Parents Agree: Abstinence education is the best health message for teens. A nationwide Zogby poll conducted in 2007 showed that parents prefer abstinence education 2 to 1 over comprehensive sex education. Among other findings from the poll:

• 9 out of 10 parents agree that being sexually abstinent is best for their child’s health and future.
• 8 in 10 parents support public schools promoting abstinence vs. encouraging contraceptive use.
• 2 out of 3 parents think the importance of the “wait to have sex” message ends up being lost when programs demonstrate and encourage the use of contraception.

Abstinence education works! Abstinence education has received WIDESPREAD federal funding for ONLY ABOUT 10 YEARS, YET, in that short time, numerous peer-reviewed studies have revealed that abstinence programs are effective in:

• Delaying the onset of sexual behavior
• Reversing risky behavior in teens who were previously sexually active
• Reducing teen pregnancy rates
• Decreasing the number of partners in sexually active teens

Current federal funding for abstinence education is nearly $170 million, but the results are a cost-savings to taxpayers! When teen birth rates are reduced, taxpayers save $6 for every $1 spent.

Defining Abstinence Education

Abstinence education empowers teens to avoid risk by making good health decisions, regardless of their sexual history. Abstinence means to voluntarily refrain from sexual activity including, but not limited to, sexual intercourse. Abstinence education, as funded by Congress, is decidedly more inclusive than “just say no”. The term, “abstinence only” is often used by opponents to create the false perception that abstinence education is a narrow and unrealistic approach. Abstinence education is in fact broader and more holistic than other approaches and focuses on the real-life struggles that teens face as they navigate through the difficult adolescent years.

Abstinence education realizes that “having sex” can potentially affect a lot more than the sex organs of teens, but as research shows, can also have emotional, psychological, social, economic and educational consequences. That’s why topics frequently discussed in an abstinence education class include:

• Identifying healthy relationships
• Avoiding or getting out of dangerous, unhealthy, or abusive relationships
• Developing skills to make good decisions
• Setting goals for the future and taking realistic steps to reach them
• Understanding and avoiding STDs
• Information about contraceptives and their effectiveness against pregnancy and STDs
• Practical ways to avoid inappropriate sexual advances
• Why abstinence until marriage is optimal

So, within an abstinence education program, teens receive all the information they need in order to make healthy choices. That’s a lot of information and skills packed into an abstinence curriculum! And all of these topics are taught within the context of why abstinence is the best choice. There’s nothing “only” about the abstinence approach!

What is Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE)?

There are vast differences between abstinence education and CSE. The major distinction is how each approach regards teens. Abstinence education believes teens can and increasingly do, avoid sex, so the discussion empowers them to make the healthiest sexual decision – which is to abstain. By contrast, CSE assumes that teens don’t have the ability to avoid sexual experimentation, so most of their time is spent talking about sex and the use of condoms and other forms of contraception. Comprehensive Sex Education assumes that teens will engage in high risk sexual behavior and are content to merely reduce the risk of that behavior.

A review of CSE curricula show that, on average, only about 5% of their time is devoted to the abstinence message, with the definition of abstinence usually subjectively defined by the student. One popular "abstinence plus" text promoted by comprehensive sex ed providers, asks students to brainstorm "what sexual behaviors a person could engage in and still be 'abstinent'" and suggested activities such as "cuddling with no clothes on", "masturbating with a partner", "rubbing bodies together".

