Abstinence Based Sex Education
Sex education is a process of giving knowledge and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy ("Pros and Cons Of Sex Education."). Educators, parents, etc. have strong opinions when it comes to teaching their children about sex. Abstinence based sex education courses are popular throughout public and private schools. But is making sex education programs abstinence based sending the right message? Parents need to take control of the sex education programs to ensure that their children gain the best knowledge possible. Sex programs in middle and high schools should support abstinence but also teach the teenagers how to protect themselves from unexpected pregnancy; the more knowledge they know the more they can be protecting their futures. Teenagers are no more likely to be sexually active having been taught about protection such as pills, condoms, shots or patches, etc. then they are having been taught abstinence based education. “Studies show that providing information about contraception does not increase teen sexual activity. At the same time, teens who received only abstinence education were no more likely to abstain. And when they did stray, without education about birth control, they were more likely to get pregnant” ("Pros and Cons Of Sex Education."). If not educated by the schools a lot of teens learn from other sources about sex and protection such as family, the media, internet, books, advertisement and even friends who may have the wrong facts as well. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a survey finding out 46% of all high school students reported ever having had sexual intercourse, 61% of sexually active students reported using a condom the last time they had sex and 20% of sexually active students reported using birth control pills the last time they had sex ("Fast Facts"). Leaving the students in the dark will not help them in the future. Leaving them in the dark could potentially endanger the teens of not being aware of what they have at risk when having unprotected sex; not just risking pregnancy but receiving any type of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as Herpes, Crabs louse, HPV, HIV, etc. When a teenaged girl, any woman at that, becomes pregnant and has a sexually transmitted disease not just the female is in serious danger but so is her unborn child. A pregnant woman with a sexually transmitted disease can infect her baby before, during, and/or after the child is born ("Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)"). In addition to possible infection to the baby, early labor or early rupture of the membranes around the baby in the uterus can occur. Yes, this can still occur if teens are fully taught about non-abstinence based sexual education but it would not hurt to each to help prevent this from happening. Just in case, pregnant women, expectedly or unexpectedly, should ask their doctors about getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases. Some doctors do not routinely perform these tests so asking is the patients’ responsibility. Teen pregnancy and birth rates have declined throughout the past years but the U.S. still remains the highest rates of STIs, sexually transmitted infections; STDs and teen pregnancy of any industrialized country in the world (Collins M.P.P, Chris). Around 3.75 million teenagers will contract an STI while one out of three will get a disease or infection by the age of twenty-four (Collins M.P.P, Chris). STIs can lead to many things in addition to a health issue such as significant personal, social and economic consequences. If not properly educated about or treated an untreated or improperly treated STI can turn into a Pelvis inflammatory disease which is responsible for at least thirty percent of infertility among U.S. women. STIs can cause mental illness, spontaneous abortions, still birth, and make women two to five times more vulnerable to HIV and other health problems (Collins M.P.P, Chris). Without the knowledge how are teens supposed to know? A national study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy showed an average of seventy out of one thousand United States teenaged girls became pregnant in the year 2005. In Maryland sixty-five out of one thousand teenaged girls became pregnant and one hundred sixty-five out of one thousand teenaged girls became pregnant in the Nation’s capital; Washington, D.C. ("Teen Pregnancy Rates in the United States”). With teens knowing and talking about contraception or condom use, abortion and knowing about sexually transmitted diseases and HIV there can be a possibility that these numbers will go down; yet there is also a possibility of them staying the same or even increasing which will only “prove” that the people against non-abstinence based sex education “right”. Abstinence based sex education promotes no sex before marriage, does not acknowledge that a lot of teens will become sexually activeAbstinence based sex education promotes no sex before marriage, does not acknowledge that a lot of teens will become sexually active, does not teach contraception or condom usage, avoid discussions of abortion and talks about sexually transmitted diseases and HIV as reasons to remain abstinent. In 1996 an Abstinence only curriculum welfare reform act was activated stating that $50 million annually for five years to states for abstinence only programs. Legislation required that “abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard from all school-age children”, “a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of sexual activity” and “sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects” would be taught (Collins M.P.P, Chris). This made wanting abstinence based educated a better deal and abstinence only sex education rose nearly 3000% from 1996 to 2001. Teens can and will choose their sexual behavior; it is their life and with becoming young adults they will exercise their rights to choose. Research shows how those decisions are made greatly having to do with the world surroundings. The communities, economic, geographic and historical can be involved as well.
