Can You Hear Me Yet?

Today's Washington Post features yet another article about the failure of abstinence-only sex education programs, which have been one of the best-funded far right programs under the Bush administration. At last count, the US government has spent more than $1.5 billion on programs that promote "abstinence only until marriage."

A new report appears in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics, and features a study on the "virginity pledge," comparing the health outcomes for young women who pledge to remain virgins until marriage (news flash: they backslide) as opposed to young women who don't pledge. The data indicates that 82 percent of young women taking a pledge of virginity end up breaking the promise, making them no different then their peers for engaging in sexual activity. The study analyzed data collected by the federal government's National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, using detailed information from a representative sample of about 11,000 students in grades seven through 12 in 1995, 1996 and 2001,

The bottom line? "Taking a pledge doesn't seem to make any difference at all in any sexual behavior," said Janet E. Rosenbaum of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, However, there were significant differences in risky behavior among the "pledge" takers. The percentage of students who said they used a condom was about 10 points lower for those who had taken the pledge, and they were about six percentage points less likely to use any form of contraception.

At this point, it's hard to imagine how much more data the government and Congress need to collect to come to the conclusion that just telling kids to not have sex isn't working. The more that abstinence-only programs stress the failure rates of condoms and contraception, the less likely young people are to protect themselves against pregnancy and infection. What the vast majority of parents will tell you is that they want comprehensive sex education for teens in school, that includes abstinence but also information about birth control and preventing STDs.

Last spring, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that one in four teenage girls in America has a sexually transmitted infection -- and one in two African-American teen girls. That should be reason enough for Congress to end funding for a program that promotes far right ideology and at the same time gives bad or no information to help teens protect their health.

Any parent with teens (I have two myself) knows that too many young people are seeing teenage sex on every mainstream television show marketed for their age group - just watch Gossip Girl if you think I'm kidding - and yet we are pretending in the classroom that its enough to tell them 'just say no'. We'd all like our teens to delay sexual activity until their ready - and from our point of view that's probably still a long way off! But no one wants their teenager to become pregnant or a parent before they are ready to have and support a family.

We can't expect our teens to make responsible decisions unless we are prepared to give them the guidance and health information that helps them do so. Abstinence-only has been an unmitigated disaster -- our New Year's resolution as a country should be to take teens' health seriously and to invest funding in comprehensive sex education that teaches teens about abstinence as well as contraception, healthy communication, responsible decision making, and prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

Comments

[avotredroite]

How is "abstinence-only" a disaster when it is 100% effective?

[RumiSouth]

maybe we should teach driver's ed the same way we're teaching sex ed:

"You should never, ever drive faster than the speed limit. It's the only sure way to avoid a ticket. As for seat belts, well, we're not going to talk about them except to say they're not 100% effective."

I wonder how well THAT would go over?

[daffey]

Well, since you may drive safely your entire life, but through no fault of your own, someone else may swerve into your lane, or hit you from behind, or any other combination, it isn't really an accurate comparison. It isn't as if kids have sex by accident. As if they were walking down the street then someone suddenly came up and had sex without them realizing it. And yes, not speeding is an excellent way to avoid tickets, and be safe and think of others, since speeding is one of the main causes of death on the highways in America.

[magen]

You're battling right wing crazies the completely wrong way.

Don't you know by now that the right wing has no need for studies, data, facts or history????

You have to battle them on the cultural level, not the scientific level.

[smithshaw08]

The pledge of celibacy didn't work for quite a few priests either.

[TotoToo]

Uhhhhhhh ... you're talking to people who think the world is 6000 years old and that the dinosaurs also lived 6000 years ago.

The literal truth of the Bible is a book wherein most women are marginalized, and, if need be, cast as whores to silence them (Mary Magdalene), and where fathers give their virgin daughters away to be gang raped (Lot ).

Is it any surprise these are the same folks who pray their kids won't have sex.

[BobSF94117]

"the dinosaurs also lived 6000 years ago"

Apparently, they all took a virginity pledge. Simultaneously. Say what will about lizards, they keep their promises...

