Abstinence only sex education: a joke if not worse
• Sexual Health
No one would ask President Bush if he was a virgin when he got married. Yet the administration is fine with advocating exactly that behavior for young people today. This position has been supported with $900 Million in funding during the past five years. And funding for abstinence-only sex education, which advocates virginity until marriage as the only 100% safe method of birth control, will likely double in the coming year.
Recent research by Advocates for Youth has shown abstinence-only sex education programs to be a dismal failure both in terms of not decreasing sexual activity and in terms of increased risk for teenagers who later do decide to become sexual. But the biggest risk of abstinence-only sex education may be the subtext in many of their programs. Tamara Krenin, president and chief executive of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) confirms; “…abstinence-only education is often fear-based...” The message is that sexuality is to be feared and fought against; it is dangerous, embarrassing, risky and emotionally painful. Not the healthiest of messages for young people first entering the realm of relationships.
A review of a number of abstinence-only sex education programs confirms the use of a fear-based approach. In these abstinence-only curriculums words equated with sexual activity are; low self-esteem, guilt, scared, ruined relationships, broken emotional bond, trashing of a person’s reputation, and suicide. Not a very positive or well balanced message. They’re telling teenagers that what they are feeling is wrong and needs to be avoided.
Comments
Posted by: a young woman | November 10, 2004 01:39 PM