Sex Education Reform

The Texas Legislature is seeking to pass bills that will expand the current curriculum for abstinence based sex education. This "abstinence-plus" program will include information about contraceptives and different forms of birth control. There is a developing controversy over this proposal. San Antonio lawmakers say change is necessary because Texas ranks third nationwide in teen births. Of course they don't mention how many teens within those statistics are married.

Texas spent $18 million on abstinence programs last year and lawmakers want to add to that cost by expanding a program that is failing. This is honestly more about money than anything because teen pregnancies are costing 1 billion each year. The accusation is that abstinence education does not prepare students to protect themselves.   It is no surprise that the scapegoat in this case is the former Governor George Bush, newly elected in 1995. That year, the Texas Legislature made public schools teaching sex education classes teach that "abstinence only" is the best method of birth control and disease prevention. The rise of teen births and STD's from 1995 until now is blamed on this method of teaching, but those who support abstinence only say that its is working. Both are mistaken. No one is mentioning the dramatic demographic change in Texas and how that plays a part in this crisis. It is a fact that the Hispanic and African American population in Texas has increased in great numbers since the 1990s. The majority of the Hispanic population are Catholics who frown upon any form of contraceptive or birth control. Teen births and STD's are sadly more prevalent among this growing majority and take up a higher percentage of those in the public school system. We do need to find a solution, but is this the best we can come up with?

Since students among the entire population are already becoming sexually active at younger ages every day, giving them tools to protect themselves and others will definitely help decrease the number of teen pregnancies, abortions and the spread of STD's. While there is no doubt that an increasing number of young teens today suffer these things, are we certain that preventing them will be more than just a quick fix? Should we just accept that the majority of young adults are adapting to sexually active lifestyles, many times among various partners? If we do, it is possible that the abstinence message will eventually become extinct in our culture. Honestly, I don't see how the "just say no" method can exist alongside the "here's a condom" approach. How can we teach students that abstinence is right while instructing them on the best way to do what is wrong.  Are we going to change our approach for teaching them about drugs and alcohol as well? It's hard to imagine a teacher saying, "Drugs and alcohol are dangerous, illegal and very bad for you, but if your looking for a good time here are the best ways to avoid suffering the consequences." If these bills are passed, the abstinence message will coexist with more appealing options that will confuse students perception of right and wrong. The consequences of sex outside of marriage will no longer apply, and we are told to see this as a good thing? Articles all over the news say that we should not be motivating students out of fear and shame, and I agree, but do we want our kids to view sex as a casual activity rather than something that should be done within a mature and adult commitment? 

The fact is that parents who have neglected their children to the government's upbringing on topics like sex are experiencing the consequences. Many kids, at even 11 years old, have no boundaries and are free to make adult decisions as children. In turn we are blaming this problem on the failing abstinence only education. The government is not responsible for making abstinence only education work, parents are. We cannot count on our government to raise our children from afar. Young people should be taught about the physical and emotional consequences of early sexual activity, and parents should guide them on living responsibly.