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For more information on Heritage Community Services' abstinence education opportunities, please visit the programs section of our site. |
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What you won’t hear out of Washington…
Washington, DC A new sex scandal is brewing in Washington. A hearing was held today and it has nothing to do with the latest escapades of some Congressional member. It has everything to do with our children. Today, California Congressman Henry Waxman reconvened the House Committee On Oversight and Government Reform to take a look at funding for abstinence education. Waxman has fought government sponsorship of abstinence education for years. And his constituents have followed suit. Within the last decade, 96 percent of Golden State schools have abandoned abstinence for the comprehensive sex education model. About 1.1 million new STD cases in Californians ages 15 to 24 have since erupted. The reality is that any sexual activity puts a teen at risk, and abstinence education programs are very clear about that fact. But what you are likely to hear coming out of Congressman Waxman’s hearing is abstinence education being blamed for the fact that 1 in 4 teenage girls in America have a sexually transmitted disease or infection. His supporters will also say that teaching abstinence puts children at risk because children aren’t learning about proper contraception methods. However, Doug Kirby, PhD in his book 'Emerging Answers' states that a number of gold-standard studies clearly show that abstinence education does not decrease condom use. In fact, according to an article in the American Journal of Health Behavior (2008) entitled 'An Abstinence Program’s Impact on Cognitive Mediators and Sexual Initiation', Stan Weed, PhD found that a year after the program, students in the Virginia Abstinence Education Initiative were about 46% as likely to initiate sexual intercourse as similar non-program students. But the real sex scandal is one that you might not hear about. It comes about because of recommendations regarding the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) developed by a group of invited experts who met in Atlanta nine years ago, on April 13-14, 1999. There is government documentation that the CDC had what they called 'strongly documented scientific findings' about the prevalence of HPV, a preventable Sexually Transmitted Disease, and its connection to cervical cancer. Furthermore, there was a clear lack of evidence that condoms prevent the transmission of HPV. Consider the implications of this statement, published in December of 1999 of the CDC Prevention of Genital HPV Infection and Sequelae: Report of an External Consultants' Meeting: 'It was pointed out that HPV-related mortality is at least twice that of HIV for women in the US…' but '…most women and men do not understand the prevalence of genital HPV infection or its role in cervical cancer.' 'Such knowledge,' they said, 'might give them reasons to modify behavior.' It was their position that if the public knew the truth, that '…HPV infection is widespread, that it might not be fully prevented by condom use, and that it can have rare but serious sequelae...', [secondary results] such knowledge 'might help stimulate and sustain efforts to reduce exposure to HPV and other STD.' They further stated, 'Such strategies could include delay initiation of sexual intercourse,' and, 'a reduction in the number of partners…' [Pg.15] What followed is shocking. The CDC failed to adequately warn the public that HPV is an STD that causes cancer. Rather, abstinence educators are labeled as ‘fear mongers’ for simply telling teens the truth. They state, 'concern was expressed that, although an intuitively promising approach, such a strategy [behavior change] would have a number of potential problems, including… a potential to undermine condom use…' They continue, 'On the one hand, a policy of consistently informing the public about strongly documented scientific findings is likely to be the most ethical and effective policy in the long run…On the other hand, promotion of greater awareness that cervical cancer is linked to an STD could conceivably undermine general support for Pap smear screening programs...' and '…no data document that condoms are effective for HPV prevention…' [Division of STD Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), December 1999] According to the National HPV Cervical Cancer Coalition, every year about 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and about 3,700 die. That is approximately 32,400 needless deaths since this 1999 public health meeting was held. Oral and anal cancers associated with HPV are also on the rise. But that’s not what you will hear from Congressman Waxman’s committee hearing. You are going to hear that funding for abstinence should be cut, that abstinence is just the religious community trying to pour its morality into the school classroom, and that abstinence education is the leading cause of the epidemic rise of STDs among today’s teenagers. They are going to say that the solution is greater funding for 'Comprehensive Sex Education' which emphasizes teaching reducing their risk, instead of avoiding risk altogether. Don’t be fooled, and don’t let the abstinence education smear campaign go unchecked. It is time for public officials like Congressman Waxman to stop using their positions for political gain by ridiculing those who have dedicated their lives to protecting the young people of America. It is time for Congress to look at the real source of the epidemic rise of STDs among teens and see that that source is from within the government itself and its failure to warn its citizens. The distrust and division Waxman is creating is the last thing our country needs. We have work to do and we invite all who are genuinely concerned about the health and welfare of our youth, and their next generation of families, to work together for the good of our nation and our state. |
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