Abstinence

Recently I have come across multiple reports of abstinence programs not really working; one was on the TV (CNN I think but I can't recall), and another was on a recent news article http://www.rxpgnews.com/health/Abstinence_Education_Programs_Have_No_Impact_on_Sexual_Beahviour_23770.shtml or http://preview.tinyurl.com/2thgc8 Both of these reports got me thinking about these programs, why they seem to have difficulty working, and what would be a better alternative.

The programs*
These programs teach about the the possible consequences (pregnancy, STDs, etc.) of pre-marital sex. Many of them will involve signing a contract, where the person signing states that they will not have pre-marital sex. Some of them will even give out a token (ring, necklace, etc.), that the person can wear to show that they are pro-abstinence.
These programs having been receiving increased government funding, now at $204 million. These programs can be presented by a religious organization, a school, general public organization, and possibly others.

The Problems
Many problems with these programs exist. Let me point out a few:

• These programs teach abstinence in exclusion of anything else. That means the programs basically say "Don't have sex before marriage", and that is it.
• These programs do not teach how to properly handle a situation where you do have sex before marriage.
• Many of these programs are taught to children in elementary and middle school, and are not brought back up in high school.
• High school is when many teens would start to have pre-marital sex.
• Many of these programs are voluntary, and don't reach everyone.

Possible solutions

• Let's teach abstinence, in *addition* to teaching these kids how to be smart about sex. After all, sex isn't a disease, it is a wonderful thing - but like anything else in life, you need to be smart about it.
• Teach the use of condoms, and how to properly use them.
• Teach about the use of birth control pills
• Teach the statistics of how likely you are to acquire a disease or get pregnant if the two things above are used, and if they are not.
• We send kids to school to learn, not to have information withheld from them.
• Start sexual education early in life, and keep it going till they die.
• In other words, start teaching children about sex, why it's good to wait, and how to handle it properly if they can't wait - but make sure that the education continuesat least through high school.
• Make the programs mandatory. I *had* to learn American history, and Home Ec. this needs to be one of those classes that people have to attend. And no, I don't think teachers should be able to say that their children can't attend (they are as likely to have sex as anyone else).
  

*Please keep in mind that I have never attended one of these programs, so my knowledge on them is purely what I have heard, not what I have personally experienced.

UPDATE: A new article appeared in the USA Today - read it here:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-04-15-sex-education-grants_N.htm