There are many groups and people who are strongly against the whole contraception and abstinence based sex education courses. Some of these organizations include SIECUS, Advocates for Youth, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, the National Education Association, the National Medical Association, the National School Boards Association, and the Society for Adolescent Medicine (Collins M.P.P, Chris). SIECUS states that comprehensive school based sexuality education that is appropriate to students’ age, developmental level, and cultural background should be an important part of the education program at every age. The organization defines a comprehensive sexuality education program as one that “respects the diversity of values and beliefs represented in the community and will complement and augment the sexuality education children receive from their families.”
Some believe abstinence based education courses are becoming more and more effective. A study released in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine researchers followed throughout two years students in separate groups. These students began the study in only the grades of sixth and seventh grade. In one group the focus was abstinence; in the other group, the group was taught contraception and safe sex. Two years later, the researchers talked to the students again finding out one half of the students learning about contraception and safe sex were now having sex. While only one third of the group who focused on abstinence were having sex (Muir, David). Researchers stated it was how the topic was approached not just giving information about abstinence. In this specific study, the teachers did not take it as far as going into religion, etc. The course purposely stayed away from the religion, morality and marriage reasoning’s on why abstinence gets thumbs up. The teachers did not preach about waiting for sex until marriage or discouraging condom usage (Muir, David). Abstinence only based education is one way to educate teenaged students about sex then there is the only way by teaching the students about contraception, condoms and sexually transmitted diseases. Many people do not agree that students should be taught about contraception since those people believe if students are taught about the non-abstinence ways the students will be more likely to be sexually active. Teens are going to have sex if that’s what those individuals decide – it has nothing to do with being taught abstinence based or not. Teens need to be taught about contraception so the teens will know how to protect themselves from the sexually transmitted disease or infections, and unwanted pregnancies. Futures are in state if students are not educated right. Stated on television channel MTV on television show 16 and pregnant, “teen pregnancy is 100% preventable.” However, having the right information is necessary.
Cited Work
Collins M.P.P., Chris, Priya Alagiri, J.D., and Todd Summers. "Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education." AIDS Policy Research Center & Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. Progessive Health Partners, 03 2002. Web. 5 Dec 2010. <http://ari.ucsf.edu/science/reports/abstinence.pdf>.
"Fast Facts." The National Campaign. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, June 2010. Web. 14 Nov 2010. < http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/FastFacts_YRBS2009.pdf>.
Fitzpatrick, Diane. "The Pros and Cons of Abstinence Only Education." Life123. Life123, Inc., 2010. Web. 11 Nov 2010. <http://www.life123.com/parenting/tweens-teens/teens-sex/the-pros-and-cons-of-abstinence-only-education.shtml>.
Muir, David, and Hanna Siegel. "'Abstinence-Only' Education Gets a Boost." ABC News. ABC News, 02 02 2010. Web. 5 Dec 2010. <http://abcnews.go.com/WN/study-abstinence-works/story?id=9731048>.
"Pros and Cons Of Sex Education." iloveindia.com. iloveindia.com, 2010. Web. 11 Nov 2010. <http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/pros-and-cons-of-sex-education-9472.html>.
"Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 09 2010. Web. 1 Dec 2010. <http://www.cdc.gov/STD/pregnancy/default.htm>.
"Teen Pregnancy Rates in the United States." The National Campaign. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 26 Jan 2010. Web. 14 Nov 2010. <http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/national-data/pdf/STBYST05_Preg%20Only.pdf>.
"Teenage Quotes." ThinkExist.com. ThinkExist, 1999-2010. Web. 16 Nov 2010. <http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/teenage/>.
"U.S. Teen Sexual Activity." The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Jan 2005. Web. 14 Nov 2010. http://www.kff.org/youthhivstds/upload/U-S-Teen-Sexual-Activity-Fact-Sheet.pdf>.
By James Taylor and Carole King