Parental Sex Education

People such as President George W. Bush has made no secret of his view that sex education should teach teenagers "abstinence only" rather than including information on other ways to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Unfortunately, despite spending more than $10 million on abstinence-only programs in Texas alone, this strategy has not been shown to be effective at curbing teen pregnancies or halting the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. (2010 Union of Concerned Scientists) In addition, the Bush administration distorted science-based performance measures to test whether abstinence-only programs were proving effective, such as charting the birth rate of female program participants. In place of such established measures, the Bush administration required the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to track only participants' program attendance and attitudes, measures designed to obscure the lack of efficacy of abstinence-only programs. (Federal Register 65:69562-65, November 17, 2000). This

Additional research has explored the effects of abstinence based programs on actual behavior outcomes. Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty (2008) compared the effects of abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education programs, operationalizing effectiveness in terms of initiation of sexual activity and teen pregnancy rates. They found that teenagers who received comprehensive sex education rather than abstinence-only or no education were significantly less likely to report a teenage pregnancy. In addition, their conclusions mirrored Sather and Kelly (2002), finding that abstinence-based programs did not reduce the likelihood of engaging in sexual activity. Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty (2008) actually concluded that comprehensive sex education was more likely than abstinence based to reduce the percentage engaging in sexual activity. Overall, the researchers showed that comprehensive sex education, including but not limited to contraception, did not increase the prevalence of sexual activity in teenagers or the risk of teen pregnancy, while also showing the that abstinence only education produced a higher likelihood of pregnancy.

Stigmatizing sex and forcing teenagers to hide from authority figures in order to engage in it simply makes it more dangerous. Preventing access to birth control is associated with limiting discussion or education with teenagers and their authority figures about sexual behavior. Lack of sex education is associated with positive sexual behaviors, including a significantly reduced likelihood of teen pregnancy (Lindberg and Maddow-Zimet 333). Specifically, teaching adolescents about birth control options increases the likelihood of birth control usage and other safer sexual practices (Lindberg and Maddow-Zimet 337). For instance,

Multiple factors influence the rate of teen pregnancy. Some of the most important factors influencing pregnancy rates are socioeconomic status, education, and family income. With low socioeconomic status and income, parents may not always be present in their children’s lives in order to educate them on sex. School districts, then, take on the responsibility to educate teenagers on sexual intercourse and safe practices, but some fail. Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. provided statistics showing that while many schools push abstinence-only programs, they show little to no positive impact on preventing teen pregnancies (Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. (n.d.)). While abstinence may work for some, it is not realistic to believe that all teens will abide by it. Teens need a comprehensive sexual education with emphasis on safe sex practices, which is where Be Safe, Not Sorry comes into play. The comprehensive program will cover all

But they get the message that sex is risky.” They begin to see sex as a sensitive issue that should be taken very seriously because it involves life-changing consequences. Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that teaching about contraception and making them available to teenagers was not associated with increased risk of sexual activity as many abstinence-only supporters have insisted. Therefore, the availability of birth control along with education about it does not increase sexual activity but informs teenagers to practice good decision-making for their bodies and their future.

One major problem in America’s society today is teen pregnancy rates. In fact, “teen sexual activity, pregnancy, and childbearing are associated with substantial social, economic, and health costs” (Sedgwick). However, this problem is not one without a solution. The rise of teen pregnancy rates can be prevented and reversed by providing better access to birth control for teens, eliminating the negative connotation that accompanies abstinence, and implementing more efficient sex education in public schools.

The foundation of the abstinence-only policy was laid in 1981 under President Regan when the United States Congress passed the Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) administered by the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs (OAPP) (Denny, 2006). The main purpose of this this proposal was to keep sexual relationships until marriage (Weaver, 2005). The AFLA became founded on the belief of funding and developing abstinence-only based curricula in public schools throughout the United States (Weaver, 2005).

We have all heard the stories about the rise in teenage pregnancies, girls dropping out of school to care for their newborns, and even those who get pregnant on purpose. This new trend is everywhere. Most parents fail to have the “talk” with their children and are left without the proper education regarding sex until its too late. With the current rates of teenage pregnancy correlated with the current rates of spreading epidemics of STD’s and HIV/AIDS, steps should be taken in an effort to aid the situation. Schools are a main source of information and education for teens, and are in a unique position that can provide adolescents with knowledgeable skills and understanding that promote sexual health. With consistent speculation surrounding

Proponents for abstinence-only education believe that the abstinence-only message has contributed to the decline of adolescent sexual activity as well as negative related outcomes. In the 1990s there was a decrease in adolescent pregnancy, birth and abortion rates. These proponents attribute these declining statistics to the abstinence-only message and claim that the declines cannot be accredited to increased

