Pro Abstinence Only Education

There is quite a bit of debate about President-elect Barack Obama's stance on abortion. He has been endorsed by both Planned Parenthood and NARAL as pro-choice. His current website also says he will do everything he can to prevent any constitutional amendment that will overturn Roe v. Wade. Yet he has a 100 percent pro-life voting record in the Senate and is even endorsed by the group Pro-Life, Pro-Obama. Undebatable, however, is Obama's belief that women should have access to contraception, health information and preventative services. He co-sponsored a piece of legislation called the Prevention First Act that will increase funding for family planning and sex education. The hope behind said legislation is that the occurrence in un-wanted pregnancies will decrease and as a result the number of abortions will decrease as well. Withholding reproductive health information and services from the public in favor of abstinence-only education is a dangerous mistake. Preaching only abstinence in schools and beyond will not create hordes of pure, chaste people waiting for marriage or until they're ready for children to have sex. The decision to be sexually active is a very personal choice that should not be taken lightly, but in the likely event that a person chooses to do so, their ability to be safe should not be hindered. It seems unnecessary to point out the obvious, but human nature and hormones cannot be ignored or controlled nationwide by an ignorance of reproductive health. Religious ideology does not outweigh the great risk we put our youth at by teaching only abstinence. When teens who have undergone such education do become sexually active, they are more likely to be unsafe than teens who've been taught preventive measures. Not only does this lead to more unwanted pregnancies but it also leads to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases. Of course abstinence is the only 100% effective way to prevent STD's and unwanted pregnancy, but it shouldn't be presented as the only option. Education that teaches how to use contraception does not increase the frequency of sexual activity or encourage teens to become sexually active sooner. Many supporters of abstinence-only education do so for religious reasons and believe the unnatural prevention of a naturally occurring function of humanity is wrong. "Playing God" by preventing pregnancy is considered almost as much of a sin as abortion in the eyes of some. However, I fail to see how they can make no distinction between the prevention of creating a human life and the destruction of one. Education and providing safe sex services does not hurt anyone. Denying contraception or education on the use of contraception will only lead to more unwanted pregnancies. This translates to either more abortions or alternatives such as adoption or acceptance of the child. All of which could lead to a potentially damaging outcome for the child. There is not an unlimited supply of loving homes willing to adopt unwanted children. Also a majority of unwanted pregnancies occur in the lower-income brackets where the child may not be properly cared for. Even in the unlikely event that Roe v. Wade is overturned, the decision will likely be passed to the states. Only states with a pro-life majority will ban abortion and at the most it is only likely to happen in 16 states. Since it is so unlikely that abortion will ever be banned nationwide, the best option for those who are uncomfortable with it is to try and decrease the number of people seeking abortions. Abortion is often a last resort contraceptive and providing people with preventative contraceptives is the most effective way of decreasing the use of abortion. Providing women with reproductive health information and care is pro-life. Comprehensive sex education will lead to a decrease in unwanted pregnancies and as a result fewer abortions. The practice of abstinence may be right for some, but shouldn't be portrayed as the only alternative to unsafe sexual activity. Science has proven there are alternatives and to deny the public that information and care is unfair. Tax money should not be used only to show abstinence as the lone option, especially when the result is likely to hurt so many.

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