Kids Won't Stop Sexing
The long heralded statistics that teens were saying no to sex are now taking a turn, or a plateau to be exact. The Washington Post reported:
"After decreasing steadily and significantly for more than a decade, the percentage of teenagers having intercourse began to plateau in 2001 and has failed to budge since then..."
This fall corresponds to an increase in the teaching of sexual abstinence. The more you tell the teens to not touch the hot stove, the more seem to be touching it.
In fairness, there is also the opinion that we have reached a saturation point. That through programs we have achieved the lowest sustainable level of sexual activity, and the ones still participating fall to the undeniable "basic human behaviors."
There is growing concern, however, that this is simply the plateau before an upturn in sexual activity, and that abstinence programs should realize their limits.
"A recent study of four separate abstinence programs, conducted for the Department of Health and Human Services by Mathematica Policy Research, a nonpartisan firm, found no evidence that the programs delayed the start of sexual activity among teens, but Unruh [of National Abstinence Clearinghouse] and others said such programs need more time and wider use to counter pervasive messages encouraging teens to have sex..."
The House last week approved a $28 million increase in spending on abstinence programs -- Democratic leaders said it was intended to win Republican support for the annual health and education funding bill — but the Senate is considering a $28 million cut, largely because of concerns about the programs' efficacy."
One would think children's lives are worth more than compromising power.
Abstaining from Comprehensive Sex Education [Harvard Political Review]
- Kristin Linder
