26% of Teenage Girls have an STI and a Billion Boondoggle Is Responsible
All across the country students are being taught that HIV can spread through tears and sweat, condoms are highly ineffective and that women need “financial support” while men need “admiration.” Sadly, those “facts” are only the beginning of an avalanche of misleading or outright false information being ingrained in teenagers as part of abstinence-only-until-marriage education programs, funded in large part by the federal government to the tune of $1 billion since the year 2000. Wednesday, the House held a congressional hearing on the efficacy of such abstinence-only sex education curricula—a promising first step to replacing these ineffective programs that are too often deceitful and couched in moralizing rhetoric.
Numerous studies show that abstinence-only programs do not work and that comprehensive sex education programs that are medically accurate and age-appropriate are considerably more successful at reducing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection rates. Abstinence-only curricula speak in terms of right and wrong. They are almost always heteronormative and invalidate relationships outside of marriage, excluding the realities of a large portion of this nation’s citizens. Comprehensive sexuality education, on the other hand, is based on medical science emphasizing that abstinence is the only guaranteed way to avoid the risks of sexual activity, while frankly discussing methods of prevention and healthy relationships. Yet, despite evidence and logic, the government has only increased funding and support for abstinence-only programs.
In anticipation of Wednesday’s hearing, Valerie Huber, the executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, said, "If Congress truly cares about the health of America's youth, it will put ideology aside and recognize the positive momentum abstinence education is making." However, it is Ms. Huber who needs to put ideology aside. If pharmaceutical companies ignored studies about their drugs that documented the same levels of ineffectiveness and harm as abstinence-only programs, they would be sued and run out of business within months. Why has it taken Congress over eight years?
But most importantly, this isn’t just some abstract political debate—the health and lives of real people of all ages are being adversely affected by the widespread denial of vital health information. Sexual activity prior to marriage is a common reality in our society, however, most people dangerously lack the tools or information they need to protect themselves—and as a result they are endangering their own health and others’. One in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease! The Guttmacher Institute’s fascinating short brief on sex education in the United States compellingly demonstrates just how much our nation’s current policies are shortchanging both students and teachers.
Let’s face it, many parents just aren’t comfortable sitting down with their kids to have an earnest discussion about sex, and many teenagers aren’t particularly keen on it either. Not to mention that some parents aren’t all that up to date on the variety and efficacy of prevention methods or the myriad of risks and diseases. Let’s remove the gag on public schools and let qualified teachers fill this serious void by educating students about the most important topic of all: themselves.
In anticipation of Wednesday’s hearing, Valerie Huber, the executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, said, "If Congress truly cares about the health of America's youth, it will put ideology aside and recognize the positive momentum abstinence education is making." However, it is Ms. Huber who needs to put ideology aside. If pharmaceutical companies ignored studies about their drugs that documented the same levels of ineffectiveness and harm as abstinence-only programs, they would be sued and run out of business within months. Why has it taken Congress over eight years?
But most importantly, this isn’t just some abstract political debate—the health and lives of real people of all ages are being adversely affected by the widespread denial of vital health information. Sexual activity prior to marriage is a common reality in our society, however, most people dangerously lack the tools or information they need to protect themselves—and as a result they are endangering their own health and others’. One in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease! The Guttmacher Institute’s fascinating short brief on sex education in the United States compellingly demonstrates just how much our nation’s current policies are shortchanging both students and teachers.
Let’s face it, many parents just aren’t comfortable sitting down with their kids to have an earnest discussion about sex, and many teenagers aren’t particularly keen on it either. Not to mention that some parents aren’t all that up to date on the variety and efficacy of prevention methods or the myriad of risks and diseases. Let’s remove the gag on public schools and let qualified teachers fill this serious void by educating students about the most important topic of all: themselves.