Abstinence Only Until Marriage
Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage:
Not the Best Message for Teens
Cesar Pita
University of Houston
Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage:
Not the Best Message for Teens
Sue Alford is the Advocates for Youth director and editor of public services information. She lists several problems of abstinence-only education Alford argues that the young adults are getting messages and information about sex from so many different sources that to restrict sexuality and educators to discuss abstinence only would be irresponsible. She believes that programs under the Abstinence until Marriage funding provide inaccurate information and ridiculous claims relating to the possible consequences of pre-marital sexual relationships and they don’t cover how to avoid pregnancy and STD’s for sexually active teens. We have to face reality. The evidence shows that sex classes are more effective than abstinence-only classes because abstinence education doesn’t provide all the information as sex classes. The public agrees and these sex classes can help prevent AIDS/HIV through education.
What does the Evidence Show?
"Considerable scientific evidence shows that certain programs that include information about both abstinence and contraception help teenagers delay the onset of sexual activity,reduce their number of sexual partners and increase contraceptive use when they do become sexually active” (Richards, 2011). The evidence indeed favors comprehensive sex education and suggests that abstinence-only education is ineffective and unrealistic. “Teenagers and young adults are at risk of unintended pregnancies and STDs for almost adecade between the time they initiate sexual activity and when they get married. By their18th birthday, six in 10 teenage women and nearly seven in 10 teenage men have hadsexual intercourse” (Richards, 2011).
Abstinence Education Doesn’t Provide All the Information as Sex Classes
“Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are not only dispensing medical
Not the Best Message for Teens
Cesar Pita
University of Houston
Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage:
Not the Best Message for Teens
Sue Alford is the Advocates for Youth director and editor of public services information. She lists several problems of abstinence-only education Alford argues that the young adults are getting messages and information about sex from so many different sources that to restrict sexuality and educators to discuss abstinence only would be irresponsible. She believes that programs under the Abstinence until Marriage funding provide inaccurate information and ridiculous claims relating to the possible consequences of pre-marital sexual relationships and they don’t cover how to avoid pregnancy and STD’s for sexually active teens. We have to face reality. The evidence shows that sex classes are more effective than abstinence-only classes because abstinence education doesn’t provide all the information as sex classes. The public agrees and these sex classes can help prevent AIDS/HIV through education.
What does the Evidence Show?
"Considerable scientific evidence shows that certain programs that include information about both abstinence and contraception help teenagers delay the onset of sexual activity,reduce their number of sexual partners and increase contraceptive use when they do become sexually active” (Richards, 2011). The evidence indeed favors comprehensive sex education and suggests that abstinence-only education is ineffective and unrealistic. “Teenagers and young adults are at risk of unintended pregnancies and STDs for almost adecade between the time they initiate sexual activity and when they get married. By their18th birthday, six in 10 teenage women and nearly seven in 10 teenage men have hadsexual intercourse” (Richards, 2011).
Abstinence Education Doesn’t Provide All the Information as Sex Classes
“Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are not only dispensing medical
References: Alford, S. (2001). What’s wrong with federal abstinence-only-until-marriage requirements? In S. Ezell, M. Norwood, B. Stewart, K. Greenwood, C. Waight, P. Bishop, & H. Hutchins (Eds.), Human ecosystems and technological change (5th ed., pp. 39-43). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. Richards, C. (2011). Abstinence-only education is ineffective. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Retrieved from Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context database: http://ic.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.uh.edu/ic/ovic Levie, E. (2009). The government should fund comprehensive sex education programs. Birth Control. Retrieved from Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context database: http://ic.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.uh.edu/ic/ovic American Civil Liberties Union (2006). Abstinence-only programs do not work. Teenage Sexuality. Retrieved from Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context database: http://ic.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.uh.edu/ic/ovic Forrest, S. (2010). Sex education is more effective than abstinence-only education. Do Abstinence Programs Work? Retrieved from Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context database: http://ic.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.uh.edu/ic/ovic