Abstinence Education
The House debates today on funding for abstinence education programs, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Abstinence programs across the country, such as Virginity Rules received their first cut in financing since 2001, this past June. So far, $176 million in funding has survived, up to the debates today. Will that funding be cut further?
There are some 700 abstinence education programs across the country. Eleven state health departments rejected abstinence education this year, while three states passed laws that could affect abstinence education in schools. This past spring, a comprehensive study of abstinence education programs found no sign that it delays sexual activity among teens. According to this article, however, teens are abstaining from sex more, and using contraceptives when they do not abstain.
Through a combination of less sex and more contraception, pregnancy and birth rates among American teenagers as a whole have been falling since about 1991. Texas, however, has seen the smallest decline despite receiving almost $17 million to promote abstinence.
I, personally, have no problem with abstinence being taught. However, I do believe that it should be taught alongside use of contraceptives, and other alternatives. How do you readers feel? Do you think abstinence education works, and should it be funded by the federal government?
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July 20th, 2007 at 12:29 am
[...] abstinence education, teen abstinence, sex education, teen sex education, parenting source: Abstinence Education, Parenting [...]
July 26th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Ah! Now here is something I am incredibly frustrated with. In my health book (I was in 10th grade when I took the class) there was not a single mention of a contraceptive at all. There was also no mention of it in the class until I personally brought it up one day. The teacher was woefully unprepared to deal with any of the questions that followed.
I think there is something seriously wrong with this. There are a lot of kids who would benefit from the mention of condoms (not to mention their parents, whom I wish would’ve benefited from the same). I think that abstinence should be taught, certainly, but forms of contraception should at least be covered!!!
I guess I should thank my state government for a lack of education on that front.