Abstinence-Only Education

Is Abstinence-Only Enough?

In 2008, the Washington Post reported that teenagers who received comprehensive sex education were 60% less likely to get pregnant than someone who received abstinence-only education. Abstinence-only sex education is a form of sex education that teaches not having sex outside of marriage. It does not teach anything about other parts of sexual education that is very important for young teens to know. Abstinence-Only programs do not delay sexual initiation, lower rates of teen pregnancy or STD's. I believe that it should be mandatory that schools have to teach comprehensive education because over half of all teens admit to looking up sexual health information online. Comprehensive education states still have higher

birth rates than Europe, and states with no education or Abstinence-Only have the highest rates of pregnancy.
First, Abstinence-Only programs do not delay sexual initiation, lower rates of teen pregnancy or STD's. According to Planned Parenthood, “The United States wasted more than $1.5 billion in federal and state funding on abstinence-only programs from 1996-2008; programs that fail to teach teens how to prevent pregnancy or STI’s”. Programs teaching abstinence-only, do not delay the initiation of sexual activity, lower rates or pregnancy or STD’s, Planned Parenthood states according to a 10 year study. “Most Americans want far more than abstinence-only in schools” (Advocates for Youth). “95% of adults respondents, ages 18 through 44, reported that they had sex before marriage” (Advocated for Youth). Advocates for Youth also states that there is not a dedicated federal funding system for comprehensive sexual education programs. “Last year, Texas reportedly spent $1.2 million on a website aggressively preaching abstinence-only, omitting any mention of contraception” (Essert). Stranger-Hall in their article says, ““After accounting for other factors, the national data shows that the incidence of teenage pregnancies and births remain positively correlated with the degree of abstinence education across states; the more strongly abstinence is emphasized in state laws and policies, the higher the average teenage pregnancy and birth rate”. They also say, ““To the contrary, teens in states that prescribe more abstinence education are actually more likely to become pregnant”. According to Matt Esserts’ article “The States with the Highest Teenage Birth Rates Have One Thing in Common”, “There’s almost no getting around it. States with abstinence-only education have the highest rates of teen pregnancy”.
Second, over half of all teens admit to looking up sexual health information online. What does that mean for sexual education that is supposed to be taught in schools? Guttmacher Institute states that, ““Thirteen states require that the information present in sex and HIV education classes be medically accurate”. That is only 13 states that have to have accurate information. What about the other 37 states that may be teaching sexual education? Every state should be required to teach the right information. “21 states stress abstinence-only education in their 2005 state laws, 7 states emphasized abstinence, 11 states covered abstinence in the context of comprehensive sex education” (Stranger-Hall). Matt Essert said ,” “According to Guttmacher Institute, among teens aged 18-19, 41% report that they know little or nothing about condoms and 75% say they know little or nothing about the contraceptive pill”. Stranger-Hall of “Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the US” says that “The effect of presenting inadequate or incorrect information of teenagers regarding sex, pregnancy, and STD protection is long-lasting as uneducated teens grow into uneducated adults: half of all pregnancies in the US were unplanned in 2001”. He also states, “For example, based on estimates by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, teen child bearing in the US cost tax-payers more than $9.1 billion in 2004”.
Third, comprehensive education states still have higher birth rates than Europe.

We not only need to require that comprehensive be taught at all schools, but we need to upgrade our comprehensive education system. According to Stranger-Hall, “Even in states with comprehensive sex education, rates are still higher than seen in Europe”. The Guttmacher Institute states that 26 states require that sexual education be appropriate; sexual education is teaching students about sex, it is not going to be appropriate at any time. The Guttmacher Institute also states that “Eighteen states and the District of Columbia require that sex education programs include information on contraception; no state requires that it be stressed”. Although our rates of teen and unplanned pregnancy are still very high compared to other countries, birth rates for teens aged 15-19 are on the decline according to Matt

Essert.
Finally, states with no education or Abstinence-Only have the highest rates of pregnancy.

Advocates for Youth put in their article about abstinence-only programs, “When condoms are used correctly and consistently, they can help prevent the spread of HPV and can reduce the risk of HPV-associated diseases”. They also state that, ““When a couple uses condoms consistently and correctly at every act of vaginal intercourse, a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant is less than 3%”. When students and teens are being taught about abstinence-only, how do they know about contraceptives and using them? “Formal instruction may not be skills-based; only 50% of teen females and 58% of teen males received formal instruction about how to use a condom” (Guttmacher Institute). Guttmacher Institutes’ article “American Teens” talks about teens being uncomfortable talking about sexual health issues and discussing them with their parents, and even says, ““More than half (55%) of 7th-12th grades say they have looked up health information online in order to learn more about an issue affecting themselves or someone they know”. Then they go on to say, ““Despite declines in formal sex education between 2006-2010 and 2011-2013, the share of teens talking with their parents about most sex education topics has not changed” which is very good that some teens are still able to talk to their parents about sexual topics. However, parents might not be educated themselves, “Even when parents provide information,

their knowledge about contraception or other sexual health topics may often be inaccurate or incomplete” (Guttmacher Institute).
To conclude, given these points, abstinence-only education is not enough for sexual health education. Over half of all teens admit to looking up sexual health information online. Comprehensive education states still have higher birth rates than Europe, and states with no education or Abstinence-Only have the highest rates of pregnancy. I believe that abstinence-only education is not enough for the United States health education.