Abstinence-Only Programs

Reuters is reporting that Abstinence-Only sex education programs, which the Bush Administration has allocated over a billion dollars for over the past eight years, are under attack by some health groups in testimony before Congress as being ineffective.

These programs are the darlings of religious conservatives who oppose teaching teenagers about birth control which is typically included in more comprehensive sex education programs.

Based upon the current evidence it appears that Abstinence-Only programs don’t work. There is some disagreement as to whether the more comprehensive programs work either but most of the health groups involved in the hearing felt that they did.

Fully seventeen states, including California, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Colorado, have opted out of the Federal Abstinence-Only program and have refused to apply for the Federal Funds to which they are available.

It’s not the “Abstinence” part of the program that folks are objecting to; it’s the “Only” part.

Everyone agrees that abstinence is the best defense and should be emphasized and promoted. But, if the message doesn’t take, as often it doesn’t, the rest of a comprehensive program, including birth control information, becomes rather critical.

The reaction of some proponents of the Abstinence-Only program, as reported by Reuters, is interesting.

“Republicans said even if some abstinence-only programs do not work, others do, and it would be wrong to end the funding.”

Do you have EVIDENCE that “others do” work or are you just assuming they do?

“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.”

Because clearly parents are so well trained they’re more expert than the experts. That’s total nonsense. Parents, and I am one of the guilty, don’t know squat and tend to make stuff up as they go along. I suppose the opinions of “elitist” doctors, “elitist” dentists and “elitist” educators should all be made subservient to what parents think as well?

“Charles Keckler of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the Bush administration believes abstinence education programs send the healthiest message.”

How healthy can a message that doesn’t work be? This is a totally meaningless statement which is about what one expects from the Bush Administration.

I also found an illuminating quote from a member of the National Abstinence Education Association.

"We know abstinence education offers the best for them. Now is the time to put more emphasis on that message, not less."

Never mind if it doesn’t work, they “KNOW” what’s best. Probably because that’s what the bible says.

I have to agree with the critics here. By all means push abstinence as hard as possible. It’s clearly the best option and the only one guaranteed to work. But you can’t leave things at a dead end when hormones overcome rationality and nature takes its course.