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Abstinence education
By adamg on Tue, 04/24/2007 - 9:04am
Carpundit, no fan of Deval Patrick, applauds his decision to not apply for a federal abstinence-only education grant:
... It's patent that teens will be having sex, theocrats' fantasies notwithstanding. They should be taught about the implications.
The Outraged Liberal reads to the very end of a Globe story to learn that some lobbyist is getting paid $50,000 a year to get the Legislature to fund abstinence-only education in Massachusetts:
... There's no harm in teaching abstinence -- in conjunction with a curriculum that also covers the facts of life. The decision by the Patrick administration and other states that refuse to buckle to yet another absurd federal mandate (in an area where states traditionally have greatest leeway) is appropriate.
So is a House amendment to contest the policy. But only if that amendment is offered in the clear light of day -- which this one was not. Or if the pros and cons are debated on the floor, which has not happened.
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Comments
Abstinence-only education, in itself, alone, isn't an answer.
It's agreed that it should at least be tied in with a general sex education program, and teaching responsibility to teens. It's unfortunately true that far too many teens get involved in playing, or attempting to play an adult's game before they're really ready for it, albeit with tragic results, in many cases. I admittedly don't particularly approve of teenaged sex, but, if they feel old enough to engage in sex, then they should be taught to take the responsibility for it, in the form of birth control, and to find an adult, either the parents, or another adult they can trust, as a mentor.
Sex education for teens, however, is not the schools' responsibility alone. The responsibility also rests with parents or other adults, who should also be willing and able to discuss sex and its possible consequences with teenagers. That being said, I believe that teens who have frequent, open discussions with parents and/or other adults they can trust are much more likely to make prudent decisions in such matters.