Abstinence-Only Education In Texas

Texas currently does not have mandated sexual education for students. In a deeply conservative state, sexual education is extremely taboo because many parents feel as though sexual education can promote sexual activity in young adults. When tracking the history of sexual education in Texas, it is evident that there is an overwhelming amount of programs that encourage abstinence as the only method of contraception. Although Texas does not require sexual education to be taught, it does have limitations as to what can be taught. Legally, sexual education programs have to stress abstinence as the primary method of contraception. When taught, it is not legally required that medically accurate information about contraception be taught. In addition to this, there is no law requiring sexual education to be culturally appropriate or unbiased and it is perfectly legal to promote religion while providing sexual education. Parents must be notified and have the option to refuse to suscept their child to sexual education. Additionally, any sexuality other than heterosexuality must be portrayed in a negative light in Texas as Texas law prevents sexual education from being inclusive of LGBTQ people. In 2014, Texas received over $5.1 million dollars in federal funding to

According to advocatesforyouth.org, “abstinence only education teaches students to abstain from sex prior to marriage.” These program has been proven to be ineffective. Abstinence only education is ineffective because it is not conducive in reducing teen pregnancy rates and sexually transmitted diseases rates. Abstinence only programs are less likely to teach students about birth control and contraception and how to access it. These programs has not been shown to reduce teen sexual activity.

These programs focus on teaching teens and youth to just say no. These programs are so focused on keeping teens ignorant about sex and conforming to standards of heteronormativity, that according to Planned Parenthood, they purposely exclude information on “…birth control, safer sex and sex orientation” (“Planned Parenthood: Implementing Sex Education”, n.d.). As Planned Parenthood also states, although abstinence is the only method that fully prevents pregnancy and STDs (“Planned Parenthood: What is Abstinence?”, n.d.), the belief that abstinence education is sufficient in guiding decisions on sexual behavior is erroneous. According to the Texas Freedom Network, sex education in the state of Texas can be broken up into two subcategories of abstinence education; “Abstinence-only 74.6% (Abstinence Programs: 27.2%, Textbook only: 47.4%), Abstinence Plus: 25.4% (Worth the Wait 19.5%, Big Decision: 4.1%, Other Programs: 1.8%)” (TFN, 2011). The lack of informed discussion prevents young women from having the knowledge to make informed decisions about their sexual health, and thus limits their reproductive

The issue of the paper Misinformed and Unprotected is that Abstinence-only programs lack to inform teens about sexual contact because the system is current set up as only teaching teens to not have sexual contact till marriage, leaving out important information for teens who what to learn how to be safe with sexual contact. The writer’s position on the paper is that the education system should be changed to inform teens more than just wait till marriage to have sex. The evidence list is that Abstinence-only education advocates claim that abstinence-only programs prevent premarital sex, but that the programs need to stop being publicly funded because these programs may make those who have suffered from sexual abuse feel ashamed and unwilling

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the teen pregnancy rate was 61.8 births per 1,000 teen girls in 1991, but as of 2014, it is at about 24.2 per 1,000 girls. While the rates have declined over the past few years, specific areas in the United States, such as Texas, retain high rates of teenage pregnancy. As of 2011, Texas is in the top 5 states for highest teen pregnancy rates with a rate of 37.8 per 1,000 girls (2014).

The philosophy behind abstinence-only policy implies that the greatest risk of informing students about their options for contraception would be that educators are condoning premarital sex. The risks that our students are already taking, however, are greater then policymakers are considering. It is generally accepted that the majority of sexual intercourse among young people remains unprotected (Westwood, 2006). Abstinence-only curriculum is not preventing adolescents from having sex; it is just making them naïve to the risks they are taking with their lifestyle choices.

New Mexico is a state that encourages abstinence until marriage as the best way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies (“New Mexico”). When looking up Teen Pregnancy in New Mexico the first website that pops up is a website from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/reproductive-health/states/nm.html. This website shows teen pregnancy rates in New Mexico from 1998 until 2011. The statistics found are answers to many questions about the sexual health of teens. This site has several links that lead to answers to many questions teens and parents may have about sexual health. Although many teens are sexually active they feel embarrassed looking up or asking questions about sex. This is an issue with no specific repair but a good way to assist the issue is to raise awareness. Many teens need to be taught the information to make an informed decision before becoming sexually active. In schools teens are taught to be abstinent until marriage as well as to use protection if they are going to be sexually active. Using protection is not stressed enough in schools and at home seeing the teen pregnancy rate in New Mexico being ranked number one in the fifty states. In 2011 New Mexico had 3,494 births to females under the age of 20 (The office of adolescent health). Raising awareness cannot just be a job for one source teens need to be told the same information from all the sources they come in contact with. Many teens need to be aware of the affects on their education and finances when becoming pregnant. Teens that do become pregnant are scared and do not know the resources that are provided whether they decide to keep the baby or not. Many teens don’t know that there are many contraceptives that you do not have to have a parents consent to buy or be prescribed. Condoms are

