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An End to Ignorance

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An End to Ignorance
In the past, Congress has funded abstinence-only programs over abstinence-plus education. The $102 million (0) currently being spent on abstinence-only programs seems to be intended to serve social and political goals, instead of producing positive health results for youth. The government appears to be concerned with how others portray our citizens, as immoral beings, when sex is an inevitable occurrence. Abstinence-plus education emphasizes the benefits of abstinence while also teaching about contraception and disease-prevention methods. Abstinence-only programs education includes discussions of values, character building, and refusal skills. They promote abstinence from sex for unmarried people and do not teach about contraception. They do not reduce pre-marital sex, but they do cause young people to avoid contraception. Because of the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only programs, abstinence-plus education should be taught instead. The United States has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy of any developed country. Each year, unprotected sex results in almost four million teenagers contracting an STD. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is also a serious health concern for young people. Of the 40,000 new HIV infections in the US every year, about 20,000 occur in people under the age of 25, unprotected sex being to blame. (1) The National Abortion Rights Advocacy League says, “By denying teens the full range of information regarding human sexuality, abstinence-only education fails to provide young people with the information they need to protect their health and well-being.” (2) Surveys done by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that “students who have sex education know more and feel better prepared to handle different situations and decisions than those who have not.” (3) If the abstinence-only approach continues, it is expected have serious consequences by denying young people access to the information they need to protect themselves. These


Cited: (0)US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). President 's Budget Increases Abstinence Program Funding, Abstinence Request in line with Teen Family Planning Money. January 31, 2002. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. (1)Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. What Teens Know and Don 't (But Should) About Sexually Transmitted Diseases March 9, 1999. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. (2) National Abortion Rights Advocacy League (NARAL). Fact Sheet: The Need for Comprehensive Sexuality Education. February 24, 1999. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. (3)Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Sex Education in America: A Series of National Surveys of Students, Parents, Teachers and Principals (Summary of Findings) September 2000. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. (4) Kirby D, Korpi M, Barth RP, Cagampang HH. The Impact of the Postponing Sexual Involvement Curriculum Among Youths in California. Family Planning Perspectives. 1997. (6)Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). Public Support for Sexuality Education Reaches Highest Level (Hickman-Brown Public Opinion Research Survey). March 1999. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. (7)National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Fact Sheet: Recent trends in teen pregnancy, sexual activity, and contraceptive use. August, 2001. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. (8) Concerned Women for America. Abstinence: Why Sex is Worth the Wait. July 1998. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. (10) St. Lawrence JS, Jefferson KW, Alleyne E, et al. Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention to Reduce African American Adolescents ' Risk for HIV Infection. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1995. (12) Coyle KK, et al. Safer Choices: Long-term impact of a multi-component school-based HIV, STI, and pregnancy prevention program. Public Health Reports. 2001. (16)Abstinence Clearinghouse. Choosing Abstinence-only Way to Protect America 's Youth. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. (17)Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). Consensus Statement on Adolescent Sexual Health. Web. 20 Feb. 2012.
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