Students are sent nondirective and confusing definitions for abstinence that are filled with risk and predictably, the discussion quickly moves to “the endless possibilities of outercourse” and “making the transition from sexual abstinence.” Alarmingly, CSE curricula present abstinence and condom use as equally “safe” options, promoting dangerous and medically inaccurate information to teens. A 2007 report by the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services (HH found that many highly recommended “comprehensive” curricula devote little time to teaching the merits of abstaining from sex but spend an overwhelming amount of teaching time topics such as condom demonstration and sexual game play as methods of "safe" sex. The study revealed startling components of the "comprehensive" curricula that taught teens as young as 13 lessons that include:

• Advocating showering together as a no-risk activity
• Promoting methods for sexual stimulation
• Conducting role-plays on how to help a partner maintain an erection
• Describing how to eroticize condom use with a partner
• Suggesting teens wear "shades" or disguises when shopping for condoms so parents and adults won't recognize them

Abstinence Under Attack

Organized efforts are underway in every state to replace abstinence education with comprehensive sex education. Parents are being misled by about the true content of comprehensive sex education programs being taught in their children’s classrooms. Expose the truth, your child’s health and future is at stake.

LifeNews.com Note: Roeten is a very conservative Catholic who likes the facts over readily displayed emotions. He is an editorial columnist who has frequently been published in numerous Internet and newspaper forums.

It’s been discovered. Nobody thought having “safe sex” was possible in every case. Each year 2.6 million teenagers become sexually active—a rate of 7000/day. With high school, nearly half report having engaged in sexual activity and 1/3 are currently active (Kim/Rector//Heritage Foundation).

As it turns out, teen sexual activity is extremely costly for teens and for society as a whole. From 1985-1990 alone, the federal government spent $120 billion on teenage childbearing. Teens who engage in sexual activity risk all kinds of costly and detrimental outcomes not limited to STD infections, emotional and psychological harm, lower educational attainment, and unmarried childbearing. All of these have direct impact on Medicare, Medicaid, government spending----and the budget.

It is known that STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) infect -- about 12 million Americans per year, with 65,000 plagued with an incurable form (CDC). STDs are a direct cause of infertility in both men and women .

Nearly half of all pregnancies as well as 1 million teen pregnancies (95%) are unintended (CDC), and there are approximately 40,000 new HIV infections per year. An estimated 1.3 million babies die every year through abortion, and 84% of all US abortions are performed on unmarried women (US Dept of Commerce; GPO/1998). Teens who have babies out of wedlock are more likely to end up at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. All of these numbers have huge economic implications for the country.

But society has found something that works 100% of the time. They found something on which you can completely depend---much better than condoms which may work part of the time. And that’s if you use them right.

The answer is easy, even though many don’t want to hear it--- “abstinence until marriage”. It breaks the unwritten rule of sex on demand. It clearly illuminates the slavery to our desires so many of us face. And it emblazons the oft repeated saying, “Why buy the cow, if the milk is free?”

Self-control is like an immune system. People who abhor sexual-control think they are breaking free, but in reality are breaking down. Control yourself and you will not be repressed—you will be free.

Our children are not animals incapable of controlling themselves and “will do it anyway”. Yet “comprehensive” sex-ed teaches them that they're just that.

But recently, a new study by the research firm Mathematica found that in the five programs that they studied, abstinence-instructed kids showed no statistical change in sexual behavior.

But what was actually learned was this study looked at only five programs out of more than 900 in place. It was also determined this program targeted children 9 to 11 who were not evaluated until four years later. Abstinence Education: Assessing the Evidence (Kim/ Rector) found 16 of the 21 studies completed so far reported positive results, while 5 studies did not report any significant positive results.

Zogby (5/8/07) found that 83% of parents think it is important for their child to wait until marriage to have sex. The Journal of Adolescent and Family Health concluded that a 66% decrease in teen pregnancy was due to teens choosing abstinence. The CDC showed a 53% decrease. But abstinence programs federally funded over the last 11 years still have many critics.

But several dozen Congressional abortion advocates have signed a letter to the House Appropriations Committee asking to cut all funds for abstinence education (Ertelt/LifeNews). According to the CDC, there has been a 13% decrease in the % of teens who have ever had sex between 1991 and 2005. Some 17 states have rejected this funding.

It’s interesting to note that our government has spent $12 on the comprehensive sex-ed/Planned Parenthood approach for every $1 spent on true abstinence projects. PP would love to zero-fund its competitors, especially since abstinent kids don’t spend any time in their clinics.

