Abstinence-only

Sex educaLlon programs were flrsL lnLroduced Lo publlc school sysLems ln 1913 Slnce
Lhen Lhls form of educaLlon has been a hoL and debaLable Loplc among many Amerlcans 1he
orlglnal reason for sex educaLlon classes was Lo reduce problems such as venereal dlseases and
prosLlLuLlon ln recenL years absLlnence has become Lhe maln form of sex educaLlon
currlculum AbsLlnence means avoldlng sex 1hough lL ls Lhe only onehundred percenL way Lo
prevenL sexually LransmlLLed dlseases and unwanLed pregnancles absLlnenceonly should noL
be Lhe only form of sex educaLlon LaughL 1eenagers need Lo know abouL all aspecLs of sex Cn
Lhe oLher hand parenLs may noL feel comforLable Lalklng Lo Lhelr chlldren abouL sex

Many people also feel LhaL absLlnenceonly sex educaLlon should noL be Lhe only form
of sex educaLlon LaughL LlghLy flve percenL of all Amerlcans belleve LhaL adolescenLs should
be glven all of Lhe facLs abouL sex lncludlng Lhe facLs abouL how Lo proLecL Lhemselves from
sexually LransmlLLed dlseases and unwanLed pregnancles" (2) 1herefore Leenagers should
know abouL all aspecLs of sex educaLlon ln Lhe LwenLyflrsL cenLury Lhere are more and more
Leenagers havlng sex or are conslderlng havlng sex nlneLypercenL of Amerlcans are havlng
sex before marrlage and flfLypercenL of Leenagers have sex before marrlage" (Cppose lundlng
3) 1hls alarmlng raLe needs Lo be handled 8y Leachlng absLlnenceonly sex educaLlon
Leenagers who are already havlng sex wlll noL know whaL rlsks Lhey are encounLerlng lf some
Leenagers are already havlng sex Lhen lL should be essenLlal LhaL anoLher form of sex educaLlon
LaughL lnsLead of absLlnenceonly lL would be redundanL Lo Leach Lhese Leenagers abouL
absLlnence lf ln facL Lhey are already havlng sex 1herefore Leenagers should know abouL all
aspecLs of sex educaLlon 1eenagers should know whaL and how Lhe use of a devlce or
procedure helps Lo prevenL dlseases and pregnancles Whlch ls Lhe besL form of conLracepLlve
and why ls lL Lhe besL? ln addlLlon Leenagers also need Lo learn Lhe correcL way Lo use Lhose
devlces or medlcaLlons deslgned Lo prevenL pregnancy Many Leenagers who have noL yeL
encounLered sexual acLlvlLy are wonderlng whaL all Lhese conLracepLlves are Many wlll acqulre
lnformaLlon LhaL Lhey may Lhlnk ls credlble when ln reallLy ls noL credlble lf ln facL Leenagers
who are only LaughL absLlnenceonly sex educaLlon wlll more Lhan llkely Lry Lo flnd lnformaLlon
from oLher sources for lnformaLlon abouL sex 1eenagers may look upon Lhe medla Lo glve
Lhem lnformaLlon abouL sex Medla ls one of Lhe worsL places Lo recelve lnformaLlon abouL sex
AcLors may have sex on Lelevlslon buL very few of Lhese people promoLe safe sex 1eenagers
may ask frlends abouL sex however Leenagers should noL glve oLher Leenagers lnformaLlon
abouL sex 1eens do noL have Lhe medlcal and professlonal knowledge Lo glve someone else
lnformaLlon abouL sex lor Lhese reasons lL ls lmperaLlve LhaL more forms of sex educaLlon be
LaughL raLher Lhan absLlnenceonly

MosL parenLs and Lhelr chlldren especlally Lhelr Leenagers have a sLralned relaLlonshlp
1hls ls parLlcularly Lrue when lL comes Lo parenLs Lalklng Lo Lhelr Leenagers abouL sex MosL
Leenagers would noL faLhom Lalklng Lo Lhelr parenLs abouL sex lf a parenL has a hard Llme
maklng general conversaLlon Lhen lL wlll even harder for Lhe parenLs Lo Lalk abouL sex wlLh
Lhelr chlldren MosL parenLs have a hard Llme wlLh Lhe facL LhaL Lhelr chlldren are growlng up
knowlng whaL age Lo brlng sex up ls never easy Some Leenagers maLure fasLer Lhan oLhers ln
Lhelr age group do naLurally Lhose would be Lhe Leenagers who would need Lo know abouL
sex flrsL lf parenLs walL Loo long Lo Lalk Lo Lhelr Leenagers abouL sex Lhen Lhey wlll more llkely
go ouL and experlmenL ln addlLlon parenLs may have some knowledge abouL sex buL lack Lhe
knowledge LhaL a professlonal has lor lnsLance many parenLs may know abouL Lhe common
sexually LransmlLLed dlseases buL parenLs may noL know abouL Lhe less common sexually
LransmlLLed dlseases arenLs also may noL know abouL effecLlve forms of conLracepLlves
arenLs also do noL know abouL Lhe updaLed verslons of blrLh conLrol AbsLlnenceonly sex
educaLlon programs leave Leenagers wlLhouL Lhe essenLlals Lhey need Lo proLecL Lhemselves
from pregnancy and sexually LransmlLLed dlseases

