Problems with Abstinence-Only Education
posted almost 13 years ago
First thing first: This topic will not be locked, and it is not meant to be propaganda but instead a discussion or debate.
From what I am aware, teaching abstinence only, with a disregard for contraception has only increased poverty, abortion rates, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases around the world. I notice how someone posted earlier, a piece on sexual activities increasing when contraception was taught. I think this is something the community must accept when the practice on abstinence only is causing so much harm. Sometimes, people forget that we, like all other species that mate on this planet, want to do so. We want to show affection to one another, and according to the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, "Sexuality is a normal part of adolescent growth and development." (1) This is why biologists advocate sex education even in biology classes. (4)
This idea of sex before marriage is often looked down upon by some religious factions; and because of this, there is an idea that if we refrain from teaching the children about safe sex, and instead only about abstinence, then "sexual immorality" will be avoided. I think this idea of sex after marriage is fine to have, but I think to the exclusion of education on safe sex methods, that have been shown to work time and time again, is a dangerous one.
Texas who holds #3 highest teen pregnancy rate in the Country, is a great example of abstinence-only education failing. They call the abstinence plus safe sex curriculum 'evidence-based,' and that is what we need to do; do what is best for the people; and to live and let live. We, as a country need to focus on the population statistics, and to use those as best we can. Waiting for marriage is sometimes a hard task, and not everyone can do it. Let's focus on the population, I cannot stress this enough. If the hormones are bursting from their seems, USE A CONDOM, and teach adolescents how to use a condom.
From Mrs. Bush Abstinence and Texas:
"Plus, the Perry government is a huge fan of the deeply ineffective abstinence-only sex education. Texas gobbles up more federal funds than any other state for the purpose of teaching kids that the only way to avoid unwanted pregnancies is to avoid sex entirely. (Who knew that the health care reform bill included $250 million for abstinence-only sex ed? Thank you, Senator Orrin Hatch!) But the state refused to accept federal money for more expansive, “evidence-based” programs.
“Abstinence works,” said Governor Perry during a televised interview with Evan Smith of The Texas Tribune.
“But we have the third highest teen pregnancy rate among all states in the country,” Smith responded.
“It works,” insisted Perry.
“Can you give me a statistic suggesting it works?” asked Smith.
“I’m just going to tell you from my own personal life. Abstinence works,” said Perry, doggedly."
(2)
"Though some support exists for specific abstinence-only programs, particularly those that do not apply a moralistic lens to sexual behavior, a larger body of research indicates that the approach is ineffective at preventing teen pregnancies. It remains the preferred choice for Texas’ public schools."
(3)
Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S
"The United States ranks first among developed nations in rates of both teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases...
Using the most recent national data (2005) from all U.S. states with information on sex education laws or policies (N = 48), we show that increasing emphasis on abstinence education is positively correlated with teenage pregnancy and birth rates. This trend remains significant after accounting for socioeconomic status, teen educational attainment, ethnic composition of the teen population, and availability of Medicaid waivers for family planning services in each state. These data show clearly that abstinence-only education as a state policy is ineffective in preventing teenage pregnancy and may actually be contributing to the high teenage pregnancy rates in the U.S. In alignment with the new evidence-based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative and the Precaution Adoption Process Model advocated by the National Institutes of Health, we propose the integration of comprehensive sex and STD education into the biology curriculum in middle and high school science classes and a parallel social studies curriculum that addresses risk-aversion behaviors and planning for the future."
(4)
In conclusion, if anyone thinks this method is not best, please critique the numbers, not the poster. And this is what we are here for, to learn and debate. Ready... go!
