, as an alternative to immoral sex education programs and the distribution of contraceptives.

Magaly Llaguno is the executive director of Vida Humana Internacional, Human Life International's Hispanic Division.