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Finger-Pointing Doesn’t Work |
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By now many have read the discouraging new statistics regarding the rise in teen pregnancy. It didn’t take long for the proponents of comprehensive sexual education to point the finger at abstinence education as the reason for these sad statistics. Why else would girls get pregnant, if it weren’t for those pushing them to remain sexually abstinent when even young girls like Bristol Palin think abstinence doesn’t work? Let’s slow down a minute and think about this. Comprehensive sex education classes are already providing teens all the information they need about their bodies, their hormones, their rights and freedoms to choose. Planned Parenthood teaches many of these classes. Do you think they stand to profit from the reckless decisions of hormonal teens? You bet they do. They are the biggest abortion providers in the US—and they also make a bundle of tax dollars by providing low or no cost contraceptives. So how are abstinence educators to blame? Most abstinence education programs inform youth about healthy choices. They encourage self-control, decision-making, and setting goals for the future. Most teens eventually want to marry, have children and experience a healthy adult relationship with a spouse. Abstinence education programs instruct them with skills to do these very things. And unfortunately, when teens do choose to have sex, many regret the decision. Finger pointing won’t help our teens with a sexually transmitted disease they will live with for life. Abolishing abstinence education won’t help teens think through one of the most important decisions they can make for themselves. Now is not the time to listen to those who stand to profit from bad choices.
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