Abstinence Education (Or Abstinence-only Education): is It Worth It?

     For instance, we’re well aware of the many pregnancies that occur that end in the birth of unwanted children and abortions.    Also, in addition to the production of children, sexual intercourse can produce many forms of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that have wreaked havoc on so many lives.    Just these two factors alone should be enough proof that having sex is NOT a simple undertaking that we can walk away from as though we’d just engaged in some insignificant event.    With results of such magnitude as the creation of a new life and consequences as disastrous as the contraction of disease, it’s obvious that this is a subject that requires extensive, as well as comprehensive discussions.    It’s also an area that untrained and inexperienced minds should avoid until they have received proper and complete instruction.

     I believe that one of the reasons why abstinence-only education has failed with so many teenagers is because this type of education cannot be suddenly injected into a child’s life at a certain age.    Children must be educated from birth, first learning to distinguish between males and females by observing people and their surroundings.    This should be followed with complete explanations of the more complex incidents to which they’re exposed.    Also, lessons in sex education have to be taught in conjunction with establishing a way of life.    There has been a marked decline in respect for life in today’s society so as soon as possible, children should be taught about the sanctity of life.    If children are taught to respect life, they will have a higher regard for their own lives, and will then ponder more seriously before indulging in sex and taking a chance on creating a life for which they’re unprepared.    It’s also likely that with their learned respect for life, the horrors of STDs will become more real to them and this too will strengthen their will to abstain.

     Children reflect exactly what they are taught.    If they’re allowed to grow up believing that sex is “no big thing”, then that is the thought that will mold and shape their viewpoint.    If on the other hand, they’re taught the truth about the seriousness and true purpose of sex, while at the same time instructing them on respecting themselves and the lives around them, then they will learn to be more vigilant about abstaining from sexual intercourse.

     Abstinence education is indeed important.    A child needs to know the limits within life and sending mixed messages is not the way.    Messages like “you should wait but in case you don’t, this is how you should do it” is a mixed message.    We talk percentages when speaking about the effectiveness of condom use in the prevention of pregnancy and contraction of an STD.       Perhaps a better description of condom use should be “safer sex” since there are no guarantees upon deciding to use them.      But no one can question the true safety of abstinence since a person is 100% safe from all the dreaded consequences when they remain committed.