Abstinence Programs Provide Accurate Information, Effective in Reducing Teen Pregnancy
by: Ester Meier
Indianapolis Star
February 25, 2007

In the debate as to whether Indiana young people should have either abstinence education or "safe-sex" education, it is important that the facts regarding abstinence instruction in Indiana are accurately communicated.

The major abstinence education providers in Indiana are diligent in their inclusion of accurate medical and scientific information and meet many of the state health curriculum standards. Unlike textbooks adopted every three to five years, many abstinence education programs are reviewed and updated annually to include the newest medical science (such as the HPV vaccine currently debated in the news), and most effective educational methods.

Abstinence education programs do provide information regarding the effectiveness of condoms for disease and pregnancy prevention. Students in abstinence programs are taught that while condoms can provide some protection, they do not offer total protection.

The 2007 Centers for Disease Control website (cdc.gov/std/hpv/std fact-hpv) states that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection (the leading cause of cervical cancer) "can occur in both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered." How well do condoms protect against Herpes, which currently has no cure? The same CDC website states that "Since a condom may not cover all infected areas, even correct and consistent use of latex condoms cannot guarantee protection from genital herpes." (cdc.gov/std/herpes/). With our federal government reporting these less than impressive rates of condom efficacy against some of the major STDs infecting sexually active teens, abstinence programs are committed to telling teens what condoms can and can't do. They will not however, promote them as a "safe" way to have sex, especially when the repercussions of some of these diseases can be life-long or life threatening.

Character-based abstinence education is truly comprehensive, addressing the issues of sexuality from an emotional, social, mental, AND physical perspective. These programs tackle many of the cultural and media influences directed towards teens --for example, the recent popularity of Internet websites such as "MY SPACE". During abstinence instruction, girls as young as 12 or 13 have conveyed the pressure they feel to participate in oral sex in order to be popular or to have a boy like them. Empowering these students with self-confidence and refusal skills to resist potentially dangerous behaviors seems preferable to promotion of a "safe" sex message which still can leave them vulnerable both physically and emotionally.

Similar to the findings of a national study indicating that two-thirds of all sexually active teens wished they had waited ("With One Voice: American's Adults and Teens Sound Off About Teen Pregnancy", National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2004), thousands of Indiana teens (often in dating relationships with each other) have shared with their abstinence instructors the detrimental emotional and mental ramifications resulting from the choice to become sexually active.

The experiences of these Indiana teens often motivate them to acquire the skills to help build their relationships on a healthier foundation, free from emotional pitfalls and physical risks. Many of these students have volunteered to speak to middle and high school classes about why they have made a decision to forego sexual activity and choose secondary abstinence.

Choosing abstinence is a realistic choice for today's teens. A nationwide survey found that 69 percent of adolescents agree it is not okay for high school teens to engage in sexual intercourse. ("With One Voice: America's Adults and Teens Sound Off About Teen Pregnancy", National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2004). A recent Harris Pole found that among six age groups and three political groups, younger respondents showed the strongest support for abstinence over safe-sex programs. (The Washington Times, Jan. 26, 2006 "Youths Support Abstinence as Sex Education").

According to The Medical Institute for Sexual Health, LIMITING the number of lifetime sexual partners is the ONE FACTOR, which would do the MOST to stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Encouraging young people to postpone sexual involvement has tremendous implications for their future health. According to Vital & Health Statistics, 23(19), if a girl's first sexual experience was before age 16, 11.3 percent had only one lifetime partner, but 58.1 percent had more than five. If that first experience was at age 20, 52.2 percent had only one lifetime partner and 15.2 percent had more than one.

Abstinence programs are effective in combating teen pregnancy. Research reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health credits increased abstinence among teens as the major factor responsible for lower rates of teen pregnancy (August 2004, JAH). Both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and researchers at Ohio's Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine had similar positive reports after abstinence education evaluations. According to epidemiologist Elaine Borawski, abstinence programs, "{$326}can influence knowledge, beliefs and intentions, and among sexually experienced students may reduce the prevalence of casual sex." (The Washington Times, January 26, 2006 "Youths Support Abstinence as Sex Education").

Since the 1990s (coincidently, when federal abstinence funding began in earnest), the Centers for Disease Control reported a drop in the number of sexually active high school students from 54 percent to 46 percent. The Indiana Youth Institute Kids Count 2006 Data Book reports that teen sexual activity continues to decline. In 2005, 44.5 percent of Indiana high school students reported ever having sex, an 8.8 percent drop in the last two years alone, and lower than the national average.

Certainly some teens may choose to be sexually active, just as some may engage in underage drinking or smoking. This does not stop the media, our community, and our schools from providing youth with a clear risk- avoidance (rather than a risk-reduction) message.

Motivating teens to postpone sexual involvement should be an issue that transcends political party lines. Some criticize President Bush and Indiana Rep. Mark Souder's commitment to support abstinence education, yet Louisiana Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco has promoted and encouraged one of the most influential abstinence education programs in the country ("Louisiana Governor's Program on Abstinence", www.abstinencedu.com).

Politics aside, there is no law requiring Indiana schools to invite abstinence educators into their classrooms to supplement their health curricula. Even so, a valuable partnership has developed among school counselors, school nurses, health teachers, principals, local county health departments, hospitals, and thousands of parents to provide young people across the state with the beneficial message that sex can wait. Our teens are worth it.

Esther Meier Executive Director of Creating Positive Relationships, a character-based, sex education abstinence program based out of Carmel, Indiana.