Posted on: Wednesday, July 7, 2004
ISLAND VOICES
'Try Wait' program irresponsible
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In response to the June 9 article "Abstinence program tells teens, 'Try Wait!' ": It is important that we support the DOE's, teachers' and, most importantly, parents' roles in ensuring that students receive comprehensive sexuality education in order to help them have healthy relationships.
It would be a tragedy if we withheld vital information from students or misled them into believing that sex was dangerous and bad. We must teach our youth about all aspects of sex and sexuality so that they may make well-informed decisions on their own (because they will ultimately make these decisions on their own), based on medically accurate information, their personal and family's values, and responsible personal choices. Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are irresponsible and are unwise in the area of public health. So far, over half a billion public dollars have been spent nationwide on these programs, which have offered no comprehensive, scientifically valid evaluations. In Hawai'i alone, over 750,000 federal dollars each year are spent on these potentially harmful abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, in comparison to $250,000 in state funds for medically accurate comprehensive sex education.
Comprehensive sex education teaches abstinence as the best method for avoiding pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but also provides information about birth control, including condoms, to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy and infection with STIs.
It also teaches decision-making and interpersonal and communication skills and helps youths explore their own values, goals and options. Unlike those of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, evaluations of medically accurate comprehensive sex-education programs show that these programs delay the onset of sexual activity, reduce the frequency of sexual activity, reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase condom and birth-control use. In addition, research shows that these programs do not encourage teens to become sexually active.
But let's forget for a moment about the money that is being thrown into unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. What is even more disturbing is the irresponsible and offensive content that is taught to our youth regarding sexuality. In order for places like Catholic Charities to receive these funds, they must teach all components of a strict eight-point definition of abstinence-only education, while withholding valuable medical information on family planning and disease protection. Two of the most disturbing points that must be taught are:
Besides these points being untrue statements, there are many other flaws to them. With over 90 percent of the U.S. population having had sex before their wedding night, I do not believe that this is the "expected standard" of our citizens. With an average of 12 years between the time adolescents are physically able to reproduce and the average age of first marriage (with this gap widening every year), it is understandable how this is not an expected standard for many people.
In addition, not all people in the United States are free to marry, and many people make a choice to never marry, and therefore are they not allowed to have sex? Ever? The high failure rate of abstinence as a form of birth control, including those who take "virginity pledges," is rarely discussed. If (or when) people break their pledge, they will not have been prepared to use another form of birth control, including condoms, having never been taught the benefits of these products and having not planned to have sex. Additionally, should they be anticipating harmful psychological problems? Our teens deserve much more respect from us than that.
Jamie Leonard, MPH, is director of education and training for Planned Parenthood of Hawai'i.