Federal funding has played a large role in this increase, as monetary incentives have been the driving force behind much of the change. To put it in numbers, the amount of federal dollars going to schools that adopted abstinence only programs almost tripled in the seven years between 1998 and 2005, increasing from 60 to 168 million dollars a year (Santelli, 75). And among United States school districts that changed their policies, twice as many chose to adopt a curriculum that more heavily focused on abstinence only until marriage as moved towards a more comprehensive program (Landry). This disturbing statistic shows how effective the religious right has been in pushing abstinence only programs in face of a dearth of evidence as to their effectiveness. This effectiveness is mainly due to intense lobbying funded by individuals and organizations on the far right. One man, Raymond Ruddy, has personally put 1.5 million dollars towards advocacy and lobbying for abstinence only programs (Eaton). While lobbying like this commonly happens on both sides of the aisle, in this case public opinion goes against what people like Raymond Ruddy say is necessary. According to a recent study, "Ninety-eight percent of parents say they want HIV/AIDS discussed in sex education classes; 85% want 'how to use condoms' discussed; 84% think sex education should cover 'how to use and where to get other birth control,' and 76% want

Parents, especially from minority groups who did not have the opportunity to pursue and education, often times do not have the proper resources or time to give advise to their children about sexual health. A research study in the form of a survey in six Boston high schools was conducted about what high school students think about teen pregnancy prevention. The sample of students consisted of half female and half male. The study concluded that 32% of students wanted more parental communication about sexual health to prevent unwanted pregnancies. This shows that if parents were more involved in their children’s lives, they would be influences positively to make the right choices when choosing to have sex at a young age (Hacker, 1999). It may seem impossible for some parents to talk to their teens about sex due to their schedules, education, or simply embarrassment, but having a thirty-minute conversation about sex is a lot better than having their children give birth to children.

It only takes a glance at a tv, a billboard, or a magazine to observe a recurring theme: sex sells. In our increasingly hypersexual nation, sex may sell, but it is certainly not taught. This is prevalent in the fact that US has both the highest amount of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases than any other first world country (Malone and Rodriguez 2). Because of this, there is now a greater concern in both how sexual education is being distributed and taught in the United States, and how that has lead to these issues. For a portion of our history, not only was abstinence-only education heavily encouraged by society, it was also heavily funded by the government. In recent years, this extra funding has ceased to exist, allowing

While parents would like their children to wait as long as possible to begin having sex, the reality is that teens are having sex much younger than many parents think. Some teens, or preteens, begin having sex or engaging in sexual behavior in junior high. By the time they are seniors in high school, an estimated 65 percent of teens have had sex, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2007. (Dawn, 2009). Unfortunately, a percentage of those teens will become pregnant. After more than a decade and a half of decline (a 27 percent drop from 1991 to 2000), teen birth rates rose again in 2006, which was the last year for which data are available. It is still unclear on what caused teen birth rates to rise again, with supporters of abstinence-only sex education programs and contraception-based programs each blaming the other side for the increase. However, a 2007 study in the Journal of American Public Health attributed the trend in decreasing pregnancy rates to improved contraception use among teens during that time. (Anderson Orr, 2009).

Programs that encourage abstinence have become a vital part of school systems in the US. These programs are usually referred to as abstinence-only or value-based programs while other programs are called as safer-sex, comprehensive, secular or abstinence-plus programs which on the contrary promote the usage of effective contraception. Although abstinence-only and safer-sex programs disagree with one another, their core values and stand on the aims of sex education is to help teens develop problem-solving skills and the skill of good decision-making. They believe that adolescents will be better prepared to “act responsibly in the heat of the moment” (Silva). Most programs that have been currently implemented in the US have seen a delay in the initiation of sex among teens which proves to be a positive and desirable outcome (Silva).

Communication between parents and adolescents is important when educating teens on how to practice safer sex. Roni Caryn Rabin in her article, “Why Parents Should Have the ‘Sex Talk’ With Their Children,” provides evidence as to how and why these conversations are important for healthy adolescent sexual development. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60 percent of sexually active high school students did not use any birth control the last time they had intercourse. This article emphasizes that these numbers can be reduced if parents simply engage in a conversation with their teens about sex. Furthermore, factors such as being uncomfortable or nervous about talking to their parents and fears that parents will over react play a key role in why parents and their children do not have a safe sex talk (Rabin, 2015). Over all, Rabin stresses that this topic is important to address regularly in order to promote safe sex and healthy relationships in teens. However, after reviewing this article, there are four aspects that must be acknowledged in order to educate parents on how to engage in conversations about sex in the most effective way.