Choosing the Best responds to The Atlanta Journal Constitution editorial “Abstinence-only? Obstinate only”

By Bruce Cook

A recent editorial (“Abstinence-only? Obstinate only”) regarding the effectiveness of abstinence education programs presented a narrow viewpoint which belies the positive influence these curricula have had on the lives of our young people.

I would like to offer a broader perspective to demonstrate that abstinence education is not a by-product of political or religious ideology (as the editorial insinuated) but is an issue of what is in the best interest of our youth so they may lead healthy, happy and productive lives.

There is plenty of evidence to suggest the nation’s investment in abstinence education is paying off.

• In Georgia, the 41 percent reduction in teen pregnancies over the past decade can be traced to the change in school policy in the mid-1990s mandating abstinence education in public schools. The sharpest declines have occurred since 1998 when abstinence programs were solidly in place throughout the state. In fact, the teen pregnancy rate in Georgia has declined at double the national average during the past four years.
  
  
• An analysis by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (NCTP) indicated that recent declines in the teen birth rate in Georgia saved taxpayers about $227 million in 2004 alone.
  
  
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 50 percent of the national reduction in teen pregnancies is a result of an increased number of teens choosing abstinence.

Another reality is that teens are indeed given medically accurate information about contraceptives in abstinence curricula. Providing teens with the facts about what condoms can and cannot do is one of the best ways to help them realize that choosing abstinence is a better strategy. In an age in which STDs among teens are growing, anything less would be unacceptable.

For example, the Choosing the Best curriculum, one of the more popular abstinence programs, devotes an entire section to contraception. Information sourced directly from the CDC relates that, if properly used, condoms are very effective at preventing HIV, but are only moderately effective at preventing common STDs such as herpes and HPV (partially because these infections can occur in areas not protected by a condom).

Far from being an extreme position, teaching teens that abstinence is best is a common sense approach that is not only medically correct, it’s also the message supported by the overwhelming majority of teens and parents. In recent polls, over 90 percent of teens and adults believe that teens should be given a strong abstinence message not to have sex until they are at least out of high school. Additionally, nearly 80 percent of parents think teens should be taught to delay sexual activity until marriage, or when they are in an adult relationship which will lead to marriage.

Is abstinence a political device, as previous editorials have suggested? Absolutely not. This issue is far too important for that ever-changing arena.

Is promoting the abstinence message rather than relying on encouraging the use of condoms realistic for teens? Absolutely. It’s a proven strategy that has changed lives for the better.