Comprehensive Sex Ed is Best Tool to Achieve Goals
Regardless of which side you fall on in the abstinence-only versus comprehensive sex education (CSE) debate, we all can agree on the desired outcome. We want to help adolescents develop a positive and accurate understanding of sexuality, keep them safe from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS, and do all that we can to prevent unintended pregnancies. From a public health perspective that is rooted in research, the most effective way to achieve this goal is through comprehensive sex education.
Experts in the fields of adolescent development, health and education recommend CSE programs that assist young people in developing a positive view of their sexuality, provide them with information necessary to protect their sexual health and help them acquire skills to make informed decisions, both now and in the future.
While CSE programs emphasize abstinence from all sexual activity as the most effective and reliable method of avoiding STIs, HIV and pregnancy, they also teach adolescents about contraceptives and barrier methods to reduce their risks. CSE programs provide adolescents with developmentally appropriate information regarding a broad range of topics related to sexuality, and also provide opportunities for students to develop communication, decision-making and other interpersonal skills. CSE programs also allow parents to exercise the option of taking their children out of such classes if they do not wish their children to be exposed to this information.
Several comprehensive sexuality education programs have been demonstrated, through rigorous evaluation, to delay the onset of sexual intercourse, reduce the frequency of sexual intercourse, reduce the number of sex partners, and/or increase the use of condoms and/or other forms of contraception among teens. Some programs have demonstrated sustained positive effects on behavior for as long as three years. In fact, most of the decline in teen birth and pregnancy rates seen in the United States between 1991 and 2005 is attributable to improved contraceptive use. An analysis published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2007 found that 86 percent of the decline in teen pregnancy between 1995 and 2002 was the result of improved contraceptive use and only 14 percent was the result of fewer teens engaging in sexual intercourse.
In addition, teaching about contraceptives and barrier methods is not associated with increased risk of adolescent sexual activity or STIs. As reported in the April 2008 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, adolescents who received comprehensive sex education had a significantly lower risk of pregnancy than adolescents who received abstinence-only or no sex education.
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"Several comprehensive sexuality education programs have been demonstrated, through rigorous evaluation, to delay the onset of sexual intercourse, reduce the frequency of sexual intercourse, reduce the number of sex partners, and/or increase the use of condoms and/or other forms of contraception among teens"
Doesn't this exert from the article describe the basis of what sex education should be teaching teens, other than abstinence only? Some teens are going to have sex no matter how much you preach abstinence or waiting until you are married. If that is the case, the goal is then to decrease pregnancies, STI's, and the number of partners. Teaching about contraceptives and other ways to stay safe seems to be the only logical way to do this.
Knowledge is vital. Children from a very young age must learn about procreation and the vehicle by which that is made possible. Gradual training in the home is the best method, but we puritanistic Americans are often embarrased to take on that responsibility, therefore it falls upon the shoulders of our schools. Its best for kids to learn the FACTS and not learn the distorted information shared amongst fellow youth. Children should be taught that abstinence is the best form of birth control. But, realistically, they need to know about STD transmission and the terrible damage they can do to the body for life. Kids also need to know how to properly use all forms of birth control. This kind of education won't encourage children to have more sex as we can see from this kind of education in many European countries.