Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Still Doesn’t Work

Almost every week, there�s a new study showing that abstinence-only sex education doesn�t give teens the information they need to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. [MicCheck]

This week, health groups went to Capitol Hill to tell the suits what the rest of us already know. [Yahoo]

�Vast sums of federal monies continue to be directed toward these programs. And, in fact, there is evidence to suggest that some of these programs are even harmful and have negative consequences by not providing adequate information for those teens who do become sexually active,� Dr. Margaret Blythe of the American Academy of Pediatrics told the committee.

Negative consequences? You mean like those teens in Florida who think that drinking Mountain Dew or smoking marijuana will prevent pregnancy and that swallowing a capful of bleach will prevent HIV/AIDS? [AP]

Or maybe you meant that one in four U.S. teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease and 30 percent of U.S. girls become pregnant before the age of 20. [ABC]

Experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, U.S. Institute of Medicine, American Psychological Association and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists all cited statistics showing harmful outcomes like the ones listed above.

But wait? Are we being elitist by educating our children?

Rep. John Duncan, a Tennessee Republican, said that it seems �rather elitist� that people with academic degrees in health think they know better than parents what type of sex education is appropriate. �I don�t think it�s something we should abandon,� he said of abstinence-only funding. [Yahoo]

Lets hope Rep. Duncan doesn�t have any children.

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