Education policy wonking

It should be as obvious as “water is wet”, but because religious beliefs are involved, rigorous studies must be performed to establish the obvious. And so today comes the latest study showing that abstinence-only sex education doesn’t work. The study arrives just as Congress is considering a bill that contains $141 million in funding for such programs.

The study, conducted by Douglas Kirby for the nonpartisan National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, not only demonstrates the failure of abstinence programs, but also demolishes the myths about sex education endlessly repeated by the faith-based opponents of giving students a full education. Comprehensive sex education doesn’t promote promiscuity, or persuade teens to have sex earlier or more often. In fact, the comprehensive approach gives girls greater confidence in themselves and their own judgment, making it easier to refuse sex.

None of this means that the abstinence programs won’t be getting $141 million of taxpayer money. Not only are they beloved by President Bush, they are fiercely lobbied for by Christian activists of varying fundamentalist stripes. Facts are not a major consideration for either.

Of course, it should be no surprise that so many fundamentalist Christians are confused when it comes to teen sex and unplanned pregnancy. After all, they strongly believe in abstinence for all, except married couples, but their whole religion is based on the unplanned pregnancy of a young unwed woman, two thousand years ago.

Tags: abstinence only, Christian, Congress, Douglas Kirby, National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnan, President Bush, sex education