Abstinence only education needs to be stopped

by Alanna Shaikh · 2009-01-07 19:41:00 UTC
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(photo credit: hdptcar)

So, we finally have conclusive proof that abstinence-only education doesn't work in the US. In fact, it's worse than just not working. Abstinence-only education is worse for teenagers than doing nothing at all. Young people who go through an abstinence-only education program are just as likely to have sex and they are more likely to do so without protection. And let me tell you, most public health types have known this for years. Abstinence-only education is a useless, damaging load of hooey.

For those unfamiliar with sex ed - abstinence-only education is exactly what it sounds like. It is an educational principle that young people should be taught to abstain from sex and why abstinence is important. It does not provide information about contraception or about sex and sexuality. The curricular focus is solely on why sex must be postponed.

Now, I am not one to ignore the role of culture in educational interventions. Every situation is unique. It seems to me though that if we can't get fundamentalist Christian teenagers in Southern Mississippi to abstain from sex, it's not a huge leap to argue that we also can't get people from historically polygamous cultures to abstain from sex. In other words -

It's time to abandon Abstain, Be faithful, use a Condom. This is the mantra of PEPFAR, the US-funded President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief. All PEPFAR-funded HIV education efforts must follow that formula, and include all three points. 33% of all HIV prevention funds - 20% of the PEPFAR budget - must be - according to the organization's congressional mandate- spent on abstinence only education.

Yes, that's right. We are requiring that 7% of our HIV budget be spent on programs that have been scientifically proven not to work. Oops! Sure, nine out of ten Americans have sex before marriage. But we expect the developing world to do better at that kind of thing, right?

PEPFAR is a good idea. More money for AIDS prevention and treatment is a good thing. Wasting limited PEPFAR funds is not. It's time to free the PEPFAR budget from loony congressional restrictions on what can be funded. PEPFAR should be funding the efforts that will do the most good for the least money. End of discussion.

Alanna Shaikh
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