Federal government paid group to secretly text children about sex

The federal government spent more than $27 million on a nonprofit that texts sexually explicit health advice to children, tells them how to use sex toys and tests them for HIV without notifying or seeking permission from parents.

The Center for Innovative Public Health Research said researchers obtained “waivers” from a review board under the oversight of the Health and Human Services Department to secretly enroll children in government-funded studies of teenage sexual behavior.

Researchers at the center, administering a program on teen pregnancy called “Girls2Girls,” explained they did not want parents to know about their children’s involvement.

“We were granted a waiver of parental permission so that girls who wished to participate would not have to put themselves in a potentially unsafe situation by disclosing their sexual identity to their parents,” Center Director Michele L. Ybarra wrote in a report about the program.

Researchers said the program tested ways to lower pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers as young as 14, through text messaging and to determine if the program “helps teens make healthier choices.”

Teen birth rates are on the decline in the United States, HHS reported. The department cited interventions such as sex education and access to contraception.

But critics say the secret HHS studies, even though aimed at cutting teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, violate parental rights.

“It’s deeply unethical, and this has been going on for 10 years,” said Hannah Grossman, a researcher and reporter with the Manhattan Institute who uncovered the non-profit’s secret texting program. “Parents are not aware that there are adults texting their children about sex and sex activities. And this has all been funded by the federal government.”

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