Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education

Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education

Introduction

Since 1997 the federal government has invested more than $1.5 billion dollars in abstinence-only programs - proven ineffective programs which censor or exclude important information that could help young people protect their health. In fact, until recently, programs which met a strict abstinence-only definition were the only type of sex education eligible for federal funding; no funding existed for comprehensive sex education, which stresses abstinence but also provides information about contraception and condoms (Hickman Research, 1999).

Discussion

Teaching morality is becoming an increasingly controversial topic in the education system today. There are many aspects of morality that can be taught in schools. One of these aspects is sex education. Many questions arise when it comes to sex education in schools such as when it should begin and how much should be addressed. Some people believe that sex education programs should teach abstinence only to students. However, there are a large percentage of people who believe that sex education should include all aspects of what sex includes such as information on contraception, STD's etc. Even though both types of programs are becoming more popular, evidence shows that comprehensive sex education is a much more effective way to go (Baldo, 1993). A national task force of health, education, and sexuality professionals believes that an issue as multifaceted as sex requires a multi-targeted approach. Teaching abstinence is a significant piece of the puzzle, but just say no may be lost on students who are already sexually active.

Many teenagers today are sexually active. Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicates that over half of all high school students have engaged in sexual intercourse at some point in their lives. Thirty-nine percent of ninth graders have been sexually active and that percentage rises to over sixty-five percent of high school seniors. For many teens, there are consequences that have to be faced because of their choice to be sexually active. About three million teenagers in the U.S. acquire an STD every year. Ten percent of females between the ages of fifteen to nineteen become pregnant every year (Kirby, 2007). That's one in ten females getting pregnant. With statistics this high among teens, it isn't right to deprive them of the education necessary to help them make good decisions about their sexual behavior.

The question now arises on what kind of sexual education should be taught to adolescents. In a recent poll, ninety-three percent of Americans supported sex education in high schools with eighty-four percent supporting sex education in middle schools. These statistics show that Americans acknowledge that there is a problem with STDs and pregnancies among teenagers and there needs to be something done about it. So how do we decide what kind of sex education should be taught to American teens? Eighty-nine percent of Americans believe that young people should receive information about contraception and prevention of STDs and that school-based sex education should focus on how to avoid unwanted pregnancies and STDs, including HIV ...