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| Also listed in: College Dems at Ohio State |
Categories: Budget Priorities, Primary and Secondary Education, Reproductive Rights
$1bn 'don't have sex' campaign a flop as research shows teenagers ignore lessons
The Bush administration has spent over $1 billion on an abstinence education program that has failed to have any impact at all.
"A survey of more than 2,000 teenagers carried out by a research company on behalf of Congress found that the half of the sample given abstinence-only education displayed exactly the same predilection for sex as those who had received conventional sex education in which contraception was discussed."
The plan started under Clinton as part of welfare reform, but spending on the program increase exponentially under Bush. We are now spending over $100m a year on the education program...
"Both control groups had the same breakdown of behavior: 23% in both sets had had sex in the previous year and always used a condom, 17% had sex only sometimes using a condom; and 4% had sex never using one. About a quarter of each group had had sex with three or more partners."
So wouldn't it be better to step up education about contraception and spend our $100m there instead of the illusion that teenagers aren't going to have sex if we tell them it's cool not to have sex by giving them abstinence rings and signing pledges.
I mean heck even abstinence isn't 100%, the Virgin Mary had a baby...
The cost of the program is only part of the total tally. Everyone knows that teen-age moms and babies born to teen-age moms have a tougher time in life -- and cost more in terms of social services.
Is there a prevention program that works? If so, please tell me about it it. I think it's better to come equipped with a solution than it is to simply complain about the status quo.