The Education of Shelby Knox

Teen pregnancy has been, can we say, somewhat in fashion this year, with Juno sashaying her pregnant belly all the way to the Oscar red carpet, Jamie Lynn Spears announcing her burgeoning bump with a glossy spread in Ok! magazine, and numerous health organizations releasing flashy (read: scary) statistics that prove that America, if nothing else, is tops when it comes to babies having babies.

So, on this day to prevent teen pregnancy, what are doing to do just that?

The battle over sex education has long been billed as part of the still-not-dead culture wars, an assumption that breeds foreboding headlines and, if you're Jon Stewart, side splitting laughter. Yet, if you think about it for more than two seconds, what should and should not be covered about sex in the classroom should be a discussion amongst parents, school officials, community members and, not to be forgotten, students themselves. But as it stands, Ol' Uncle Sam has gotten this one all figured out, pumping a billion dollars over the past decade into the coffers of faith based groups whose secular abstinence-only-until-marriage programs use some of the same tactics as religious "purity" programs, involving 'promise rings' and promises to daddy, with dubious results. Turns out, teens who take that pledge are MORE likely to get a sexually transmitted infection, less likely to get tested for one (Why? I'm not having sex.) , and more likely to have oral and anal sex (What? That's not sex!).

Talk has (finally) been heating up on what to do about the problem. The House Oversight Committee held the first-ever hearing on the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs several weeks ago, ahead of a decision Members will make about whether to commit another 186 million tax dollars to the flagging programs or change course and slash the funding, leaving the decision of what teens should be taught about sex in school up to states and communities. Some states, seventeen to be exact, have already decided the federal allotment for abstinence-only-until-marriage programming comes with too many strings and conditions, especially after a congressionally-mandated study found such programs "have no impact on teen behavior". You know it's bad when state education agenices are actually refusing money.

Out of the hearing came even more affirmation that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs should be scrapped, at least in the public schools, in favor of comprehensive sex education programs that teach about abstinence as well as a range of other sexual health topics, including relationship and partner communication skills, condoms, contraception, and ways to resist partner pressure. Scientists representing the most respected medical associations sat in front of Members of Congress and patiently explained why and how ab-only programs simply do not work. One of those orgaizations, the Society for Adolescent Medicine concluded (several years ago) that " the efficacy of abstinence-only interventions may approach zero." And, if none of that seemed convincing enough, a young advocate shared his experience with an abstinence-only-until-marriage programming that ended with a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. I talked about the pastor who humiliated girls with a toothbrush and a friend who got pregnant in 9th grade. One of the Members noted that neither of us should have been on the panel - we were not experts on the topic.

We have our report card - and it's one of those dreaded ones, covered in red F's and accomapnied by plenty of blame to spread around. Fortunately when it comes to sex ed, we actually know what works - and what doesn't. It's time to give in to common sense: No new moeny for abstinence-only-until-marriage-programs.