It’s hard to turn down federal money, but Maine made the correct decision in refusing $161,000 in funding for abstinence-only education.

The money comes with mountains of strings attached, and the limitations on its use undermine the state’s already effective sexual education programs.

According to the 2005 Kids Count Data Book, Maine ranks fourth best in the country for teen birth rate and has steadily improved since 2000. Sex education in public schools must be counted as a contributing factor.

Maine’s sexual education program does stress the importance of abstinence, but it also gives teenagers age-appropriate information about such issues as birth control and prevention of sexually transmitted disease. Many abstinence-only programs obscure scientific information and deny students the information they need to understand the risks of early sexual activity.

Teaching abstinence in a vacuum leads to uninformed and misinformed students. It disregards a comprehensive approach to sex education. Restrictions on sex education don’t reduce the number of teenagers who are having sex, but they can leave them ill-equipped to make smart decisions.

Given the nature of the state’s balance sheet, $161,000 is hard to turn away. But the requirements for the money are too onerous to make it worth sacrificing an effective education program.