Abstinence-only fails to produce

A new study hot off the pages of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine suggests that abstinence-only education is the best way to prevent sexual activity among teens. The project was a longitudinal study that tested 662 black students in sixth and seventh grade over the course of two years.
The study divided the students into three sexual education programs: abstinence, sex education without endorsement of abstinence and a neutral hybrid program. According to the study, based on the type of program to which they were exposed, 33 percent, 52 percent and 42 percent of students became sexually active, respectively.             
While the study was comprehensive in some ways, it did not elaborate on the students’ family backgrounds, religious affiliation (or non-affiliation) or socio-economic status. All of these, among others, are contributing factors in the decision to, and timing of, sexual activity. Considering the fact that the study looked at only one ethic group, leading to its low external validity, the strength of the study’s findings is questionable. The decision to engage or abstain from sex is not purely a result of the sexual education one does or does not receive.
The study also failed to test whether the students who were having sex engaged in protected sexual activity. If the 33 percent of students who received abstinence-only education engaged in unsafe sexual activity and the other students who did receive contraceptive instruction engaged in protected sexual activity, which group is better off? I believe that the educated students are much better off than the 33 percent of possibly pregnant teens who are also more prone to contracting a S.T.D.
There are some things that children will always do. Most children will pick their noses, chase their crushes and test their limits. Most children will grow up one day and realize that they want to be sexually active. Being sexually active, like picking one’s nose, is an inevitable part of most people’s lives. With sex education we have the means to inform younger generations of the safest ways to do something that comes naturally.             
Education is not about hiding knowledge. Every student deserves to know all of the facts in every subject to which he is introduced. Granted, abstinence is the only way to completely ensure that one does not get pregnant or contract a S.T.D, and students should certainly be informed of this. However, there are safe-sex practices that one can use to make sure that when one does engage in sexual activities the chances of ending up with a child or a S.T.D are much slimmer.
In the same way that we hope tomorrow’s generation will make their own informed decisions about politics or religion, we should hope that they will make their own informed decisions about sex. Once a student has all of the information, they can make an informed decision on their own.             
And here is one last thing to think about. In a recent survey of San Diego City Schools, 39 percent of high school students reported that they have had sex. Compare that with the 48 percent surveyed in 1991.
The trend is even more telling when it is discovered that San Diego Unified does not teach abstinence-only sexual education.