JohnnyBz00LS
Dedicated LVC Member
Posted on Fri, Dec. 03, 2004
Abstain from flawed sex education
Congressional leaders showed poor judgment in increasing spending on abstinence-only sex education programs at the same time research on the programs’ effectiveness is delayed. Until the programs have been proven effective, Congress should hold the line on supporting them.
Congress recently passed a spending bill that included $131 million for abstinence-only programs, an increase of $30 million from the previous year. The increased spending comes at the same time that a national evaluation of abstinence education by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service was delayed until 2006.
The Bush administration, with assistance from a Republican majority Congress, is investing heavily in abstinence-only programming as a nod to religious conservatives. Unfortunately, there is not much data to document the effectiveness of abstinence-only education because many of the programs are fairly new. Existing research on teen sexuality casts serious doubt on the effectiveness of abstinence-only education and indicates teens are best served by receiving complete and accurate information.
A report by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., reviewed 13 of the most widely used federally funded abstinence-only programs and concluded that only two provided accurate information, the Washington Post reported. The remaining programs contained factual errors, misinterpretation of statistics or unproven claims. The report found programs that incorrectly claim that AIDS can be spread via sweat and tears, that half of the gay male teens in the United States tested HIV-positive and that touching a person’s genitals leads to pregnancy.
Obviously, it is best for teens to wait until they are mature enough to make wise decisions before engaging in sexual activity. Some will not wait, despite abstinence education. The best practice is to give honest and accurate information. Abstinence should be the first and most forceful message they hear, but it should not be the only element of sex education.
“Many teens may plan on abstinence, but if their abstinence fails, they have no information to protect themselves,” says Judy Harris, an educator for Planned Parenthood of Indiana in Fort Wayne. Teaching only abstinence leaves students who do become sexually active less informed about how to prevent pregnancy and disease.
A 2003 survey from the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States shows that 47 percent of female and 50 percent of male high school students in Indiana have had sexual intercourse – slightly higher than students nationwide. The same report shows that 50 percent of females and 62 percent of male high school students in Indiana use condoms – slightly less than students nationwide.
It is important that students are told that abstinence is the only way to guarantee against unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease. But abstinence-based education should not exclude other useful medical information. And federal dollars should only go to effective programs that provide accurate information.
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On the Web
•The Washington Post story about misinformation in abstinence education programs can be found at www.journalgazette.net.
Abstain from flawed sex education
Congressional leaders showed poor judgment in increasing spending on abstinence-only sex education programs at the same time research on the programs’ effectiveness is delayed. Until the programs have been proven effective, Congress should hold the line on supporting them.
Congress recently passed a spending bill that included $131 million for abstinence-only programs, an increase of $30 million from the previous year. The increased spending comes at the same time that a national evaluation of abstinence education by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service was delayed until 2006.
The Bush administration, with assistance from a Republican majority Congress, is investing heavily in abstinence-only programming as a nod to religious conservatives. Unfortunately, there is not much data to document the effectiveness of abstinence-only education because many of the programs are fairly new. Existing research on teen sexuality casts serious doubt on the effectiveness of abstinence-only education and indicates teens are best served by receiving complete and accurate information.
A report by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., reviewed 13 of the most widely used federally funded abstinence-only programs and concluded that only two provided accurate information, the Washington Post reported. The remaining programs contained factual errors, misinterpretation of statistics or unproven claims. The report found programs that incorrectly claim that AIDS can be spread via sweat and tears, that half of the gay male teens in the United States tested HIV-positive and that touching a person’s genitals leads to pregnancy.
Obviously, it is best for teens to wait until they are mature enough to make wise decisions before engaging in sexual activity. Some will not wait, despite abstinence education. The best practice is to give honest and accurate information. Abstinence should be the first and most forceful message they hear, but it should not be the only element of sex education.
“Many teens may plan on abstinence, but if their abstinence fails, they have no information to protect themselves,” says Judy Harris, an educator for Planned Parenthood of Indiana in Fort Wayne. Teaching only abstinence leaves students who do become sexually active less informed about how to prevent pregnancy and disease.
A 2003 survey from the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States shows that 47 percent of female and 50 percent of male high school students in Indiana have had sexual intercourse – slightly higher than students nationwide. The same report shows that 50 percent of females and 62 percent of male high school students in Indiana use condoms – slightly less than students nationwide.
It is important that students are told that abstinence is the only way to guarantee against unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease. But abstinence-based education should not exclude other useful medical information. And federal dollars should only go to effective programs that provide accurate information.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the Web
•The Washington Post story about misinformation in abstinence education programs can be found at www.journalgazette.net.
