【I Am a Plaything (2025)】

It can I Am a Plaything (2025)be hard to convey the danger of abstinence-only sex ed programs, but a new set of trading cards is hoping to do exactly that.

The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), Advocates for Youth, and Answer, nonprofit organizations that promote comprehensive sex ed, have partnered to create a new campaign called #SRAisAbstinenceOnly.

The campaign calls out the rise of sexual risk avoidance (SRA) curriculum to teach sex ed. While "sexual risk avoidance" may sound nice, it's really just a rebranding of abstinence-only-until-marriage, which the new trading cards effectively illustrate.

"These trading cards highlight some of the lessons that are actually used in abstinence-only sexual risk avoidance programs," said Samantha Dercher, federal policy director at SIECUS. "They tell people things like, 'If you have sex, you’ll be as undesirable as an already chewed-up piece of gum.'"

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The trading cards, which are dubbed the "SRA Stigma and Shame Starter Kit," contain examples of real lessons used in abstinence-only programs. Teachers, for example, compare people who've had sex to objects like an unwrapped piece of candy that's been touched by everyone in a room, a cup full of communal spit, and a used toothbrush. The cards are easily shared on social media.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

SEE ALSO: Sex ed video for teens shatters myths about sexuality and disability

SIECUS, Advocates for Youth, and Answer recently delivered the cards to nearly 150 congressional offices to provide a counterpoint to the material that SRA lobbyists share with politicians. The groups also hosted a briefing in Washington, D.C., where sex educators, parents, and students shared their concerns with congressional staffers about the harm these programs can cause.

Research shows that abstinence-only programs aren't effective because they don't prevent pregnancy. These programs also often fail to educate young people about contraceptive use or how to avoid sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The Trump administration, however, continues to promote SRA programs. In fiscal year 2019, the federal government has spent $110 million on funding such curriculum.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Often, these abstinence-only approaches are prevalent in places that need comprehensive sexual education the most. In the South, where there are high rates of HIV, STIs, and teen births, curriculum focusing only on abstinence is common, Dercher said.

"We wanted to make it clear to policymakers and to the general public that sexual risk avoidance is abstinence-only," said Dercher. "We need to stop funneling millions of taxpayer dollars every year into these harmful programs that don’t work."

Instead of sexual risk avoidance programs, SIECUS, Advocates for Youth, and Answer argue for inclusive programs that teach students about issues like healthy relationships, consent, abuse, and sexual assault, as well as contraceptives and STI protection.

"In a time when our sexual and reproductive health and rights are constantly under attack, we need to be providing young people with honest, accurate, and inclusive sex ed," said Dercher.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Sex education is evolving to meet kids where they are - on the internet

---

Topics Activism Social Good

• Entertainment
• Life
• Digital Culture
• Shopping
• Tech
• Games
• Deals
• Science

• Alienware M16 Gaming Laptop deal: Save $560
• Best Costco deal: Save $15 on delivery orders of $50 or more
• Google 'Ask for me:' AI that calls businesses on your behalf for pricing and availability
• Los Angeles Lakers vs. Washington Wizards 2025 livestream: Watch NBA online
• Best portable power station deal: Save 44% on the Jackery Explorer 100 v2
• Wordle today: The answer and hints for January 30, 2025
• NASA spotted a big asteroid that may hit Earth — what you should know
• NYT Strands hints, answers for January 30
• A worthless juicer and a Gipper-branded server
• Best Costco deal: Save $15 on delivery orders of $50 or more

• What you shouldn't do while wearing Apple Vision Pro
• Best Apple MagSafe Duo charger deal: Save $50 at Woot
• Taylor Swift drops 'The Tortured Poets Department' tracklist and Swifties are theorizing
• My Enemies, A–Z by Molly Young
• A Pretty Girl, a Novel with Voices, and Ring
• This treaty has a massive, $19 trillion upside, but Trump may walk away anyway
• Bolaño in Girona: A Friendship by Javier Cercas
• Hannah Arendt, Poet by Srikanth Reddy
• The American Sentence: On Gertrude Stein’s Melanctha by Edwin Frank
• On Writing Advice and the People Who Give It by Sheila Heti

• The Story Behind the Home of Forgotten Video Games
• Best Costco deal: Save $15 on delivery orders of $50 or more
• NYT Connections hints and answers for January 30: Tips to solve 'Connections' #599.
• What's new to streaming this week? (Jan. 31, 2025)
• Wordle today: The answer and hints for April 14, 2025
• Best TCL TV deal: Save $1,500 on the Q6 4K QLED at Best Buy
• Best Uber deal: Get two $50 Uber gift cards for $74.99 at Costco
• Wordle today: The answer and hints for January 29, 2025
• Best Max streaming deal: Save 20% on annual subscriptions
• NYT mini crossword answers for January 31, 2025

• NYT Strands hints, answers for April 23
• Elon Musk admits that Tesla will have to replace old computers for FSD buyers
• Tesla profits dropped by 70 percent last quarter
• Best LG B4 OLED TV deal: Save $200 at Best Buy
• Parental Controls: How to Lock Down Your Kids' iOS Devices
• Best smart tracker deal: Get 40% off a Tile Mate tracker at Amazon
• Best TCL QLED TV deal: Save $2,000 on 98
• FCSB vs. Manchester United 2025 livestream: Watch Europa League for free
• Character AI reveals AvatarFX, a new AI video generator
• Best monitor deal: Get the LG UltraGear gaming monitor for 47% off