Totally Opposite View on Abstinence-Only

Silver Ring Thing  is a United States based sexual abstinence
program which encourages young adults to remain Sexual intercourse celibate until marriage. Teens wear silver bands on their left-hand ring finger as a symbol of their pledge to purity.   Many programs such as this one promote sexual abstinence based on the Christian theology that sex before marriage is immoral.  Beyond just the moral issue of engaging in sexual intercourse before marriage, pre-marital sex can complicate into several health risks for adolescents as well.  The most affective form of birth control is abstinence, and thus, abstinence-only messages should be taught to kids in public schools.

Since 1991, when federal abstinence funding began, births to 15- to 17-year-olds have dropped 43 percent despite a 25 percent increase in that age group. In 1991, 54 percent of teens said they had had sex, compared to 47 percent in 2003 (The Centers for Disease Control). The Centers for Disease control has also concluded that both abstinence and contraception contributed to the decline in teen pregnancy rates between 1991 and 2001. Written evidence has shown that abstinence-only is affective when taught to teens. On a different note, some may argue that teens are going to have sex no matter what they are taught, so we should just educate them about safe sex and contraceptives.  However, this view carries several negatives.  If we are telling kids that they should have “safe sex” are we telling them they are allowed to have sex and it is accepted?  Unless educators stand firm and teach strictly abstinence-only, teens will receive a mixed message that may become confusing.  Significantly, there are no negative risk factors associated with virginity pledges, but the same cannot be said for teaching teens about using condoms and other forms of birth control. Even setting aside the physical risks, can a condom protect your heart?

Widespread premarital sex has created severe economic and social costs, not to mention the personal pain it places upon teenagers and their families. In pure economic terms, researchers estimate that adolescent childbearing itself costs the taxpayers $6.9 billion each year (LifeWay Christian Ministries). Obviously, abstinence is the easiest answer to protecting teens not only physically, but emotionally and physiologically as well.  Abstinence-0nly is a clear, stern message with no ifs ands or buts.  Abstinence means abstaining from all sexual activities, and all teens will understand and hopefully accept this message.

Cited Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/abstinence-saves-taxpayers-money