Abstinence-Only Education 'Fails' Texas Children, Editorial Says

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 04 Mar 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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"Abstinence is a good message, but teens also must know the dangers of having sex without condoms and contraceptives," a Dallas Morning News editorial says. According to the editorial, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) 18-year-old daughter Bristol, who gave birth in December after an unintended pregnancy, recently said on Fox News that abstinence-only education is "not realistic at all." Bristol Palin "knows from experience something that has yet to sink in among Texas education policymakers: An abstinence-only health curriculum fails our children," the editorial says.

Texas "consistently ranks among the top five states for teen pregnancies," the editorial continues, adding that the state was behind only Mississippi and New Mexico in recent federal statistics. A new study conducted by researchers at Texas State University and funded by the Texas Freedom Network, which favors a comprehensive sex education curriculum, found that up to 96% of Texas school districts either teach an abstinence-only curriculum or avoid discussing sex altogether. David Wiley, co-author of the study, wrote that the prevailing attitude among health teachers in the state is that "when it comes to sexuality education, it's best to keep your mouth shut." The editorial writes, "Adding to the fear was the Board of Education's decision in 2004 to adopt health textbooks that preached abstinence while downplaying the benefits of condoms and contraceptives." The editorial writes that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that Texas teens have unprotected sex "far more often" than the national average and that states and cities using an "abstinence-plus" curriculum see rates of unprotected sex below the national average. "Statistics show that when students receive the complete message, they listen," the editorial writes.

The editorial writes that "one Texas teenager gets pregnant every 10 minutes, on average," according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. "In contrast to the Board of Education," the health department "specifically recommends a multifaceted approach including abstinence counseling and advice on the use of condoms and contraceptives," the editorial continues, adding, "That message clearly isn't getting through to the schools." The editorial concludes, "Texas, it's time to get real. It's time to talk to our teens about abstinence and protected sex" (Dallas Morning News, 3/1).

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