U.S. schools should teach comprehensive, sex-positive sex education instead of abstinence (Part 2)

Thank you for accepting.I want to apologize for how long it took me to post this argument. Due to many computer glitches, chief among them a fatal bug that caused my computer to crash whenever I logged onto this site, I couldn't post the argument until now. I'm using a different browser, which was the reason for the crash, so the problem shouldn't repeat itself. Onto the debate.I’d like to start off with some facts.Facts:1. Birth rates are declining [1] and the reasons are varied2. The US has the highest teen birth rate in the industrial world [1]3. Within the US, the states with the highest teen birth rates are the states that mandate abstinence only education, stress it, or don’t teach sex ed at all. [2][3]4. A federal report on abstinence only programs has shown that they have failed to discourage teen sexuality [4]5. A University of Washington study has shown that comprehensive sex ed can reduce teen pregnancy rates. [5]6. The prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until the mid-20’s, while the limbic system is fully functional during adolescence.[6][7]Birth rates in general, as well teen birth rates, are decliningThis is something I feel I must point out early on, since most of my argument uses teen birth rates as a measure. I decided to use teen pregnancy and birth rates because pregnancies more aptly describe the cost of a lack of comprehensive sex ed than do STD’s. Across the industrialized world, fertility rates have been declining [1]. The reasons for the decline are many and varied, but the studies I have read point to more widespread use of contraception [1][5], increased educational opportunities for women, and increased age of first birth [1]. Keep in mind this trend is localized to rich, industrialized nations, not just the US. In many of these countries, comprehensive sex ed and easy access to contraceptives are the norm. The US has the highest teen birth rate of all rich, industrialized nationsThe US teen birth rate is far higher than any other developed nation in the world(52.8 at the time of study). It is nearly double that of the UK(30.2), which has the second highest rate of teen births. (The metric being used is Births to women aged below 20 per 1000)[1]. There is clearly something that sets the US apart from the other nations in this study. That something is an insistence on teaching abstinence in place of comprehensive sex ed, even though multiple studies have shown that it is ineffective in reducing teen pregnancy and birth rates[4][5]. Abstinence only sex ed may even increase the likelihood of teens engaging in vaginal intercourse [5], although the numbers are not as solid.Within the US, teen pregnancy rates are highest in those states that teach abstinence as part of their curriculumThe states with the top ten teen pregnancy rates (New Mexico, Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Georgia) teach abstinence in place of contraceptive based sex ed [2][3]. However, the causes of teen pregnancy cannot be attributed simply to a lack of comprehensive sex ed. Teen pregnancy and birth rates are varied widely across demographics, with poor urban and rural teens having the highest rates of pregnancy and birth. In America, the rates between ethnicities vary greatly, with African American and non-white Hispanic teens having the highest pregnancy rates and birth rates. A federal report has shown that abstinence only sex education has failed in its primary purpose of promoting sexual abstinence, and a University of Washington study backs this up.A report commissioned by the Health and Human Services department in 2007 found that abstinence only teachings had “no impacts on rates of sexual abstinence” [4]. Many other factors, including participation in high risk activities and age of first intercourse, were almost identical as well between the experimental and control groups [4]. The University of Washington report found teens who received a comprehensive sex education were “sixty percent less likely to get pregnant or get someone pregnant” than those who didn’t [5]. The lead author of University of Washington report concluded that abstinence only education has no impact on teen sexual activity or pregnancy rates [5]. Multiple scientific studies have been conducted and nearly all of them have found that abstinence only teachings are woefully ineffective and possibly counterproductive. And yet many advocacy groups continue to push abstinence based teachings, framing their arguments around preserving family values and the nuclear family. There are also the thinly veiled religious overtones in many of the advocacy groups I have found that support abstinence only based programs. The prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until the mid-20s, while the limbic system is fully functional during adolescence.While initially this fact may seem like it is out of place, it is a central point to my argument and explains why adolescents in particular are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors. The prefrontal cortex is part of the frontal lobe; it is actually the very front of our brain and lies directly behind the forehead. This is the part of the brain involved in weighing outcomes, forming judgments, and controlling impulses and emotions [7]. It is also the very last part of the brain to fully develop, and usually stops developing during the mid-20s. The limbic system, the system responsible for emotional connections to other parts of the brain, is hardwired to register pleasure and pain in regards to high risk activities. It is fully developed in the early adolescent years [6]. The fully developed and functioning limbic system combined with an undeveloped or underdeveloped prefrontal cortex leads to pleasure and thrill seeking activities with little grasp on possible consequences. This combination is troublesome enough on its own, but becomes even more problematic when drugs, alcohol, and sexuality are added to the equation. When confronted with the choice of having sexual intercourse, one of the most biologically pleasurable acts known to man, and waiting years until marriage, sex will invariably win out in all but the strongest willed or most rational teens. Even when they are aware of the risks, teens will frequently choose the act that is pleasurable now as opposed to worrying about the vague consequences of STDs and pregnancy, neither of which are guaranteed and both of which are dealt with in the future [6][7]. The conclusion drawn from this is that no matter what we do or say, teens will have sex before marriage. It’s inevitable, and we have a duty to make sure that they practice safe sex.To sum it upIn conclusion, comprehensive sex education is the only reasonable course of action if we want to prevent and reduce teen pregnancy and the spread of STDs. I will concede that abstinence is the best way to truly prevent teen pregnancy and the spread of STDs. Condoms and other contraceptives do fail, and nothing can be guaranteed to work correctly 100% of the time. But while abstinence is the best option, it is almost completely unfeasible. We live in a highly sexualized society where there is constant social and cultural pressure on teens to have sex, and often. Don’t believe me? Then you’ve been living under a rock. I don’t want to be harsh, but this is a serious problem: very few things are as dangerous as a lack of knowledge. HIV is one the most destructive and insidious diseases known to man; it spreads rapidly, mutates at a freakish rate, and is virtually impossible to cure. The best way to never become infected with HIV is to never have sex, ever. But sex is a powerful biological drive, even if you don’t ever want to have children. The best way to reasonably prevent the spread of HIV is with condoms. While they are not 100% effective (nothing ever is), something that works 95% percent of the time is infinitely better than a straight gamble. Pregnancy is the same way; would you rather flip a coin or be 95% confident in your decision? Comprehensive sex education is the most reasonable option. Abstinence does not work for the majority of American adolescents.Sources http://www.unicef-irc.org... http://www.livescience.com... http://www.siecus.org... http://www.mathematica-mpr.com... http://www.washingtonpost.com... http://suite101.com... http://science.howstuffworks.com...