As parents, our offspring are worth everything. We want to keep them from developing STDs, AIDS, HIV, going through abortions, lower educational development, slavery, you name it. We have “abstinence until marriage” which guarantees freedom from the above. And we know simple abstinence education gives significantly better chances from those pitfalls.

Now what would make a parent shy away from 100% chance of surviving an experience with some of the worst occurrences that exist.
http://www.lifenews.com/nat3919.html

Abstinence education advocates believe the healthiest choice for a non-married youth is to remain sexually abstinent. Presenting the highest health standard remains the goal of any public school health education; abstinence education is no exception. Parents, not state or school administrators, have the right to determine if their teen is in need of additional medical information and services.

Myth: Abstinence education is instruction to “just say ‘no.’”

Truth:

• Abstinence education is a primary prevention model designed to assist unmarried youth from becoming sexually active.
• Abstinence programs teach and equip students on diverse topics. These include relationship skills, STDs, HIV, refusal skills, body image issues, emotional bonding, differences between men and women, condom effectiveness, teen pregnancy, and the benefits of marriage.
• The benefits of remaining sexually abstinent until marriage are well established. Likewise, the physical, mental and emotional consequences resulting from sexual activity outside of a life-long relationship are not disputed. The education community is aware of these benefits and consequences; presenting them is much more than saying “no.”

Myth: Condom-based education (also known as comprehensive sex education) plus abstinence education addresses all students’ needs.

Truth:

• In other areas of health education as well as abstinence, the highest health standard is communicated (i.e. alcohol, drugs, cigarette use, weapon carrying, etc.) The healthiest choice for school-age youth is to remain sexually abstinent.
• Children need directive education - education that points them to a specific outcome. If sexuality education is taught in a condom - plus - abstinence format, the message is mixed and nondirective. Students are left confused as to the best health choice.
• Teaching students how to reduce inherent risks of sexual activity by emphasizing condom usage fails to integrate the highest health education standard. Eliminating inherent sexual activity risks by teaching abstinence from such activity is teaching according to the highest standard. All youth deserve the best.

Myth: Condom-based sex education programs teach about abstinence education in addition to teaching about condoms and contraceptives.

Truth: A 2004 Heritage Foundation study determined the following:

• Abstinence education programs devote 54% of page content to abstinence-related material – whereas “comprehensive” sex education programs devote 5%.
• Abstinence education programs devote 17% of page content to healthy relationships and the benefits of marriage – whereas so-called “comprehensive” sex education programs devote 0%.1

Myth:
Abstinence education is all about shame and guilt.

Truth:

• The emotional consequences of sexual activity outside a marital relationship are a reality. All high-risk behaviors, such as illegal drug use, involve emotional consequences. When an individual reconsiders his/her dangerous habits during a drug education class, the curriculum is not blamed for teaching shame and guilt. This indeed may be a student’s emotional response. However, lesson content of any health education curricula, including abstinence education, avoid the intent of eliciting shame and guilt.
• Most sexually active teens wish they had waited longer to have sex.2 Youth may have varied feelings during instructional class periods. When it comes to communicating health standards, educators do not adjust to the lowest common denominators according to potential feelings that may be engendered within select youth. The focus is what is in his/her best health interest.
• Sexually active youth may have uncomfortable feelings. Those feelings can be strong motivating factors to explore healthier mindsets and ensuing behavioral changes.

Myth:
Abstinence education is not medically accurate.

Truth:

• Medically accurate teaching imparts knowledge based upon current scientific research. Abstinence curricula use the latest data from peer-reviewed journals and government agencies and adhere to the same scientific standard and accuracy common to all educational fields.
• As is applicable with all textbooks, all sexuality curricula, including abstinence and condom-based, should be updated when new advances in information emerge.
• All sexuality curricula, including abstinence and condom-based, should be scrutinized for inaccuracies and receive rigorous oversight for medical accuracy.

http://www.family.org/socialissues/A000000361.cfm