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Sex Ed: Politics and Pedagogy
December 5, 2004
Reporting from KaiserNetwork.org
Last week, Rep. Henry Waxman (Democrat-CA) released an assessment of abstinence-only sex education curriculum in the U.S. Abstinence-only education promotes sexual abstinence until marriage and does not provide information about contraception or protection other than to discuss failure rates of specific methods. The report (The Content of Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Education) reviewed 13 of the most commonly used abstinence-only sex education curricula and found that 11 of the programs, which are used by 69 organizations in 25 states, contain incorrect medical information about pregnancy, abortion and contraception, blur the lines between religion and science, and promote gender stereotypes. Millions of students have been taught sex education using these materials over the last 5 years.
Examples of misinformation include:
- a fetus at 43 days gestation is a "thinking person,"
- a woman can become pregnant if a man touches her genitals,
- women who have abortions have significant mental health consequences and that 1 in 10 women who undergo abortion become sterile,
- 50% of gay male teenagers are HIV-positive,
- HIV can be spread through sweat and tears, and
- condoms fail to prevent sexually transmitted diseases 31% of the time when used during heterosexual intercourse.
Research does not support any of these claims, which rely on outdated information and misinterpretations of statistics.
Supporters and Opponents
Waxman, a proponent of comprehensive sex education, said that abstinence-only programs make students unprepared to protect against pregnancy or STDs if they become sexually active. "I have no objection talking about abstinence as a surefire way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases," Waxman said to The Washington Post, "I don't think we ought to lie to our children about science. Something is seriously wrong when federal tax dollars are being used to mislead kids about basic health facts." Gloria Feldt, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said, "Rep. Waxman's study proves what other research has already revealed -- that abstinence-only programs are ineffective and harmful to young people." Laura Murphy, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office, said, "For years, lawmakers have increased spending on abstinence-only programs without clear evidence that they are effective at preventing unplanned pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections, including HIV." She added that the report "demonstrates that public money is being misspent at the expense of our children's health. It should serve as a serious wake-up call to lawmakers."
This report has also become a touch-stone for abstinence-only education supporters, who claim that the report demonizes a valid sex education approach. Dr. Alma Golden, deputy assistant secretary for population affairs at HHS, said that Waxman's report took statements in the abstinence-only programs "out of context" to show them in the "worst possible light," according to the AP/Las Vegas Sun. "These issues have been raised before and discredited," Golden said, adding, "One thing is very clear for our children, abstaining from sex is the most effective means of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, STDs and preventing pregnancy."
Libby Gray, director of Project Reality, which produces the abstinence-only programs "Game Plan" and "Navigator" reviewed in the report, said, "The information presented in [the programs] is medically accurate, and all information presented is from data compiled by national sources such as CDC, NIH and the American Social Health Association," saying to The Washington Times, "These curricula have been reviewed by physicians and public health professionals and have been found to be statistically and medically accurate." Joe McIlhaney, who runs the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, which developed many of the curricula surveyed, said he is "saddened" that Waxman decided to "'blast well-intentioned abstinence educators" even though abstinence-only education supporters and opponents agree on many things.
Over the weekend the debate hit the air-waves and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Republican-TN), who is a medical doctor, called for a government review of all federally funded abstinence-only sex education programs. When asked about the report's findings on ABCNews' "This Week," Frist avoided discussing the medical accuracy of the programs. However, he said that the programs "[o]f course ... should be reviewed," adding, "That's in part our responsibility to make sure that all of these programs are reviewed."
What’s at stake?
In November, congress approved more than $131 million for abstinence-education programs that will reach millions of young people across the U.S. Although the increase (about $30 million more than 2004) represents a "record level," the amount is about $100 million less than Bush requested. The funding is coming after the delay of a landmark study on abstinence only education, which is now due in 2006. William Smith, director of public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), said that abstinence programs have not "proven effective. No sound study exists that shows that these programs have any long-term beneficial impact on young people's sexual behavior," Smith said to The Washington Times. Advocates for Youth recently released a 10-state study saying that after five years and $45.5 million in federal funding, abstinence programs have shown "few short-term benefits and no lasting positive impact."
According to HHS spokesperson Bill Pierce, a national evaluation of abstinence-only sex-education programs that was supposed to be released earlier this year has been delayed, and a final report will not be released until next year. Wade Horn, who is assistant secretary of children and families at HHS and oversees federal abstinence funding, said, "We don't need a study, if I remember my biology correctly, to show us that those people who are sexually abstinent have a zero chance of becoming pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease."
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