Despite any implications to the contrary, I too believe that sex education should be informed by facts and science; it is for this reason that I believe sex education should emphasize abstinence as the primary/most effective option ... not to the exclusion of teaching about STDs and other forms of natural and artificial family planning, but as being the better choice over and above those prior to the onset of marriage or a long-term relationship.
Biologically, sex exists to facilitate the procreation of the human species, and pair bonding in mating couples. Given this, the goal of science-driven sex education should be to prepare young people to one day form stable, long-term relationships, and to raise up the next generation of Canadians.
So, let us look at some facts and science.
The National Survey of Family Growth, published by the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC), found that the earlier onset of sexual activity in youth was linked to a greater overall number of lifetime sexual partners, and to higher turnover rates of sexual partners. This same study also found that delayed sexual initiation was linked to long-term relationship stability.
More than that, though, the study found that 80 per cent of couples who married as virgins (and 78 per cent of couples who had only ever had sex with each other prior to marriage) remained married for a period of at least 10 years. In couples where one member had even one other pre-marital sexual partner, only 53 per cent remained married for a period of 10 years. Couples with more extensive pre-marital sexual histories were even less likely to remain married (with success rates as low as 20 per cent).
Thus: if the goal of sex education should be to empower youth to form long-term relationships and to provide the best possible context for bringing up the next generation of Canadians (numerous studies have shown that intact two-parent families provide the best outcomes for children), then programs which emphasize abstinence should be a key component of sex education. The Systematic Review of Abstinence-Plus HIV Prevention Programs in High-Income Countries (PLOS Med 4.9, 2007) found that programs which taught about other forms of birth control/STD prevention, but which emphasized abstinence, “[showed] promise in abstinence-plus programs, with 23 of the 39 trials showing a statistically significant protective effect on at least one sexual behaviour. In addition, none of the abstinence-plus programs looked at showed any negative effects on young people.” Those protective effects included higher STD awareness, delayed sexual initiation, and reduced partner counts in youth who became sexually active.
Of course, if the goal of sex education isn't to empower youth to form long-term relationships and stable families, then I do agree that abstinence education isn't going to be all that effective. The culture of Tinder and Ashley Madison does indeed need all the condoms it can get ... but is that the culture we want? Are hookups and the normalization of adultery social positives? I have my doubts.
Kenneth Kully, St. Albert