[TLV]

Of course just saying "nay, nay" doesn't work. They have to take a pledge of virginity. Ooops. That doesn't seem to do it either. Oh, well!

[daffey]

OK, given the glaring difference between the report I heard on this today, and reading the article, I am amending my earlier post. I fully agree that it is 18% of a very, very strange, and somewhat subjective study. First, the author of the study picked only certain students out of the over 11,000 studied based on certain variables (which aren"t given in the stories I"ve read). Second, the study (and accompanying stories), meanders far to frequently between "teens who take abstinence pledges" and "abstinence education." There is a difference you know. The gist of the study is "teens who take abstinence pledges are as likely to have sex as those who don"t", with the further "those who take the pledges are less likely to use protection than those who don"t," with the sudden and quick addition of the conclusion "therefore, abstinence education doesn"t work." What? That"s two different studies. Also, studies have been done from the same 11,000 and apparently reached different conclusions. So the question: what were those variables? Why just a small sampling of the 11,000 studied for this? What were the assumptions of the researcher going into it (that always counts in studies)? Until I find that out, I can"t really comment on the study further. There are far too many holes in it, and I"m afraid I, and everyone else, will simply fill those holes with the conclusions we are hoping to reach. Which is what happens with must studies, by the way.

[MoonbeamMary]

Taking a pledge DOES make a difference. Abstinence only education creates an atmosphere of shame and fear surrounding the natural feelings of sex and sexuality thus preventing it's participants from using any form of birth control. To do so would admit to their shortcoming.

[daffey]

As opposed to the mockery and ridicule that kids who are trying to remain chaste are subjected to? Let's see, ridicule from parents (who we are taught to ignore anyway), and religious leaders (who barely make the radar screen when it comes to cultural icons), vs. ridicule by the full brunt of the media, Hollywood, television, music, peers, some educational professionals, and the overall cultural ocean in which you swim? I wonder which is tougher. I go with the kids trying to stay chaste. The smart money is against them, since so much else seems to be against them, too.

[BobSF94117]

"Abstinence only education creates an atmosphere of shame and fear surrounding the natural feelings of sex and sexuality"

In right-wing religious circles, this is known as "Mission Accomplished".

[kurofalcon]

I am the mother of three. Sex education began in our home when my first child was 6 and I was presgnant with the 2nd child. All of her questions were answered honestly, using basic biology., and emphasizing the need to be ready to raise children when you decide to have them. Birth control was stressed because my children were taught that your basic needs include food, water, shelter and sex and people that ignored their sex drives got weird. I stressed to the boys that a girl has all of the choices (re: abortion, no uterus, no vote) and if they did not want to be tied to someone by a child for the rest of their lives, they had to wear a condom. My daughter was informed that should she become pregnant by accident before the age of 18, abortion was the only option. Abortion was discussed in my home as birth control of last resort ; there were no romantic or religious notions about preborn fetuses. When school sex ed, gave uncomplete or erroneous info, I corrected it emphatically. My youngest is now 22. To date, none of my children are virgins and all seem well adjusted. We have had no surprise grandchildren.

[TLV]

God "chooses" to give abortions, too. Those who rely on their religion to provide all of the answers always seem to forget that fact.

[redkim]

So then by this logic, since God allows people to die, that we should also be able to kill them.

[daffey]

You seem proud of your kids, proud of how you raised them, and proud of the results. Can't say I agree. But salute. I put the importance of human life over human choice in my kids, and emphasize that no matter how careful they are, things can (and will) go wrong. That's a fact. Someone has to make up the statistics. And since I know somewhere out there someone is six feet under who did everything just right according to 'Safe Sex', I can't lie to my kids and tell them that it is anything other than Russian Roulette. Of course, I also reject the notion that humans are just glorified animals, who have to act out on their appetites (appetites accepted being prone to change depending on the person doing the talking). I further reject the sometimes condescending view of Generation Orgasm that says people who aren't like them with regard to sex are losers and strange. I tell my boys to not judge one way or another, or to be bothered by the judgementalism of their peers. But for them, while there are options, those options are doomed to fail for someone. All was not how they are told, all people haven"t actually acted like rabbits through the ages, and still don't for that matter. For the choice is always there, and choosing dignity, enlightenment, and most of all, life, is always the best for everyone in the long run. But we'll see.

