Abstinence Comes to Albuquerque provides a glimpse into a nationwide debate over what young people should be taught about sexuality. Through personal stories, community profiles and expert interviews, the film highlights the differences between a strict abstinence-only-until-marriage approach and more comprehensive sexuality education.

In the documentary film, a ninth grader tells her mother that she’s heard some unusual things from a sexuality education program in her school. The family talks about their problems with the program, and the mother reports to the local school board about its weaknesses. The film profiles both an abstinence-only-until-marriage program and a comprehensive sexuality education program.

If you need some more info about this intense debate over sex ed in the United States, then check out these short video interviews with national experts.

William Smith
Public Policy Director, Sexuality Education and Information Council of the United States
"My favorite quote there is that 'sex outside of marriage will make you crazy.' [If that's true,] we would have a nation of lunatics!"

Leslee Unruh
President, Abstinence Clearinghouse
“In reality kids are NOT going to have sex.”

Louise Melling
Director, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project
"In Louisiana what you see is your dollars—again these are your federal tax payer dollars as well as your state dollars— your dollars are going to support, for example, prayer outside an abortion clinic."

Dr. John Santelli
Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health ColumbiaUniversity
"Abstinence-only programs don't seem to be working very well. They don't show any 'impact,' if you will."