Imagine if the United States said “Okay, we’re banning driver’s Education in schools. We don’t think a sixteen year old is mentally and physically prepared to drive safely, and we don’t want to encourage that”. So of course, schools start pulling driver’s ed classes, but also say “Wait wait wait, sixteen year olds may not be ready to drive, but they’re going to anyway. Why not make it safer for them instead of putting them out on the road with no safety knowledge?” But, the country continues to say “They’re not ready so we’re not going to encourage that in schools” Sex education isn't just about pregnancy, it's about avoiding STDs and other health issues. The highest teenage STD rates are normally associated with abstinence-only education. Some STDs will cause life-long problems, and should be taught about to teens. Although there is an attempt to minimize teen pregnancy and stds, the rate of teen pregnancy is higher in the U.S. than other Western countries, Among teens aged 18–19, 41% report that they know little or nothing about condoms, and 1 in 4 teens in the US receives information about abstinence without receiving any information or instructions about birth control.

Clemmitt (2010) states that currently the most effective approach to prevent teenage pregnancy is evidence-based sex education programs. The primary debate about the best method of preventing teenage pregnancy is between abstinence-only courses and comprehensive sex education. The author says that after operating comprehensive sex education, the Obama approach, many communities and county areas have drastically reduced the rate of teenage pregnancy. Studies and statistics suggested that abstinence-only courses have not contributed to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. The author points out that the abstinence-only courses also include sexually transmitted diseases classes and discussions of unhealthy relationship and making decisions, and abstinence

Even though sex education has been proven to lower pregnancy and abortion rates among teens, for years people have argued that comprehensive or safe-sex education encourages early sexual activity instead of steering the thought away. However, the main issue is not education about sex but specifically what kind of education. In 1986 Planned Parenthood commissioned a poll to determine how comprehensive sex education which teaches about abstinence as the best method for avoiding STDs and unintended pregnancy, when affected behavior. Much to the agency’s disappointment, the study showed that kids exposed to such a program had a 47% higher rate of sexual activity than those who’d had no sex education at all. In contrast, a 1996 study on “Project

According to a study in 2010, 75 of the 1,000 girls aged from 15-19 became pregnant and 45% of all girls in Texas become pregnant one or more times before they reach 20 years of age. These females are all less likely to complete high school, less likely to attend college, have lower cognitive development, and are more likely to end up as single parents. These high numbers reflect the fact that sexual education is not available in all states. Not all students have the privilege to learn about sex appropriately or correctly. Instead, they are taught that abstinence, or refraining from sex until marriage, is the correct path to take. The reality is that of the 12th grade students in Texas, 63% of them reported having sexual intercourse at least once. Texas has had problems with

In Texas, the parental notification and consent laws had an effect on birth and abortion rates for minors with notification laws reducing birth and abortion rate with the 16 – 17 year old females. There is a decline in teen pregnancy in the United States with ongoing attempts in the prevention through public policy and initiatives. Today about thirty-nine states

The controversial topic of whether or not sex education curriculum should teach contraceptive use or abstinence-only is heavily debated. In 2013, the U.S. totaled 273,105 babies born by teenagers, ages from 15 to 19 (“About Teen Pregnancy”). This raises the question: why is the number of pregnancies so high? Is the reason for that unsettling high, number because abstinence-only is being taught or contraceptive use is being taught? Students who are taught abstinence-only are more likely to wait to have sex, which results in the lowering of teen pregnancy. The abstinence-only curriculum also reduces students sexual activity.The sex education curriculum in the U.S. should consist of abstinence-only education.

It has been almost thirty three years since the first federal funding was put to use in “. . . sex education programs that promote abstinence-only-until-marriage to the exclusion of all other approaches . . .” according to the article “Sex education” (2010) published by “Opposing Viewpoints in Context;” a website that specializes in covering social issues. Since then a muddy controversy has arisen over whether that is the best approach. On one hand is the traditional approach of abstinence (not having sex before marriage), and on the other is the idea that what is being done is not enough, and that there needs to be a more comprehensive approach. This entails not only warning against sex, but also teaching teens about how to have

There are many states that do not provide the kind of sex education that New Jersey strives to convey to its students. It more often than not ties in with the religious right proclaiming that students are too young to be exposed to sexual material, and thus sexualized as a result. These fundamental groups oppose any suggestion towards a comprehensive approach. Instead, they ask that their children be taught after grade school and additionally, they steer towards ‘abstinence-only’ education. Instead of teaching students how to protect themselves, they teach that the only way to protect oneself is by abstaining from sex. The problem arises, then, when these students decide to have sex. They are unaware of how to conduct themselves responsibly, how to take precautions to prevent against unwanted pregnancy and disease. What kind of ‘education’ are students receiving when they are withheld crucial information?