Just Say NO to Abstinence Programs

Great news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention! 97 percent of teens report that they have received some type of "formal" sex education before age 18. With almost all of our teens educated about sex, we should be seeing a decrease in the teen birthrate and in sexually transmitted diseases, right? Well...no. The teen birthrate actually increased from 2005 to 2007, and, according to a 2008 CDC study, 1 in 4 teenage girls has an STD.

What could explain these seemingly contradictory findings? Could it possibly be the quality (or lack) of the sex education our teens are receiving? Looking further at the CDC study, we find that only about 2/3 of teens have been taught about methods of birth control by the end of high school despite having had "sex education." What is it that they're learning? Could it be ABSTINENCE?

We love our "Just Say NO" programs. We tell our teenagers to say no to drinking, drugs, and sex and then pat ourselves on the back for a job well-done as parents and educators. This is utter BS!  Abstinence programs have increased dramatically over the last several years despite evidence of their ineffectiveness. A larger percentage of teens report that they received instruction on "how to say no" (about 84 percent) than on how to use birth control (about 66 percent). Well, given that the teen birth rate is rising, and a quarter of teen girls have an STD, it sure looks like abstinence is not altogether popular among the kids today! Indeed, the rates of STDs are no different among those teens who took a pledge of abstinence and those who didn't! However, males who took an abstinence pledge were less likely to use a condom than those who didn't take the pledge. You can't protect yourself or your partner from pregnancy and STDs if you don't plan ahead and take precautions; you can't take precautions if you can't admit you're going to have sex.

Maybe we should consider putting some education back into sex education and leaving the morality component to parents and religious institutions. Teaching "sex education" without teaching birth control is like teaching math without teaching multiplication. A little knowledge is just one step above complete ignorance.

How Big is Your Love?

You've gotta give it to the DC schools--when they say they want to prevent teen pregnancy, they mean it. Their latest prevention effort is a revamped condom distribution plan. The previous plan was a failure partly because the kids said they hated the brand of condoms that were distributed by the schools. Uncomfortable and "not cool." Now, I know some people say that if you're given something for free and it's something that you need, then you shouldn't complain about it. Do those people have teenagers? Do those people even know a teenager? Branding is everything. Being cool matters. Thus, the DC schools are now giving away Magnum XLs, the preferred brand of condom for the hip urban youth. And I'm not being sarcastic when I state that I think this is a GREAT IDEA!!! Sure, teens should wait to have sex. Sure, those who are sexually active should use whatever is available and not complain about it, but prevention is about working with what is, not what should be. If Magnum XLs are mentioned in rap lyrics, if they're more comfortable, if they're more cool, then use Magnum XLs! Anything to get teens to use condoms. It probably doesn't hurt that the label says XL either (think Magnum "Averages" would be as popular?) I can think of some great ad campaigns too: "I never go anywhere without my Magnum!" "Show her how big your love is with Magnum XL!" "Can you fill a Magnum?" "Let tonight be explosive with Magnum XL!" I could just go on and on....Maybe I should write ad copy! Anyway, a toast to one smart thing the DC schools has done (anyone have a magnum of champagne?) Let's just hope the abstinence harpies don't ruin it!