Really impressive article written by a 17 year old.

Comprehensive Sex Ed Helps Teens Make Smart Choices
By Anna Bialek, SEX, ETC.. Posted March 10, 2005.
Link

We hope our health classes would at least provide the facts. But the truth is, many schools use “abstinence-only” sexuality education, which means that a lot of vital information is either deleted—or worse—distorted.


Before buying a car or a house, most people will do a lot of research. They’ll talk to people who have owned the same kind of car or lived in a house in the neighborhood. They’ll examine all the specifics. And they’ll compare their options. After all, it’s a big decision. You’ll have to live with your choice for at least a few years.

But when you decide to have sex, you have to live with your choice for the rest of your life. You only lose your virginity once. And even one round of unprotected sex can leave you pregnant or with a lifelong—even fatal—disease.

Choosing to have sex is a complex decision. That’s why teens should carefully consider all the facts, like birth control and how sexually transmitted infections are passed, as well as the more “fuzzy” stuff, like their values (both religious and moral), emotional maturity, relationship with their partner, and health.

Missing Facts

Unfortunately, it’s hard for teens to find honest, accurate information and learn ways to explore their own feelings. We hope our health classes would at least provide the facts. But the truth is, many schools use “abstinence-only” sexuality education, which means that a lot of vital information is either deleted—or worse—distorted.

This approach, backed by President Bush and lots of conservative politicians in this country, teaches that not having sex is the only truly safe way to avoid pregnancy, infection, and other health risks that can accompany sex. And that’s pretty much true. While condoms and birth control are very effective, not having sex at all is the only 100-percent, surefire way to avoid pregnancy or disease.

But the problem is, you have to practice it absolutely 100 percent of the time—or else the risks are enormous. You cannot let sex “just happen,” like it unfortunately does for many teens. The abstinence-only approach also completely ignores the reality that some teens, especially older ones, choose to have sex before they are married, while many gay teens may never have the legal option of getting married.

Classes that are abstinence-only don’t discuss birth control, except to talk about their failure rates. Many of these courses also exaggerate those failure rates, making teens believe that even if they use birth control and condoms, they’ll still be at great risk. So why bother?

All the Facts

In contrast, comprehensive sex education operates under the philosophy that schools should teach students all of the facts to help them make smart choices about sex, decisions that are based on solid information, as well as their own personal feelings and beliefs. Comprehensive sex ed teaches students about the risks of sex, as well as their options for protecting themselves. Some of the programs also teach about healthy sexual relationships and explain the emotional aspects of sexual intimacy.

Comprehensive sex ed programs also emphasize the benefits of not having sex, while none of them “promote” sex in any way. And they still manage to give teens the facts they need to keep themselves healthy—both emotionally and physically.

Having complete knowledge helps sexually active teens to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancy and STIs. It also empowers virgin teens to make good decisions about their sexual futures. Understanding the risks of sex and protection methods also reduces the chance that sex will “just happen”—and that we’ll be unprepared and unprotected when it does.

Teens aren’t stupid. When we really care about something—like protecting ourselves from STIs or preventing pregnancy—we can make good decisions, but only if we have all the information.

Sex, Etc. wants to know: What is the sex ed program like in your school, and do you think it’s effective? Visit their site to share your perspective.

Want to improve your school’s sex ed program? Then check out Roadmap: A Teen Guide to Changing Your School’s Sex Ed.

Anna Bialek, 17, is an editor for Sex, Etc., the national newsletter and web site written by teens, for teens, on sexual health issues, published by the Network for Family Life Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Visit Sexetc.org.

Well, it stands to reason that the more you know about something, the more educated decision you can make regarding it.

Why conservatives want to pretend that kids aren't having sex is beyond me.

The only big thing I disagree with is the comment that "Teens are not stupid." They are stupid(well at least uneducated) for the most part, but are capable of learning.

As a conservative though, I do believe that abstinence only programs are pretty retarded. I do think that we should promote abstinence, but we should also teach sex education as if these kids are fucking each other, which of course they are. I would take it a step further though. I would make "Health" classes, (drugs, sex, fitness, diet), as big of a subject as Science, Math, English, History..... It should be something taught every year, not just in a 16 week clump. I know a whole hell of a lot of people who will never use one of the major subjects in a significant way for the rest of their lives, but "Health" is important to everyone. Not knowing that evolution is a proven science, will not kill anybody. Unlike bad sex education. I will admit that the right has their head buried in the sand, but the left is ignoring important topics to prove the less significant ones correct.

the government has been debating this same sort of abstience education around here. i posted a local article on the subject here a few months ago if anyone is interested

Do you really need to make a case for this?

apparently so. because in this case, it makes so much sense that you don't want your kids learning about sex from a trained professional, but instead from what they can piece together from playground stories, tv shows and R Kelly. how are kids supposed to make informed decisions about these kinds of things if they are given pablum, not facts? i fail to see the logic behind this. its a fact of life that teenagers are going to have sex. its a natural thing that, biologically, we are designed to start doing at that age. its only in today's society that it is deemed unacceptable. it is the schools job to present the facts, and i feel if the parents have stricter morals that they would like to instill upon their children, then the home is the place for that. it would be foolish of a parent to leave their child's sexual education left entirely to the schools. It should be a 2 tier system

If the logic is that if a child learns about sex, he/she will want to have it, that is preposterous. In grade 10 we learned about WW2 and Hitler. now i think its safe to say that once i wrote my final exam, i didn't now think that i was to be the leader of the fourth reich . Knowledge is power and they are trying to take that away from us.

Kids are taught abstinence because their parents don't want them to *choose*.

Can we just sneak birth control in everyone's orange juice?

The "Abstinance" agenda really stinks of "keep the people stupid".

There is nothing wrong with abstaining, but that is only one method of protection in a slew of many.

People of all ages at all times need ongling Education and Accurate Unbiased Information. Teens especially need this relative to intercourse, options, protection, and consequences.

To simply encourage a youth to suppress a natural biological urge and expect them to be able to do so is ridculous.

I wish I had excerpts of Henry Rollins' opinion on the matter from his Spoken Word tour, because he really touches on some good points.


c-

That won't stop the spread of disease though.