Cf course absLlnenceonly sex educaLlon may beneflL some sLudenLs Powever
research lndlcaLes LhaL balanced reallsLlc sexuallLy educaLlon whlch lncludes lnformaLlon on
boLh absLlnence and conLracepLlon can delay Leens onseL of sexual acLlvlLy can lncrease Lhe
use of conLracepLlon by sexually acLlve Leens and may reduce Lhe number of Lhelr sexual
parLners" (AdvocaLes for ?ouLh 1) 1here ls no conflrmed verlflcaLlon LhaL Leachlng absLlnence
only sex educaLlon wlll lengLhen absLlnence any longer Lhan comprehenslve sex educaLlon
Accordlng Lo Lhe Alan CuLLmacher lnsLlLuLe LwenLy percenL of Lhe drop ln Lhe Leen pregnancy
raLe beLween 1988 and 1993 ls credlLed Lo absLlnence or aL leasL delaylng sexual acLlvlLy buL
80 percenL ls from lncreased and more effecLlve use of conLracepLlon" (Why ls Lhe 1eenage
regnancy 3) Llke sLaLed earller many Leenagers are havlng sex before Lhey compleLe hlgh
school Palf of Leenagers dld noL use condoms Lhe lasL Llme Lhey had sex" (Sex LducaLlon
1alklng Lo 1eenagers 1) As a resulL comprehenslve sex educaLlon should be LaughL along wlLh
absLlnenceonly sex educaLlon

CranLed many belleve LhaL absLlnenceonly wlll help Lhe sLudenLs ln delaylng sexual
acLlvlLy Whlle Lhls may be Lrue lL ls noL Lrue for all CurrenL research flndlngs do noL supporL
Lhe poslLlon LhaL Lhe absLlnenceonly approach Lo sex educaLlon ls effecLlve ln delaylng Lhe
onseL of lnLercourse" ( Why ls Lhe 1eenage regnancy uecllnlng? 3) 1eenagers who recelve Lhls
comblned sex educaLlon are more llkely Lo walL laLer Lo become sexually acLlve and wlll use
proLecLlon lf Lhls ls all Lrue Lhen why do many Amerlcans feel LhaL absLlnenceonly educaLlon ls
Lhe besL form of sex educaLlon? Comprehenslve sex educaLlon clearly shows a beLLer success
raLe Lhan Lhe absLlnenceonly meLhod (3)

ln concluslon lL ls essenLlal LhaL anoLher form of sex educaLlon be lnLroduced Lo Loday's
youLh AbsLlnenceonly may be flne for some Leenagers buL for Lhe Leenagers who are sexually
acLlve Lhey need Lhe vlLal essenLlals Lo learn abouL all aspecLs of sex AbsLlnenceonly
educaLlon ls for elemenLary and mlddle school sLudenLs Cnce a chlld becomes a Leenager Lhen
lL would be wlse Lo Leach LhaL Leenager every blL of lnformaLlon abouL sex posslble 1eenagers
wlll noL belleve LhaL bables come from a sLork anymore WlLh parenLs belng afrald of Leachlng
Lhelr Leenagers abouL sex more schools should sLep up and Leach Lhese Leenagers whaL Lhey
need Lo know before lL ls Loo laLe 1eenagers do noL need Lo flnd ouL abouL sex from oLher
Leenagers who have only common knowledge abouL sex 1hey need professlonals Leachlng
Lhem abouL sex noL someone who knows as llLLle 1he cycle has Lo be broken ln Lhe socleLy
LhaL Amerlcans llve ln Loday lL would be reckless noL Lo Leach abouL all aspecLs of sex WlLhouL
comprehenslve sex educaLlon many Leenagers wlll noL know whaL Lo do lf Lhey ever declde Lo
have sex lf Lhls were Lo happen Lhen Lhls wlll puL Lhe Leenager ln rlsk of an unwanLed
pregnancy and rlsk for a sexually LransmlLLed dlsease lf socleLy does noL Lake a sLand wlLh Lhls
lssue Lhen many Leenagers wlll go ouL ln Lhe world wlLh only lnadequaLe deLalls of sex
educaLlon and wlll noL have Lhe knowledge Lo explaln Lo Lhelr chlldren abouL sex Concerned
parenLs should Lalk Lo Lhelr school board represenLaLlve abouL maklng a change lL only Lakes
one person Lo geL a pro[ecL of Lhls maLLer sLarLed









Work ClLled

1 AdvocaLes for ?ouLh" 3 March 1999 wwwadvocaLesforyouLhorg/ 27 CcLober 2003
2 Corburn 1om ur uo absLlnence only sex educaLlon programs work?" lamlly racLlce
news 13 !uly 2000 27 CcLober 2003
hLLp//wwwflndarLlclescom/cf_0/m0b[l/14_30/63193776/prlnL[hLml
3 Cppose lederal lundlng of AbsLlnence Cnly LducaLlon" 10 March 2022
wwwacluorg/8eproducLlve8lghLs/8eproducLlve8lghLscfm?lu10781c227 27 March 2003
4 Sex LducaLlon1alklng Lo 1eenagers" 02 !uly 2001
hLLp//wwwbeLLerhealLhvlcgovaubhcarLlclesnsfpages/Sex_eduaLlon_Lalklng_Lo
3 Why ls Lhe 1eenage regnancy uecllnlng? 1he 8oles of AbsLlnence Sexual AcLlvlLy
and ConLracepLlve use" nd hLLp//wwwguLLmacherorg/pubs/or_Leen_preg_decllnehLml