by Bill Beckman
The April 30 Chicago Sun-Times carried an editorial entitled "Abstain from taking abstinence-only funds". My response to the Sun-Times editor appears below, but is unlikely to appear in the Sun-Times:
Teens are going to...
Teens are going to drink alcohol. Most parents want their children to have accurate information to avoid blacking out, in addition to hearing about abstaining from alcohol. Teens are going to use drugs. Most parents want their children to have accurate information to avoid killing themselves, in addition to hearing about abstaining from drugs.
Most parents would disagree with the above statements so why would they agree with the Sun-Times editoral claim that "Teens are going to have sex. Most parents want their children to have accurate information to avoid pregnancy and STDs ... in addition to hearing about abstinence, surveys show."
Who took the surveys that showed this preference? I am sure the survey wording failed to clarify what "comprehensive" sex education would do as an alternative, namely, teach that casual sex is always OK as long as it is "safe". When parents learn about the contents of "comprehensive" sex education, they prefer abstinence education by a wide margin.
The editorial also claimed (about abstinence education) "study after study shows the programs don't work." Only two recent studies with this conclusion gained any publicity in the last two years. Both of these studies have been challenged as unreliable because they were not conducted in anything close to a scientific manner. Instead, they were done to confirm a preconceived and incorrect answer that abstinence does not work. Many other studies have demonstrated that abstinence works very effectively.
The editor's call for Illinois to "abstain from taking abstinence-only funds" would do a serious disservice to Illinois teenagers. They deserve to know the truth that "safe" sex is not safe, but abstinence works every time it is tried. Giving a mixed message about sex is like saying, "you should study hard, but it is perfectly OK if you end up with D's." Teens need to be given some expectations to live up to! They deserve better than "safe" sex!
Below are links to supporting information:
