I believe of all the feminist issues: abortion, equal pay for equal work, misogyny
perpetrated by elected officials that abstinence education is an overlooked issue.
Considering how prolific anti-sex advocates have been with
implementing it in thirty-seven states
which require sex education that includes abstinence.
Twenty-six of which put an emphasis on it as the best method. Not
only do teens have sex with or without being taught abstinence, it
shames the sex they will have and makes it less likely for them to
use contraceptives. Furthermore, these programs often lie
to help persuade and shame teens away from sex. I believe abstinence
should be a minimal part, or a side note to a comprehensive sex
education program. For those who will have sex regardless, they will
do it safely. Of course the steps preceding intercourse would be
discussed since no one regardless of age should rush into something
that can change (and yes if done recklessly, ruin) a
relationship. For those who want to wait until marriage to have sex,
they can wait until marriage.
While
choosing to be abstinent can be the most effective way to prevent
pregnancy and STIs (since no sex means no way to transfer or initiate
any of those circumstances). Abstinence based sex-ed is the most
ineffective method of preventing STIs, teenage pregnancy, and well
sex (since there are many more teens who choose to engage in sexual
behavior than abstain). A teen is sixty
percent less likely to get themselves or another person pregnant
if they are taught some kind of comprehensive sex education. Also
sex, the act the people in place are trying to prevent is not
impacted by abstinence based education. So, why
do we continue to teach abstinence when it not only fails in it's
mission to prevent sex, but also increases teenage pregnancy. This
then feeds into the issue of abortion which many of these same
abstinence-only pushers believe is never an option.
A
contact for an article relating to the subject came to the conclusion
that not only does abstinence-only sex education not
lower pregnancies
she also went on to say... "Advocates for continued
abstinence-only education need to ask themselves: If teens don't
learn about human reproduction, including safe sexual health
practices to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted
diseases, as well as how to plan their reproductive adult life in
school, then when should they learn it and from whom?" This
brings up the excellent point since this is often left unanswered by
the pro-abstinence side. Typically their argument is “if we teach
kids not to have sex they won't have sex... Until marriage!”.
We
need to stop misinforming our kids. If we continue down this path of
sex-shaming, “just don't do it” approach we will end up with...
Teens learning about sex from the wrong outlets, more abortions
(which pro life or choice, you don't want), more intimacy and sex
issues (even for those who wait until marriage). All because an
otherwise well intentioned program which doesn't work was accepted as
commonplace in our schools.
Sources