[HyperInfluential]

I've seen a lot of research that shows teens are not getting the message about what their birth control options are. They seem to think the condom is their only choice, and they don't much like it. When asked if they've ever thought of getting chemical birth control, they say they can't afford it, and their parents will find out they're on it, and if their parents realize they're having sex they will be in huge trouble. It doesn't occur to them that without reliable birth control, your parents WILL find out you've been having sex when you "come up pregnant".

There is just zero education for these kids, except for a few scattered clinics manned by dedicated people like this author. Our at-risk youth need more than just comprehensive sex education, they need free, confidential access to the birth control itself, available somewhere they can get it without the dreaded parents finding out.

Parents have their part to play too! Ironically, by being so harsh about sex, many parents are setting up a situation where teens would rather risk pregnancy than risk their parents finding out about them having sex. Parents need to come clean and admit that they too experimented with sex when they were teens, because that's just what teens do, and here's how you keep yourself safe if you choose to do that when you feel ready.

[redkim]

And so because your mother slacked on her responsibility as a parent, now the school must do it and other taxpayers pay for it?

How is that even right to anybody?

[redkim]

Sorry, I thought I was replying to tlanice and NOT hyper.

[TLV]

We, as a people, must care for one another. Gee - I think there's something about that in the Bible too.

[Tlanice]

I'm 25 and come from a very Christian SOUTHERN black family who grew up in the era of "Good girls" and "God said".

I learned sex ed in school. In the 5th grade we began learning about puberty. Good thing since my own mom wouldn't even explain what that box of Maxipads was for.

In Middle school we were introduced to STDs and the effects. It was the mid-90s and it was on the rise. Oddly enough I can't remember any pregnant teens at my school.

In high school I had learned how to put on a condom, both male and female. We used "models" not bananas lol. I graduated with an education of sex and it's consequences and could make my own educated decisions on it. And I'm glad I learned it in school! My dear mum, she tried. She pointed out a condom once on TV, she told me that the way they were kissing on TV leads to sex which leads to babies and condoms stop the babies lol. I didn't get something close to the talk till I was already in COLLEGE!!

Sex Ed in the classroom is necessary! Not all parents are sexually educated enough to give more than the basics. I'm sure not ONE female in my family under the age of 40 can tell you what the difference between the STDs are. Sex to them equals children b/c really who had sex for just pleasure back when you needed farmhands?

[daffey]

Several things here. First, like most studies of this sort, it brings up certain questions. Of those who made the pledge, why did they do it? Were they all religious? And did they have access to any sex education? My kids are taught abstinence and sex ed. Were they ? And how about those who didn"t take the pledge. Are they all exposed to sex ed? The study might show this, or might not. I would be curious to see. One thing I do see, however, is the stunning optimism behind it. One of the driving forces behind generation orgasm has been "we"re all just animals, and we can"t help it." Well, while half of the kids who took these pledges ended up not making it, half did. And that is an amazing thing. Let"s face it, abstinence ed is a joke because kids are taught for about two weeks out of the year to not do it, then faced 24/7 the rest of their lives with every medium and outlet of communication shoving sex down their throats. And yet, despite overwhelming odds, despite just "being animals", and despite being in a culture actively engaged in pushing an agenda of free and available sex on these kids, they made it. That"s 50% of the kids with nothing to worry about, whose parents can rest easy at night. And that suggests maybe, just maybe, some of our presumptions are not really that well founded after all.

[Aaror]

Um, it isn't 50%, only 18% of the girls who took the abstenance pledge kept it, the other 82% broke it...
Know how many of the girls who didn't take the pledge were abstenant? 18%!
If you are a parent of a girl who took the abstenance pledge, how safe do you feel that you are the lucky 1 in 5 (slightly less actually) whose girl won't have sex?
If you are a parent of a girl who took the abstenance pledge, are you willing to be the parent of the 1 in 10 who would have used a condom, but didn't because abstenance only sex ed said they don't work? Wonder if those girls get pregnant or get STD's-yes, yes they do.
How about being the parent of the 1 in 20 who took the pledge who would have used birth control, only the pledge convinced them they didn't need it. Then they have sex and get pregnant.
I wouldn't care about your daugher being an unwed mother if you grasped basic math, but if you can't figure out the difference between 82% and half, I don't want your daughter's single parent family added to the gene pool.

