Does Abstinence education really work?
The numbers wouldn't seem to bear it out.
All too often when I hear about abstinence education, those touting it as an answer have always made it seem like teaching abstinence only solves all sexual problems. After all you can't get AIDS or get pregnant if you don't have sex (well, that first part is not really true, but don't try telling them that). Now this study shows that it may well prevent pregnancy and disease in the short term, but in the long term, it just promotes cluelessness.
I personally have always believed that it's better to be informed than to be in the dark. I don't believe that by talking to kids about sex that they're immediately going to go out and jump somebody's bones. You have to be realistic about these kinds of thing. Teaching responsibility is a more productive way to get an idea across than teaching ignorance.
And yes I know it's easy for me to say, since I personally don't have kids. I offer this only as an opinion, and I freely leave open the option for someone to call me hypocrite if when the time comes for me to procreate, I change my tune.
posted by Hankblog @ 3/09/2004 10:07:00 PM
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