Twin Study Proves Abstinence-Only Education Protects No One
May 18, 2011 1 Comment
Abstinence-only education is designed to keep teens from the risks associated with sexual activity, in their adolescence and later in life. A new study is here to prove this theory completely wrong.
Sure, waiting to have sex removes any potential pregnancies, STIs or other risks associated with bumping uglies. What you don’t do, won’t hurt you. But once the children of abstinence-preaching communities decide to move over to the dark side and have sex, they engage in the same amount of risky behaviour as the next guy or gal.
A study used 1,000 pairs of twins, questioned at age 11 and then again at age 24. The original plan was to prove that abstinence-only education and subsequent virgin-status would lead to less sexual risk-taking behavior later on in life. But what they found is that it didn’t matter if one twin had sex at 15–gasp!–and the other had sex at 20. At age 24 when they came in for a second interview, both were at a similar risk-taking point in their lives.
Abstinence education in sex ed class is one of the silliest, stupidest things I have ever come across. Luckily, my own education consisted of graphic movies and condom talk, but some stone age schools still operate on a purity-based system. If they are not learning the basics to protect themselves, then what happens when they do decide to take the plunge and have sex? Not everyone can be expected to wait until later or even marriage with a smiling face and limp dick. Some teens get horny (some? I mean ALL) and may end up giving into the demonic act. So, they have unprotected sex. If there any advice they can use from their sex ed classes? Absolutely nothing.
I guess what abstinence-only supporters are preaching can be true. If you are not having sex, you are not getting pregnant, acquiring diseases, or doing any of the other “stupid” things these abstinence preachers believe come with sex. But not every teen is capable of holding off, so they go into sex unarmed and unaware of what they should be doing. And then their penis turns green or they have a baby 9 months later. This system just does not work.
Ranting aside, teens need to learn how to protect themselves. If their parents won’t do it, they should be able to get what they need from their school. Not everyone has the same abstaining ability as the Pope. The twins involved in this study are proof of this. Not all of them abstained, but those who did are now just as risky as those who did not.
You cannot bitch about teenage pregnancies and STIs when you never taught them what a condom was in the first place.
Contact the author here: crazycolleen@morningquickie.com
Absolutely agree!! The ol’ classic stand by “when a man & a woman fall in love and get married” talk is just not enough people! Don’t assume a kid/teenager won’t do what you tell them not too.. We ALL remember what it was like when we were younger, When an adult told us not to do something, it was first thing we all did!! Seriously, stop sending your kids into the world unprepared!