[daffey]

I will stand corrected, though I heard a segment on one of the news shows, and the individual stated 50%. If it is different, then I certainly concede the point, and will go with the print version unless I find out otherwise. Nonetheless, I am also optimistic. 18% in our society? Yes, believe it or not, while teens have always snuck away, there is no data to suggest they did with the frequency that ours do today. Also, studies of other cultures shows that people can actually live within certain guidelines when it comes to sex. Besides, I'm not jumping on this with a "Hurray! It shows kids will have sex anyone (I'm free to do it too!). I'm looking at the human carnage, the loss of life, the catastrophe that has visited itself on humanity since the days of 'hey! we're just animals, so let's everyone have sex with everyone, what could possibly go wrong?' ethics. Given the last 30 years, I don't think we would need to be told. Even if it were 8%, that is something. It shows that even one kid can stand up to a society bending over backwards to get them to do it, and say no. And that is an encouraging thought.

[Keith52]

daffy, that's 82 percent that didn't follow through on the pledge. Not 50 percent. Read again.

[daffey]

I stated below, I heard one of the news shows this morning discussing this, and one of the individuals said 50%. I'll go with the article for now, and print trumps TV. But nonetheless, even with 18%, that's not bad.

[HyperInfluential]

Teenagers have always snuck off and had sex.; The Media did not pollute their otherwise sex-free minds. The Media sells sex to teenagers because teenagers think about sex most of the time. This is not new; historical documents show us it has always been this way.

The imagined era of sexual innocence you are trying to take the nation "back" to never existed. The consequences of illicit sex just used to be hidden, so the people involved felt ashamed, and their lives were blighted with this lifelong shame. Bristol Palin would have been sent away to live the rest of her life in shadows in an earlier time. That was wrong of us to do; we should not have lived that way. People everywhere see that now, that honesty is better!

We ARE animals! We are certainly not microorganisms, plants, or minerals! Those are the only types of items on this ball. How dare you presume to know the Will of God so much that you think the hormonal drives He created within humans were built there as some sort of existential trick?

Do you honestly believe the Creator gave pubescent creatures of all species these desires, but HUMANS are supposed to NOT experiment with sex as the other animals do, because we realize that sex is actually evil and disgusting, so you should save it for someone you really love?

That, sir, is crazy talk.

[kbella]

The thing about the pledges could not be more true. I went to an all-girls Catholic high school where they brought in everything from a boring speaker to a christian boy band to talk about chastity. We were even given those cards that you sign that say that you will wait until marriage to have sex. Also, we were little round mirrors that had this saying on the opposite side of the mirror: I'm Worth Waiting For. Now, I keep in touch with almost all of my high school friends. None of them are married (we are 23 years old), and ALL of them have had sex. I'm certain that that was not the nuns' intended outcome.

[slicknick]

My thoughts on this is that this whole abstinence "sex education" actually has very little to do with educating children about sex and more to do with pushing a moral point of view. The evidence from this journal is nothing new and has been repeated by scientists and other professionals from the beginning of abstinence only programs. I am a little unhappy that they would spend so much money on a program that clearly does not work. I have serious doubts that they care if it works.

Now with a new administration in the white house I'm hoping that the ancillary reason for this program (pushing moral views) no longer swallows the primary purpose (educating about sex).

[LiberalDem]

Well, let's hope that Obama doesn't turn to Rick Warren for advice about sex ed. programs!

[DaneAZ]

Religious behavior is seeming more and more dangerous to society and immoral.

[redkim]

It's such imbecilic and bigotted statements like this that drive me crazy.

"Religious behavior"....such a blanket term. I suppose feeding those hungry and housing the poor is now dangerous because it is "religious behavior."