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abril_flowers
abril_flowersSaturday, September 24, 2011 at 1:31:00 PM EDT
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Texas has one of the highest rates of births in the country.
Every ten minutes a teen in Texas becomes pregnant.
Every ten minutes a teen in Texas becomes pregnant.
"For the first time, they will be taught about contraception — and how to practice safe sex."
Texas Tribune
Texas Tribune
A sigh of relief. Finally! Slowly, some parts of Texas are beginning to realize that abstinence-until-marriage programs are not working. In the district of Midland, they will be replacing abstinence-only programs with "abstinence-plus" programs.
“The more you know about your body, how to make better decisions and choices, the better decisions that adolescents make,” she said, adding, “The more we demystify it, the more we talk about it, the better.”
Susan Tortolero, Director of the University of Texas' Prevention Research Center in Houston
Abstinence-plus programs (the label still sounds a little weird) go much further than abstinence-only programs.
AO programs teach that adolescents should abstain from sex until they are married to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, they do not teach about safe sex. These programs are not medically accurate and there is no evidence that they actually work.
A+ programs do promote abstinence as the best method to prevent unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and sexually transmitted diseases. However, unlike AO programs, A+ programs acknowledge that teenagers (not all) ARE or WILL BE sexually active. Also, they teach about contraceptives and include discussions regarding contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.
AO programs teach that adolescents should abstain from sex until they are married to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, they do not teach about safe sex. These programs are not medically accurate and there is no evidence that they actually work.
A+ programs do promote abstinence as the best method to prevent unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and sexually transmitted diseases. However, unlike AO programs, A+ programs acknowledge that teenagers (not all) ARE or WILL BE sexually active. Also, they teach about contraceptives and include discussions regarding contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.
In short, the rate of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and diseases among adolescents is a growing problem in Texas and it will continue to increase if we do not implement comprehensive sex education. Adolescents are bound to make more responsible choices concerning sex if we provide them with medically accurate information. Lastly, adolescents will receive the knowledge that can potentially save their lives.
On a last note, just because abstinence worked for Texas Governor Rick Perry, it does not mean that it will work for someone else.
Link to the Texas Tribune article, written by Morgan Smith:
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/public-education/condoms-safe-sex-appear-more-texas-sex-education/
Link to information regarding A+ programs:
www.abstinenceplus.info/resources_basicinformation.php
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