For all its predictability, the president's State of the Union speech last week did mention several unexpected subjects. (Steroids made the cut - wow.) What I did not see coming was for him to bring up this polarizer again:
"We will double federal funding for abstinence programs, so schools can teach this fact of life: Abstinence for young people is the only certain way to avoid sexually-transmitted diseases."
Two problems came to mind.
First, all sex education programs teach that the only way to be 100 percent safe is to abstain. Everyone agrees on that.
Second and more importantly, studies show that abstinence education simply is not effective. The preliminary findings of a study conducted by the government called The Evaluation of Abstinence Education Programs Funded Under Title V Section 510: Interim Report demonstrated that such programs do not necessarily decrease teen sexual activity, pregnancies and STDs.
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, "Evidence shows that comprehensive sexuality education programs that provide information about both abstinence and contraception can help delay the onset of sexual activity in teenagers, reduce their number of sexual partners and increase contraceptive use when they become sexually active."
So why is the president pushing programs that do not work? It's time to cut the charade and say what's all too often left unsaid. George W. Bush is a born-again Christian who believes that pre-marital sex is sinful. Do not suggest that that has nothing to do with this.
I have many strong Christian friends who have decided to wait until marriage. And it is really an amazing, spiritual commitment. They have my highest regard.
So I asked them what they thought of the idea of teaching teens about sex without mentioning contraceptives. One talked about the tragedy of girls she had known from her religious high school who had been expelled after getting pregnant. These Christians failed to keep their abstinence pledges. (Scare tactics do not last long.) When they chose to have sex they knew nothing of how to protect themselves.
Needless to say, she was in favor of comprehensive sex education.
A dear friend, my roommate from last year, told me, "The reason I'm a virgin is because God told me that was the way it should be, not because of some propaganda spoon-fed to me in a convocation in high school."
In contemplating my Christian friends' choices, I'm reminded of my respect for those who join the military. These are acts of intense self-denial brought about by a higher calling. And they are not for everyone.
Let's teach teens to make intelligent sexual decisions based on their own personal values, whatever they may be.
In evaluating this question, perhaps the answer lies in adopting the best of both conflicting approaches. Yes, teens should abstain from sex - promiscuous, anonymous, unprotected sex. Such encounters produce most of the STD infections. If an individual acts responsibly by using protection and demonstrating discretion in their choice of partners they are not in significant danger.
Consider all this when thinking about our president. He has chosen to ignore the facts to appease his constituents in the religious right. Many teenagers will suffer from being denied complete information. What other truths has he brushed aside in order to please a select minority at the great expense of our country?
Email David at swimminginbrokenglass@yahoo.com
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