Oppose the UK Abstinence Bill

A bill proposed by MP Nadine Dorries mandates that, as part of their sex education, girls must be given "information and advice on the benefits of abstinence from sexual activity." But abstinence education doesn't work: in a review of abstinence programs in the United States, Oxford University found that such programs do not stop risky sexual behavior or help in the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. 

The bill, which makes abstinence education mandatory only for girls, also positions women as the gatekeepers of sex; Dorries claims that "if more children were taught to 'just say no' there would be less sexual abuse." The bill plays into victim blaming and suggests that men have no responsibility in preventing sexual abuse, sexually transmitted infections, and unwanted pregnancies.

Sign now to tell Members of Parliament to reject the abstinence bill and to ensure that girls have access to genuine sex education.