Should 'Abstinence-Only' Sex-Ed be Taught in Public Schools?
What should public schools teach our children about sex? It can be a complex question, especially when dealing with morals, social norms, pop culture, hormones and health. When students sit down for their sex education, should teachers embrace an abstinence-only policy?








But Abstinence-Only Education Doesn’t
This argument only works on paper
Sure it would be nice if children followed everything you taught them and if they did we wouldn't need to teach them about protecting themselves. Here's the catch, they don't listen. However much we would like our children to wait until marriage most of them don't and when they don't know how to properly protect themselves they end up getting pregnant.
Lets now weigh the cost to society of a baby born to an unwed mother versus the cost of education and subsidized birth control. We teach them sex is bad and they do it anyway THEN they're so ashamed they cover it up and are less likely to get proper maternity care increasing their risk of premature birth. I don't know the numbers but I'd rather pay for birth control than a couple of weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit for a teenage mother's unintended pregnancy.
- EAnthes
December 9, 2008 3:17PM
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